Change and decay

. A few of us "diocesan leaders" had the opportunity last night to chat informally with Jeff Driver our new Bishop.
I had a couple of interesting thoughts, one was how few of the "diocesan leaders" I actually knew. I was there because as an Area Dean I represent one of the small pastoral groupings of clergy. There were remarkably few other parish priests there, and virtually no ordinary parishioners.
This perhaps represents a shift of interest and focus over the last fifteen years, one that I hope the good Bishop will redress. What ever else we might think Anglican life will continue to be focussed in the parishes. The schools, though important, are a particular sector of our church but represent only a narrow cross-section of our life. And one, it needs to be said, which is not particularly focussed on the advancement of the Gospel, but more on the promotion of educatonal interests. That is, I suggest, as it should be.
The fact that the schools with a couple of notable exceptions, are confined in a very narrow and privileged sector of society says much about what their priorities are. The Church must have a much broader focus than that.
The welfare arm, too, Anglicare, it needs to be said is so driven by its active agenda...and rightly so...that it is not exactly in the same place as where the bulk of Anglicans find themselves to be. The last episcopate was very schools and Anglicare focussed, and one might speculate why that was so. For my part I hope Bp Jeff will bring some sense of vigour back to parish ministry, the other two sectors are doing quite well for themselves.