{“The Decade of Evangelism”}[5th January 1991]

[Redbook8:168-169][19910105:1005]{“The Decade of Evangelism”}[5th January 1991]

19910105.1005

1991

[A cutting from The Guardian 901231:3 inserted here in the ms but not copied in the ts, headed ‘Church call to go forth and multiply’, begins: ‘As the second millennium approaches, a 10-year campaign to win recruits to the Christian fold is being launched in cathedrals, churches and chapels throughout Britain. The Decade of Evangelism, which starts on Sunday, is being supported by denominations across the board....’ One paragraph is highlighted in the ms as follows: ‘The British recruitment drive is part of a worldwide effort by Christian churches. “The odd thing is, no one knows quite how the idea began,” Canon Finney [The Church of England’s officer for the Decade] said. “The Pope was talking about a 10-year evangelistic effort in the earlier eighties, and Anglican bishops from all over the world made a similar call at the 1988 Lambeth conference.”’]

I have had to think seriously about why I don’t feel fired with enthusiasm for the Churches’ Decade of Evangelism: rather the reverse, in fact.

One, highly rationalised, factor is that in C[ircles] A[nalysis] & S[ynthesis] periods it has probably come too late: only the Pope seems to have got it right, as spontaneous revivals normally begin at or within a few years of C;* but they do have to be spontaneous.

*[This is an over-simplification of earlier suggestions; see eg:

[Redbook7:85][19900313:1528b]{Revival Cycles (1)}[13th March 1990];

[Redbook7:288][19900913:2209]{Revival Cycles (2)}[13th September 1990];

[Redbook7:289][19900913:2209c]{Revival Cycles (2) (continued)*}[13th September 1990]

[Redbook7:289][19900913:2209d]{Revival Cycles (2) (continued)[continued]}[13th September 1990]]

[continued]

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