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The
Anglican
Wimberites
Stephen
Hunt
In the United
States,
John Wimber’s
Vineyard
International is just one
evangelizing
and
healing ministry among many. By
contrast in Britain, during
the last
decade,
the
Vineyard
has had more
impact
on the wider Charismatic movement than
any
other
comparable organization
ever since the “Third Wave” conference held in October 1984 at the Methodist Central
Hall,
Westminster.
The
six-day
“Third Wave” event had been convened
by
Manna Ministries under
Douglas McBain,
a
leading Baptist Charismatic,
and involved an intensive series of
meetings
and
workshops
on the
subjects of inner
healing,
deliverance and
spiritual
warfare and their
relationship to church
growth.
Westminster was the first occasion in which the British Christian
public
had viewed Wimber’s
ministry
on a large scale. The aim was to allow a
platform
for Wimber to teach on church expansion
at a time when the Charismatic movement had
peaked,
when church attendance continued to decline in
Britain,
and where the inner-city, working-class
areas remained I
virtually
untouched
by evangelism
or the Renewal movement.’
The
Vineyard’s
doctrines and
strategies
have made an indelible imprint
on the Restorationist
churches, including
New
Frontiers,
the Pioneers,
the Jesus
Fellowship’
and the Ichthus
Fellowship.3
This impact
is understandable
given
the
pronounced theological
confluence among
the various
groups’
and the
strong personal
ties Wimber has had
‘ Douglas McBain was one of the earliest Charismatic Baptists in Scotland [Peter Hocken,
Streams
of
Renewal:
Origins
and
Development of
the Charismatic Movement in Great Britain
(Exeter, UK: Paternoster Press, 1986),
had not
98].
He had always
held the belief that the Charismatic movement
significantly touched the
working
classes and remained
predominantly
a middle-class movement [Douglas McBain, “The Spirit’s Call to the Hard Places,” Renewal 42 1978): 28-31].
In the
(April-May
early 1980s he had established Manna Ministries partly to take the
gospel to the poor and the working classes. Douglas McBain is
now a superintendent
for the Baptist Union.
2 The influence of Wimber on the
Northampton-based
Jesus is discussed in chapter 23 of Simon Cooper and Mike Farrant, Fire in Our Hearts
Fellowship (Eastbourne: Kingsway, 1991), 259-270.
‘ A mention of Wimber’s influence on Ichthus is to be found in
Anthony O’ Sullivan, “Roger
Forster and the Ichthus Christian Fellowship: The Development of a Charismatic
Missiology,”
PNEUMA: The Journal
of
the
Society for Pentecostal Theology 16 (Fall 1994): 247-263.
4 There are
many overlaps between the theology of
the
Restorationism, especially in interpreting
church
Vineyard and British
history
and that the powers
of the
early
church are
returning
after being “lost from” or
spiritual
neglected. Wimber, however, retains a far more open and catholic The fact that Restorationism has also had some impact on Charismatic ecclesiology. Anglicans
may have
the way for Wimber’s impact; see Nigel Wright, “Restorationism and the ‘House Church’ Movement,” Themelios, 16 (January-February 1991): 4-8. helped pave
1
106
with the
respective leadership.
The Charismatic churches of Britain’s mainline denominations have also taken the
Vineyard’s ministry
on board,s although
I will
argue
here that it is in the Church of
England where the
ministry
has made its most
profound impression. Indeed, there is a
much-quoted
statement from a
leading Anglican
who suggested
that “Wimber has had a
greater impact
on the Church of England
than since John
‘
anyone Wesley.”6
In
demonstrating
Wimber’s influence on the Church of
England,
this article will
explore
the
scope
of Wimber’s
impact
in
light
of the apparent
cultural differences between the
Vineyard
and the
Anglican Church. After
describing
the salient cultural differences in the two movements,
the article will
identify
the
ways
in which the
Vineyard made inroads into the
Anglican
Church
through ministry strategies,
the Anglican networks,
an
emphasis
on
healing,
the toleration of theological diversity
in the
Anglican
tradition and the successful congregational growth among
“Third Wave”
Anglican
churches. Despite
the
growth
of the
Anglican Wimberites,
the article concludes with the observation that the future influence of Wimber is uncertain. On the one
hand,
there are factors which
may
indicate that Wimber’s influence is
waning.
On the other
hand,
the
spread
of the recent “Toronto
Blessing” throughout
Britain has
brought
a fresh wave of renewal to the “Third Wave”
Anglican
churches.
