Spiritual leadership: a visit from Archbishop Foley Beach
by Peter Sanlon, American Anglican Council website.
[Tunbridge Wells, Kent]: …On Wed 17 Oct we hosted a meeting which was opened to people who had not yet joined our ‘Anglican Partnership Synod.’ Archbishop Foley Beach had agreed to visit and address our congregations, and we felt that his message should be heard as widely as possible. 175 people traveled to hear Archbishop Foley share his own personal story. He shared with us about his upbringing, conversion, ministry in TEC – and the way the Spirit convicted him in conscience to step out from that denomination to a future that at that point was unclear. In our Anglican context we have in past years underplayed the importance of personal testimony. Perhaps we have over-reacted to the potential excesses of focus on individuals and have gravitated to emphasize processes, staff teams and paperwork! Whatever the reason, it is many years since I have heard an Anglican minister give such a detailed, honest account of their struggles, tears, conscience and convictions. Many people spoke with me afterwards and said that the personal account of how God had called and convicted Archbishop Foley, glorified God in an encouraging way.
After the personal narrative, Archbishop Foley spoke from 1 and 2 Timothy on the ‘Spiritual Character Needed for Times Ahead.’ This was a passionate plea for Christians to pursue ‘piety, holiness, obedience and courage’. I was struck in particular by the simple God-honouring call to obedience. ‘Think about the kind of person you would entrust a job to. Would you entrust a job to somebody you knew would disobey your wishes? Of course not. So we should obey God in little things – so that he can entrust greater things to us.’ I am sure I was not the only minister convicted by the awareness of many areas of life I need to be more careful to obey God in. Therein lies the future hope of revival and reformation.
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