Paradoxology: The Demise of the "Copy-Cat" Church

This is a pithy reflection on the idea that to be married to the spirit of the age is to be a widow in the next. I think that one of the things that has so depressed me -certainly got me down- about the current church of England responses to decline is that a lot of it is adopting modernist solutions. Now I'm not saying some of this stuff doesn't have its place but I am sure that we cannot manage ourselves out of trouble. The current forms of church are in decline because they don't make sense any more and they aren't what the Holy Spirit is leading us into. There will be pockets where it will continue to be successful and okay but by and large we are looking for new patterns and I'm not even sure that stipendiary ministry as we have known it is a major plank. Though, of course I could just be making myself feel better. That said I believe that I have thought this, deep down, for about 12 years and perhaps even longer. I thought very seriously of non-stipendiary ministry when I was going through selection for ordained ministry.