The
Scope of
Wimher’s
Influence
The claim that the
Vineyard’s
influence on the Church of
England
is considerable needs to be substantiated. The
problem
is that it is
very difficult to measure. Even those
Anglicans
close to the
Vineyard
have
‘ Although extremely
difficult to
gauge,
I would estimate that some 20% of Britain’s
Baptist churches are Charismatic in orientation and many of these , if not overtly open
to the
Vineyard and with no clear working relationship
with them, would not be opposed in to many aspects of its ministry. If anything, the Roman Catholic Church in principle Britain has been more open to Wimber’s teachings than been particularly impressed
any
other ministry from the United States. British Catholics historically have never influence extends
by the American brand of healing evangelists and their
rarely beyond
the
preaching
crusade.
Nonetheless,
some Catholics, including experienced leaders of Catholic Renewal, have taken more notice of what the
Vineyard has had to offer. In addition, it is again the healing arena that Wimber’s influence has proved to be more apparently obvious with a number of individuals
applying
it to their
ministry
if rather diffused
along customary
sacramental lines. The emotional
healing
and deliverance
ministry strongly
associated with Wimber has also inspired the work of numerous healing ministries, notably Ellel Ministries and the London Healing
Mission
(Andy Arthbutnot, “Wanting
More of Jesus,” Renewal 7 (December 1993): 211. 6 Prominent Anglicans whom I have spoken to almost unanimously attribute this quote
to Sandy Millar at Holy Trinity Brompton in West London. is one of the most impressive flagship Anglican Charismatic churches Holy Trinity in Britain and has been connected with the
Vineyard since it provided a base during
the 1984 “Third Wave” conference.
2
107
been unable to
speculate convincingly upon
the
scope
and
intensity
of Wimber’s
legacy.
One
indication,
as I will
argue below,
is that
many
churches have enjoyed significant growth
after
adopting
the
Vineyard’s
also
strategies.
It is
possible
to
point
to the
popularity
of the
Vineyard’s
annual “New Wine” conference and “Celebration” week which attract
people
from all over the
country.
The number of those
attending
has
risen so that in
increasingly
1994 there were some
7,000 people. Because of the problem
of
congestion
in
past years,
there is now a
ceiling
on the number who attend. Even with the attendance
cap,
individuals still come from the most mainline and
independent
churches.
Nonetheless,
I am assured
by
the
organizers that,
of the 800 churches
represented
in 1994,
a “sizeable
majority”
were
Anglican.
Another indication of the scope
of Wimber’s influence on the Church of England is the estimated 1,200 Anglican
clerics on the
Vineyard’s regular mailing
list. Of
course, not all of these
clergy
are committed
Wimberites,
but
again many
are numbered
among
the faithful.’ 7
The
Vineyard
and the
Anglican
Church: A Clash
of
Cultures?
One could be
forgiven
for
thinking
that the Church of England would be one of the last Christian institutions which was
likely
to
accept
and apply
Wimber’s
ministry. Certainly,
at first
glance
the cultures of the Vineyard
and the
Anglican
Church
appear
to have
very
little in common.
By reputation,
much of the
Vineyard’s image
is
largely associated with the counter-culture. Indeed it has some
roots,
albeit indirect,
in the Californian Jesus
People
of the 1970s. With these
roots, the
Vineyard
movement is identified
by
an abundance of Christian rock music, spontaneity
in worship, and casual dress with a particular appeal to the
young.’
The
Vineyard
is renowned for
shunning
the institutional setting,
and Wimber himself has been critical of the ritualized 9 nature and “deadness” of the established denominations.9
Another
apparent
radical
departure
from
Anglican
norms is the Vineyard’s theology.” Anglican
minister and close friend of
Wimber,
‘ Interview, Graham Cray, Principle of Ridley Hall, Cambride, March 6,
1994. I am grateful to the following people for allowing time for me to interview them and giving
me
insights
into recent
developments: David Elizabeth Hughes (St.
James’ & Emmanuel, Didsbury), Berry on behalf of Brian Nicholson (St. John’s Colchester),
Michael Mitton
(director
of
Anglican
Renewal Ministries), John Hughes (St. John’s, Harbourne),
Ian Fishwich (St. John’s,
Ealing), John Coles (St. Barnabas’, Finchley),
David Butt (St. Nicholas’,
Nottingham), Bruce Collins (St. John’s, Harrow), David Pytches (St. Andrew’s, Chorelywood),
Graham Dow (Bishop
of Willesden), and Mr. and Mrs. Richardson of Holy Trinity, Coventry. 8Robin D. Perrin, “Signs and Wonders and Church Growth” (Ph.D. Dissertation; Pullman, WA: Washington State University, 1989), 84.
