European Mission strategist urges British Christians not to neglect Gospel dimension in EU Referendum decision

May 6, 2016 by Andrew Symes

by Andrew Symes, Anglican Mainstream.

Northampton-born Jim Memory worked in Spain for many years, first as a church planter and pastor and then building a network of a new generation of Spanish evangelical pastors. He has more recently been leading ECMI’s vision and strategy group which involves travelling widely throughout Europe, and teaching at Redcliffe College, Gloucester; in particular coordinating their MA programme on European Mission.

In a recent two part lecture at Redcliffe, Memory urged his interdenominational audience to commit to more engagement with Europe for the sake of the Gospel. Whether we decide to vote “in” or “out” in the June referendum should be influenced not just by self interest and economic concerns, he said, but understanding of “the mission of God to redeem his creation”. To ask “will I be better off if we remain or leave?” is the wrong priority for Christians, he suggested, arguing that because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is “the only hope for today’s half a billion Europeans”, Christians in Britain should rather be asking what is the best way for the church to “make a difference again in Europe”.

In a wide-ranging address, Memory began with an understanding of mission that is not just one of a number of themes in the Bible, but, quoting Chris Wright, “what it’s all about”. He moved on to talk about identity. What does it mean to be “British”? Is it possible to talk about Britishness only as distinct and different from being European, or should we recognize more that we are culturally European and regarded as such not just by Americans but Africans and Asians as well? He insisted that while we can leave the EU, we cannot “leave Europe”.

He then outlined the current crises affecting Europe: the economic situation, political tensions which have seen the rise of far right and far left parties, and a social crisis in which the continent is having to absorb millions of migrants while facing critically low indigenous fertility rates and a massive increase in elderly people dependent on care. Most serious of all is a spiritual crisis. The Christian basis of European culture is receding, because of a growth in Islam (predicted to be 10% by 2050) but much more significantly by secularism and a consumerism that sees salvation only in economic growth and material comforts.

Moving on to a brief history of the EU, Memory reminded his audience how that most British of leaders, Churchill, advocated a radical new form of cooperation between European states after World War Two, based on a partnership between a spiritually revived France and Germany. This would ensure an end to the seemingly interminable conflicts on the continent and produce “blessing instead of cursing”. Many of the early leaders of the fledgling European movement were Christian Democrats such as Robert Schuman, but as the EEC grew and became the EU, the spiritual vision receded and was replaced with more utilitarian economic and political concerns. Britain’s relationship with this developing super-entity has always been ambivalent and this is now being brought to a head with the stark choice facing voters at the forthcoming Referendum.

One reason why making a choice is so difficult, is the way that the arguments are presented on both sides – Memory described them as “Project Fear v Project Fantasy”. One side argues that terrible things will happen if we leave, while the other tells us that all our problems are caused by the EU and makes “fantastic promises about what might be possible…by leaving the EU”. The figures and projections produced by both sides are questionable – so how are ordinary people to make a decision?

Jim Memory then takes several important themes and gives a brief “missiological reflection”. As Christians our heritage is the amazing history of Christian mission in Europe. The church is now in decline and people have turned to other gods, “yet that does not have to be the future…faced with the godlessness of today’s Europe we should respond as the Celtic missionaries once did, by recommitting ourselves to sharing the message of hope in Jesus Christ among all of Europe’s peoples whether we are in the EU or not…”

Turning to the issue of immigration, Memory concurs that the numbers and cultural differences of new migrants to Europe has caused understandable fear and alarm. Immigration has brought economic growth but as has been said this should not be the main factor in deciding whether something is good for a nation or not. He questions whether leaving the EU would enable “control over borders” that the Leave campaign asserts, and ask us to remember the mission benefits, as “God has brought the nations to us”.

In terms of freedom and democracy, Memory questions the idea of being a genuinely ‘independent’ nation when globalization, peace and trade treaties have meant a trade off between autonomy and cooperation for mutual benefit. There are certainly huge problems with the lack of democratic legitimacy in the EU – “the strongest argument for Vote Leave” – but could this be improved by staying in, and supporting and praying for those committed to working for more democratic accountability? From the point of view of mission, a vote to leave the EU would undoubtedly make Gospel work across the nations of Europe more difficult.

Memory ended his presentation with a personal viewpoint that it would be better to Remain. Christians will agree or disagree about this conclusion, but all will benefit from listening to the arguments. In particular his emphasis on “what would be best for mission, and renewal of a Christian basis for Europe?” is a much needed additional element not often heard in the debate. I would like to have asked him about what is happening in terms of trans-national and interdenominational Christian cooperation in retrieving a Gospel-based vision for the continent, the role of the Roman Catholic Church and Pentecostalism (not usually associated with ECMI’s work), and the Christian-based pro-family movements now growing in alliance across Europe.

See video and powerpoints of the talks here.