EEA & EEMA General Assembly 2007

General Secretary’s address in full, EEA General Assembly October 2007

Evangelicals are Good News people…….that’s what Eu-Angelios is!

And we have lots of VERY good news for Europe in the early 21st century, with clear answers to the burning questions that everybody is asking about Identity and The Future: critical intellectual issues, with deep emotional content.

So this evening, we will think self-critically about some things that are not good news in a fallen world, focussing on some of sin’s out-workings in our own constituencies: because we want to help our evangelical constituencies rediscover freedom, excitement, and thankfulness, so that Europe’s 21st century evangelical Christians become known as thankful, Good News people, and once more shape the future and identity of our needy continent. Europe needs Christ. And it needs passion and commitment as much as it needs intellectual solutions.

The Eu-Angelios is Good News for individuals and for families, for society and Church. My prayer is that this evening will contribute towards the change which Good News alone can bring to Europe or anywhere else, as we reflect on some negative things, in order to move ourselves into positive mode:

Arrogance comes in many forms. Of course the danger of talking about it is that we begin to believe that we are very humble. There are two forms of arrogance that Evangelical Alliances battle against in our circles/churches:

 A belief that one expression of evangelicalism is The Only True One in the world……and that all others are not truly biblical or not truly spiritual, or not truly Christian. A lot of this exclusivism or tribalism is about culture: though it is justified theologically. The solution is exposure to other evangelicals (internationally and inter-denominationally).

 A belief that one form of evangelicalism is more biblical or spiritual because it has discovered a great insight that nobody has discovered before.

My guess is that these two dangers are especially great in our individualistic late modern era: because they reflect a lack of understanding of two things

 The international nature of the Church and
 The historical nature of the Church

Sometime what presents itself as this kind of arrogance is actually a form of fear: a fear to admit that we do not have all the answers!

Some things are absolutely clear. Jesus is the Truth. The Bible is the very Word of God: it cannot be destroyed. Some things that we believe can be clearly formulated: that is why we have ‘Statements of Faith’, as Evangelical Alliances.

But when we talk about the Almighty Eternal Sovereign Creator of all things, we need not be afraid to admit that our understanding of Him is not complete. Indeed our understanding of many things is provisional; and some things that we seem to understand are to our minds mutually contradictory.

We have nothing to fear from admitting that some ambiguity exists in life!

There’s another form of fear among us nowadays: namely, fear of the power of Islam in Europe. That’s an understandable fear, in many ways.

I recommend Philip Jenkins’ latest book: ‘God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis’.

 He reminds us of the demographical growth among Muslim populations in some parts of Europe.

 He also balances those reminders with the actual percentages (much lower than sometimes claimed). Apart from Turkey, if you include Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina and all other countries negotiating EU membership, the total percentage of Muslims within the EU and European Economic Area is 4.6% (Table 1.1, page 16)

 He acknowledges that the challenges of assimilation of ethnic minorities is very great, but suggests that ‘governments are handicapped in this task by a pervasive secularism that finds it difficult to treat seriously religious concerns, motivations, or sensitivities’ (page 24)

 He points out that Christianity has not died in Europe. Though there has clearly been decline in some ways. Page 86!

 He speaks of the growth of radical and violent Islam, as one strand of Islam (also within Europe), but presents an interesting counterargument about the potential of our Enlightenment and secular context to shape European forms of Islam. As he says, secularism has had a dramatic impact on Christianity, creating European forms of Christianity: doesn’t this same worldview have the potential to do the same with Islam?

One thing is certain: whether that happens or not, evangelicals have nothing at all to fear from any form of Islam. Christ is greater than even the greatest of world religions. Instead of being afraid and ‘demonising’ people, we should see the presence of Muslim communities in Europe as a great evangelistic opportunity!

And we should pray regularly for boldness for our brothers and sisters in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan etc

Embarrassment may seem to be an odd emotion to speak about next: isn’t embarrassment far less serious than fear?

BUT, just as some Christians avoid Muslim peoples because of fear, many of us avoid being open about our faith with non-Christian neighbours or friends, because we are embarrassed…….because we are afraid of being thought different or ‘odd’, ‘stupid’ or out of date, because of our faith in the Living God and in Jesus’ Lordship.

There is the entertaining story of Evan Almighty who encounters God. Much to his embarrassment he has to admit to many around him that the living God has spoken to him.

Some may have seen the film.

Insecurity is closely linked to embarrassment. In many of our countries there are pressures to restrict the freedoms of the faith communities. In the European Parliament, there is at least one MEP trying to actively exclude people of faith and faith discussions from the Parliament. It’s deeply ironical, of course: because radical secularism like that is fundamentalism, and just as much a ‘faith’ position as any other. It may even be more dangerous.

But, as we were discussing this morning, there is another form of secularist pressure which can cause us all to feel more insecure: a series of attacks on freedom of speech, often directed at Christians.

Maybe there are two reasons for those attacks worth mentioning at this point. The first is that politicians have the difficult responsibility to balance freedom and security. That is not always easy, in an age of violent radicalism and terrorism. Politicians deserve our sympathy and our help.

But freedom of speech is vital for the welfare of society. And freedom of religion to speak its mind is one measure of the health of any society (alongside freedom of the press and academia). It is an essential and basic building block, just as important as an independent justice system.