‘John
Wimber,
Power
147-150.
Evangelism (London:
Hodder &
Stoughton, 1985), ‘°Robin D. Perrin, “Signs and Wonders and Church Growth,” 84-85.
3
108
David
Pytches,
has described him as an old-time American
gospel evangelist.”
This characterization
implies
that Wimber is a “Fundamentalist” who embraces a literal
interpretation
of. the Bible supplemented by
a disdain for intellectualism. If
so,
Wimber stands in line with historical Fundamentalism in the United States and the theological
traditions which have
accompanied past periods
of revival. However,
this Fundamentalist orientation has to be
supplemented by the
Vineyard’s willingness
to utilize the bodies of knowledge produced by
the social
sciences,’2 exemplified
in the work of the
psychologist
and convinced
Wimberite,
John White.’3
Indeed,
the use of the social sciences have enhanced the
strategies
of church
growth
and
“Equipping the Saints.”
There is also a clear set of
Vineyard teachings
which seem incompatible
with the traditions of
Anglicanism.
These
teachings
are rooted in the works of Charles H.
Kraft, George
Eldon
Ladd,
C. Peter Wagner
and others who have made their mark at Fuller
Theological Seminary.’4
This Fuller connection is
conspicuous
in Wimber’s stress on
“Signs
and Wonders” which are embraced as an
integral part
of “power evangelism”
or what Wimber calls
“doing
the
stuff” -preaching the
gospel, healing
the
sick,
and
casting
out demons.” In addition, there are the
Vineyard’s profound theological
dualism and
spiritual warfare, deliverance and
heightened eschatological expectations which, among other
things, develop teachings
on territorial
spirits
and a distinct interpretation
of the
“principalities” of Ephesians
6:13. Such
emphases might
rest
uneasily
with the church
traditionally
viewed as an institution of the British social and
political
“establishment.”‘6
The
Vineyard’s Strategy
and the British Charismatic Churches
Any
discussion of the
Vineyard’s impact
on the mainline Charismatic churches must take into account the
ministry’s
outlook and
strategy towards them. The
Vineyard
has
long applied
a universal two-fold evangelizing strategy.
The first is to serve and service other churches particularly
in the area of church
growth largely
based
upon
the doctrine of
“Signs
and Wonders” and the insistence that Christians themselves can be healed and built
up
in the faith-the essential
“David Pytches, “Third Wave of ’84: Enabling Others to Minister in the Power of the Spirit,” Anglicans for Renewal 21 (Spring 1985): 3-5.
12C. Brain and K. Warren. “The Revival Why: It
34-36.
Really Tallies,” Renewal
178 (March 1991):
“White’s
publications include,
Eros
Defiled : The Problem of
Sexual Guilt (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987).
“T.
Stafford,
8
“Testing the Wine at John Wimber’s Vineyard,” Christianity Today, August 1986, 17-20.
IS See Jack
Deere, Surprised by
the Power
of
the
Spirit (Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan Publishing House,
‘6It
1993), especially chapters 3 and 7.
is evident that some Anglican Wimberites, but certainly by no means all, would be glad to see the Anglican church cease to be the official religion of the State.
4
109
element of
“Equipping
the Saints.” This
program
has
certainly
been welcomed
by
those who have embraced Wimber’s
theology. Many Anglican
Charismatics to whom I have
spoken
have
paid
considerable tribute to the
Vineyard’s
unselfish and honest endeavor to serve other churches while
asking nothing
in return and
certainly
not
attempting any
level of unwelcomed interference.
In
Britain,
this first
strategy
had
initially
taken off the
ground
at the time of the “Third Wave Conference” in 1984 when a
200-strong Vineyard
team
panned
out from their bases in Greater London to over 35 different centers in Britain. At the local
level, many
churches from different denominations came
together
to receive the
Vineyard members who continued to teach and minister. Ever since
then,
British churches,
a
good
number
Anglican,
have retained contact
with,
and regularly
receive visits
from, Vineyard representatives.
