Читать книгу Kingdom Calling - The Faith and Order Commission - Страница 4

by Christopher Cocksworth

Bishop of Coventry

Chair, Faith and Order Commission

The Faith and Order Commission welcomed the call to work with others to ‘Enrich the theology’ that was made when Setting God’s People Free was presented to the General Synod in 2017. Partnership with the Setting God’s People Free team and with Ministry Council and the staff who support it has already borne fruit in the publication last year of Calling All God’s People. Kingdom Calling is a rather different kind of text, aiming to ‘Enrich the theology’ by addressing half-hidden habits of thought that inhibit the realization of our theological ideals about the vocation, ministry, and discipleship of all God’s people.

A number of the Commission’s members have been especially closely involved in preparing Kingdom Calling, including Anne Hollinghurst, who chaired the Steering Group for the project, and Loveday Alexander and Joshua Hordern who were members of it, while Jeremy Worthen served as secretary. It has been, however, very much a collaborative endeavour, and many people have contributed their insights, including members of the Ministry Council and its Lay Ministries Advisory Group and members of the Setting God’s People Free Advisory Group. The presentations and the responses to them from participants at the Lambeth Palace colloquium on Calling All God’s People in July 2019 provided a crucial catalyst for this second text, while Nicholas Townsend lent invaluable editorial scrutiny when it was nearing completion.

The Commission has been very conscious that many important books have been written on these subjects, and indeed continue to be produced. This is not an attempt to compete in either inspirational content or weight of scholarship, but to help the Church of England do the sort of theological work necessary to undergird the prayer for all God’s people:

Almighty and everlasting God,

by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church

is governed and sanctified:

hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,

that in their vocation and ministry

they may serve you in holiness and truth

to the glory of your name;

through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Collect for the ministry of all Christian people, Common Worship