The reduction no one is paying attention to...

More tens of millions of pounds are to be pumped into efforts to drastically reduce the Church of England’s carbon emissions over the next six years, the first impact report on its net-zero programm says.  The report summarises progress on the General Synod’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2030, which was set in 2020 (News, 12 February 2020). The Synod approved a “route map” to this goal two years later (News, 15 July 2022).  In real terms, the target is to decrease the Church’s emissions — mainly from its buildings — by 90 per cent against the current baseline: 415,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent (415,000T CO2e). The remaining ten per cent is to be offset by carbon-cancelling schemes, such as tree-planting and installing solar panels.

What would make me laugh if it were not so sad is that the Church of England seems to be more concerned about shrinking its carbon imprint than it is with the shrinking numbers of the faithful in its pews.  But that is entirely understandable.  They may be able to do something about the carbon imprint but they seem powerless to turn about the ship of faith.  In fact, turning around the ship of faith would require returning to doctrinal positions the Church of England seems to have rejected fully and finally.  The Church of England is not failing for lack of zeal for the environment but for lack of interest in and belief in the Scriptures as the Word of God and the Gospel of Christ's death and resurrection.  The Church of England is not failing for being behind in the sexual desire and gender identity programs undertaken but because they have nothing really to say about Christ's death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and to restore us to the life that death cannot overcome.

The soul of the Church of England is in trouble -- not its carbon imprint.  I say this as a friend to what the Church of England once was.  We Lutherans have certainly debt to Bishop Cranmer and we have a love for the wonderful tradition of choral music within the Church of England.  We love the ceremony and the seriousness devoted to symbols, ceremonies, and rituals.  We are sad that the history and legacy of this church body has become lost in cloud of various schemes to be relevant in every way except the way God intends for His Church to be relevant to the world and daily life.  We are sad that the eloquent collects and prayers and hymns of the Church of England are sung without must trust in what they say.  We are sad that the ceremonies and external piety of the Church of England has become detached from any appreciation for and confidence in the words or faith behind those ceremonies, symbols, and rituals.

Archbishop Welby will go down in history as the cleric who oversaw the decline of this church body even within Anglicanism.  Of course, to be faith, he had some help along the way but his stewardship of the office has been marked by more missteps, errors, and failures than most.  What a wonderful legacy!  He saved the buildings while killing the Church.  I wish he were unique.  He is not.  Too many have a great passion for climate change, social progress, the morality of the moment, and catching up with society but have no passion for the saving of souls through the means of grace.  Evangelization and the liturgy are not enemies except in those who view the saving of the environment more urgent than preaching the Word and administering the sacraments by which any people shall be saved.