The second
strategy
focuses on
“planting”
churches in the United States and abroad. Wimber entertains a vision of
creating 10,000 churches world-wide within his lifetime.
Although coming
nowhere near that
figure
to date there can be little doubt that the
Vineyard
has experienced prolific growth
in terms of
organizational
structure and membership. Beginning
as a house
group
in 1979 it
displays
some of the
organizational
characteristics which would make it a denomination in its own
right despite
Wimber’s claim that he has no intention of doing
so.” This institutional routinization
may
well be the natural outcome of a full-fledged international movement under the
auspices
of the Association of
Vineyard
Churches. In 1994 there were
apparently some
50,000
members
spread
over
approximately
500 churches-although
a good one-half of these are still to be found in the United States. In Britain the
growth
is more limited with a cautious estimate of
Vineyard independent
churches of
perhaps
two dozen. However,
this
apparent
lack of
public presence may merely
vindicate the view that the
Vineyard’s
influence is “hidden” and less
obviously located in other Charismatic churches.
Another
aspect
of the
Vineyard’s
church
growth strategy
is the attempt
to make
Christianity
relevant to “where
people
are” and to allow considerable concessions to culture and historical
background.
In this
sense,
the
message
can be rooted in
people’s
true
“experience” when
spreading
the
gospel. Thus,
it can be
argued
that Wimber’s message
is ecumenical and
expounded
within the structures and traditions of
existing
church life
and, therefore,
void of
“high flights
of evangelical
or fundamentalist rhetoric.”‘8 This accommodation to tradition
clearly
differentiates the
Vineyard
from
many
of the doctrines
“Martyn
W. Percy, “Signs, Wonders and Church Growth: The Theme of Power in
Christian Fundamentalism, With Special Reference to the Work of John Wimber” (Ph.D. Dissertation; London: King’s College, 1993).
Contemporary
“John Wimber-A Man for the Future?,” Report of Wimber’s Conference for Church Leaders, Health & Healing 11 (June 1 99 1 ), 2.
‘$ Stephen Parsons,
5
110
principles
The
dynamics denominations association
in Britain which have been
Church’s
to the
historical
and various strands of Restorationism
identified with the felt need for
returning
to the
first-century
and structures. Given its
willingness
to
adapt
to
culture,
the Vineyard may
be more attractive to the liberal than the fundamentalist in basic
strategies,
if not in theology.
of the
Vineyard’s approach
has
largely
been informed
by
its wider
theological
with the “Third Wave” movement of the
Holy Spirit.
The notion of the “Third Wave” has been
significantly
advanced
by
several theologians
The “First Wave” was understood to be God’s earliest
of the
Holy Spirit
in the twentieth
at Fuller
Theological
Wagner.19 outpouring synonymous
with the
dynamism
by
the Charismatic
of
Wave” together, along
If the
Vineyard, theologically the established
denominations,
also
response simultaneously
Seminary,
especially
C. Peter
century
and was of classical Pentecostalism which The “Second Wave” was marked
the historical
developed
into a
global
movement.
movement itself which
brought
churches into the
experience
the
Holy Spirit’s
renewal. The “Third
was
perceived
as
bringing
the classical and neo-Pentecostals
with conservative
Evangelicals, growing
in the
unity
of the
Holy Spirit
before the Second
Coming
of Christ.
The
“Seeking
Factor” and
Anglican
Networks
and
pragmatically,
was
reaching
out to
the
opposite,
in a
very
covert and unplanned way, may
have been true. The established denominations seemed to be
reaching
out for renewal. This
quest
for renewal was evident with the networks of personal contacts
opened up with influential individuals in the Church of England at the
beginning
of the 1980s.
The “Third Wave” conference was not in fact Wimber’s first visit to London. His earliest
journey
to Britain
representing
the
Vineyard
was a
to the invitation
by
two
leading Anglicans
who had almost
come across his
ministry:
David
Pytches
and David Watson. Wimber had been recommended to
Watson,
and
subsequently to
Pytches,
in South America
through
the
Anglican missionary Eddy
who had attended Wimber’s course at Fuller
Theological
Both
Pytches
and Watson were well known
figures
in the Anglican church, particularly
Watson who was
universally
held to be one of the most notable and
respected Evangelicals
of his time. Both men were to become
very
close friends of Wimber
and, by
all accounts, Wimber has never
fully
recovered from Watson’s death in 1 984.°
Gibbs Seminary.
