Its always a relief when someone names the elephant in the room, isn’t it?
There’s nothing so irritating as trying to relate to someone who has an unrealistic, outdated or simply inaccurate understanding of themselves, their role or their abilities.
There are few things more refreshing than being with someone who has developed excellent self-awareness and lives in the security that comes from knowing oneself – flaws and strengths.
Reading ‘A Vast Minority’ provided the same sense of relief as described above. Stuart Murray addresses the situation of the British church, providing substantial evidence for his evaluation of the church now being an ex-majority, but still a vast minority. He explains how inappropriate our functioning as a majority now is, and with refreshing self-awareness suggest what it may mean to begin to function with minority status.
He tackles issues around the transition from a majority mindset to one of a minority, albeit one with influence. He looks at how our resources might be differently deployed, how we might engage differently with our culture and other organisations, as well has how we might relate differently to each other within the wider church body, nationally, globally and across denominations.
Stuart looks at how this minority status releases us to become a creative, prophetic and hopeful minority; the text is full of helpful examples and challenging questions. His writing is kind in addressing the struggles we will face, is humble in reference to our past and current flaws, and encouraging as we look to the future of the church in the UK, and how we may be being called to function and follow God now.
Many have voiced discomfort in how church is operating; to refer to an example from the book, similarly to the story of David and Goliath, the armour we are wearing to fight does not fit us anymore. What was once fit for purpose is now becoming a hindrance; we must look to simpler stones and slings – and ‘A Vast Minority’ acts as a wise guide in how to make that transition.
As I finished the final chapter, my lingering feeling was one of hope; hope that change is possible, that the church does have a future (although it will look very different to how many have imagined it to be), and that ‘we can choose to interpret this emerging context as an opportunity to recover our nerve, our soul, our missional identity and our primary allegiance’ (p179).
Here’s the amazon link for you! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vast-Minority-Church-Mission-Culture/dp/1842278371
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