Why I believe sound Evangelicals should quit the C of E
by Stephen Kneale:
Increasingly, Evangelical Anglicans are finding it difficult to remain within the Church of England. Now, as a Dissenter, you will hardly be surprised that I think they should all leave. But I don’t think those who are convinced of Anglicanism should necessarily leave their faithful Anglican communions. I may not be convinced of their ecclesiology and praxis, but if you are – and your church holds to the gospel – I wouldn’t expect you to leave. But the Church of England, however, is a different matter. Here are five reasons I think it is untenable for genuine believers to remain.
Fellowship with false teachers
It is well known that the Church of England is broad. Some actively tout that as one of its strengths. But the reality is that those who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ are repeatedly warned in scripture to have nothing to do with those who peddle a false gospel (cf. Rom 16:17
; 2 John 10-11). It is hard to see how remaining in the same denomination as such people – actively affiliating ourselves to the same groupings to which they are welcomed – demonstrates any sense whatsoever of the separateness to which the Lord calls us.
Whilst Paul insists that those who persist in sin should be put out from among us, many actively take their parishioners to meetings knowing that at them such false teachers will be delivering talks. They attend groups and meetings with those who clearly preach a gospel entirely contrary to the one they claim to believe. How do we justify this in light of what the Bible tells us regarding the fellowship of darkness and light?
[Editor’s note: The issue for English Anglicans of whether to stay in the Church of England or to leave, is a topic of lively debate. The publication of LLF has given more energy to this discussion. Within this general issue is the more specific one: should disaffected Anglicans leave to join other denominations, or are there valid ways of remaining Anglican, but outside the C of E? In the coming weeks, further developments will emerge, and Anglican Mainstream will continue to publish a variety of views on the subject.]
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