And Christians in Europe need to learn to stand up, graciously but firmly. We have a few particular problems, because of our convictions.

Because we believe in absolutes, we believe in the vital importance of mission and evangelism. Other faith communities also do. But there are really only three mainstream groups who believe in an absolute God: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. For most of our Jewish friends Judaism is not a missionary faith: but Islam and Christianity are very mission-minded religions.

Christianity has a longer history than Islam within Europe. Sadly that history includes negative chapters. We are amongst the first to admit that! Sadly, we are sometimes criticised for things that others in history have done, in Christ’s (and, in one sense, in our) name.

Within the Muslim communities, with a shorter history in Europe (and therefore fewer negative stories within Europe) there are also some very violent people: so politicians and press (to avoid violence) often treat Muslim communities gently.

That leaves Christians: as a ‘soft’ target.

Our further problem, as evangelical Christians, is that the word ‘evangelical’ carries a lot of contemporary ‘baggage’. Some of that ‘baggage’ is cultural and political (often North American).

And then there is also some ‘crazy’ baggage on top of that: people with crazy ideas who are described by the press as ‘evangelical’: and who make great TV. So, we (for whom the description is about good news that is both rational and international) are also seen as either American or crazy: or both!

Given those problems, it is easy to become frustrated. And frustration can lead to defensiveness and aggression: which is not the Jesus way.

We need to help our constituencies to react to negative pressures with great humility…..without being weak. Bruce Clemenger (Evangelical Fellowship of Canada) once told me that they work hard on ‘tone’ as well as ‘content’ in all their dealings with media and government….my conviction is that this is the secret of their success.

Anxiety is sometimes a related emotion. That is also an internal struggle: with which we need one another’s help, so that, by God’s grace, we ’cast all our anxiety on Him, because He cares for us’ (1 Peter 5 v.7)

Our despair finds it final resting place in the Empty Tomb. The Risen Jesus confronts our Bitterness, Jealousy, Guilt, Loneliness, and Selfishness.

But before I come to some concluding thoughts, I want to talk about one positive emotion, namely happiness.

Material prosperity does not make people happier. Deep down we all know that, though it is too easy to forget, in the affluent parts of our regions.

Psychologists and sociologists know it. Now, some economists are arguing it, as well. Richard Easterlin began the debate in 1974, with his ‘happiness paradox’, now often called the Easterlin Paradox: arguing that greater wealth does not have a lasting effect on personal well-being.

Others have refined this thinking since then, concluding that this scientific observation is only true above a certain level; and also that comparison between countries and comparisons inside countries sometimes produce different data.

But the challenging question remains: is our search for continual economic growth actually the best thing for this life, let alone for the next?

Professor Bill Rees of the University of British Columbia advises governments and others about sustainability, using a tool called the ‘Ecological Footprint Analysis’ that he and his team developed.

He argues that the traditional economic solution to injustice and poverty is not sustainable. After WW2, clever marketing turned ‘conservers’ into ‘consumers’, creating a ‘socially constructed addiction of the soul’. BUT continual economic growth is not possible: the planet simply cannot sustain this rate of economic growth. According to Rees, we will need four more planets to sustain our expectations. He argues that we can reduce our ecological footprint, and that we need to, if we are to alleviate poverty….and if we are all to survive.

This social scientist (certainly not self-identifying as an evangelical) understands that there is more to life than our current world order suggests.

And we understand that we need to listen to the Creator; and take responsibility for His creation; and we also know that the whole world population needs the Creators’ redeeming grace and forgiveness…..because we have spat in His face, as we have mishandled the good things He has made, ignoring Him as we do so.

We have neither loved Him as we should nor loved our neighbours as ourselves.

In fact, in early 21st century Europe, we have suggested that He is irrelevant, or even dead: we have excluded Him from everything….and we, and all of creation are paying the price.


Conclusions

We need to help our societies (and one another) to hear the wonderful good news that Scripture proclaims. And we Greco-Roman, Enlightenment, and Post-Modern Europeans desperately need to hear the voice of the Church in the Majority World, because we are ourselves trapped in our own cultural preconceptions when we read Scripture, and therefore unknowingly impose our existing worldview on our reading.

‘Jews for Jesus’ often say that Jesus is the Only Hope for the Middle East. I understand that to mean that the Good News of Jesus is for individuals (because He brings reconciliation with God) and for society (because He brings reconciliation and forgiveness between people as well as with God)

We need to help one another to rediscover our confidence in the radical and transforming power of the Good News of Jesus (sometimes called, in Christian shorthand, ‘the gospel’).

Passion and intellect, emotions and social significance, reason and intuition all find their greatest fulfilment in Christ. God’s eternal plans for the universe revolve around Jesus. He is not always popular, but He is the Only Hope for individuals and for society and for the planet.

Few people around Europe have any understanding of this astonishing, historical human-divine person, through whom all things were made and in whom all things hold together.

He is alive! The fact is, He has conquered sin. The fact is he has conquered sin and death! The fact is, He is one day returning: and in the meantime He is building His Church, and His Kingdom is near, and even among us…….as we proclaim and live out the Good News of God (Mark 1 vv 1, 14) in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, in the early 21st century!