A fading institution

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Reporting on the resignation of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a BBC reporter referred to the Church of England as a ‘fading institution’. A cursory glance at the statistics from the last few decades surely bears this out. Perhaps we should not be surprised. Over the centuries church institutions have come and gone, not least when they abandon the Biblical authority which gave them birth. But I for one am not unduly concerned.

Following more negative headlines about the church some years ago a wise friend of mine responded by asking ‘Is Jesus still on his throne?’ The answer is emphatically yes! The risen, ascended and glorified Jesus is indeed still on his throne and will one day return to judge the world. When church institutions fail and fade it is time to remind ourselves that Jesus didn’t call people to build an organisation but very simply to follow him and live the life that he revealed.

So, while the Church of England as an institution continues to fail and fade, Jesus as the Lord of heaven and earth will continue to call people to follow him and, in that way, build his church. As the prophet Isaiah reminds us, ‘of the increase of his government there will be no end.’ (Isaiah 9:7)

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