The Challenge and Gift of being a Smaller Church
Jody Stowell
Introduction
It is important as I share this article, to be transparent about the
lenses through which I write. Part of the challenge brought by this
article is to suggest that there are emotional processes which are
motivating the central Church of England’s strategic approach to
ecclesiology – thus promoting initiatives which prefer a particular
model of Church – and which
go without interrogation or
critique.
What I share here is
inevitably, and joyfully,
flavoured by my experience
as a vicar of a smaller church
in the Church of England. I
am also deeply involved in wider church politics, and have observed
what I believe to be the impact of these processes upon the local
parish. All this is a reminder that there is no such thing as a
completely objective perspective, for anyone.
It is my experience as a vicar of a smaller church, and the passion
with which I believe in this expression of the universal Church,
which led me to explore more deeply the ways in which smallness is
spoken of in Scripture, and to speak to those who are ministering in
these contexts. This piece is based on a small number of interviews
with clergy leading smaller churches,1 observing the patterns of
life and character that emerged: in particular focusing on fragility/
vulnerability, anxiety and data addiction, and clergy wellbeing.
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