Stoughton, 1984). 1986) “Signs
`9 C. Peter Wagner, “The Third Wave,” Christian Life 44 (February 1986), 6-7. “Watson’s own account of his illness is in his Fear No Evil Hodder &
Wimber’s book Power Hodder (London: Healing
(London:
& Stoughton,
has been interpreted as an apology for the whole affair. See Peter Cotterell,
and Wimber,” Third Way 9 (November 1986): 25.
6
111
In 1982 Wimber was
traveling
to York to see Watson. On the
way
he stopped
at David
Pytches’
church at
Chorelywood.
His visit coincided with a convention of
Anglican Evangelicals
held
there,
and Wimber’s characteristic
ministry
was viewed for the first time.
Many
were won over while others
evidently
have never recovered from the
culture shock. For
Pytches
it was the
turning point
of his church which
has grown
into one of the
leading
centers of Renewal in Britain.” It marked the
beginning
for
Mary Pytches’ prolific ministry
of
“Inner-Healing” which has taken its tone from Wimber’s
teaching.22
The
rejuvenation
of St. Andrew’s was to
prove prophetic
for what was later to
happen
in other
Anglican
churches.
By
the late
1970s,
the Charismatic Renewal had
peaked
in Britain, as did Restorationism in the middle of the next decade. There were numerous
Anglican
Charismatics
looking
for a
way
forward-a “seeking
factor” in much the same
way
there had been at the
beginning of the Renewal movement.”
Certainly,
there does
appear
to have been a sense of
expectancy, anticipation,
and a
hope
for a
refreshing experience
of faith that had also been there at the
beginning
of renewal.
Previous to
encountering
the “Third Wave”
movement,
a number of ministers were
holding long,
continuous
periods
of
praise through “blocs” of choruses
(strongly
associated with the
Vineyard)
and
open worship
with traditional
Anglican liturgy
held at a minimum. Words of Knowledge
were
frequently expressed during
a
service,
while members of congregations had
begun
to remain behind after service to “seek the Lord.”
Wimber, then, merely brought
a more
clearly
defined method and new
insight,
but with the added attraction of a
clearly expressed theology
of the imminence of the
kingdom
of God.
In
theological terms,
there was
already
a considerable
overlap between numerous
Anglican
Charismatics and Wimber’s doctrines. David
Watson,
for
example,
had written
widely
on the
subject
of spiritual
warfare.’ Several I have talked to have referred to themselves as “Pre-Wimber
Wimberites”-holding
his values and
aspirations
of the reality
of the
kingdom
and the
possibility
of the miraculous. Wimber’s ministry, therefore,
was a natural
step
forward for
Anglican Charismatics and this is evident in the number
present
at the 1984 Westminster “Third Wave” conference
(Table One),26
as well as the
21 David Pytches, Does God Speak Today (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1989), 5. 22 Mary Pytches, Set My People
Free (London: Hodder 8t Stoughton, 1987). 23 graham Cray, “A New Touch From God,” Renewal 97 (February-March 1982): 25-27; Graham Cray, “Wimber and Wallis,” Anglicans for Renewal 46 (Autumn 1991): 2. 16-18.
23 See Hocken, Streams of Renewal, especially chapters I and 2. David Watson, Hidden
26 The
Warfare (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1970).
unpublished findings of the questionnaire administered by Manna Ministries indicate that the conference had
largely failed to attract churches from the of poorer parts
Britain. I am
His view of John
grateful for the Rev. McBain sharing these findings with me.
Wimber’s ministry is to be found in Douglas McBain, Discerning
‘
7
112
number of
Anglicans apparently open
to the
gifts
of the
Spirit (Table Two).
Table
Attendance at the “Third Wave” Conference at One2′ Central Hall
Westminster, 1984
1
Table Two
Denominational Variations of Instances of
Words of Knowledge and Healings
The crucial debate for Charismatics at this time with the conservative Anglican Evangelicals was,
“How does God
speak?”
The
great attraction of Wimber’s
Kingdom Theology
was that it was in
keeping with the search for a “God who acts” and for the “works of
power.” There
was,
of
course, nothing
new in this
debate,28
but when the manifestations associated with “Third Wave” were
witnessed,
the hopes
of
many Anglican
Charismatics were realized. Convinced
by what
they saw,
ministers such as John
Hughes
and John Coles went to California to take Wimber’s course at Fuller
Theological Seminary
on
.
the
Spirits: Checking for
Truths in
Signs
and Wonders
(London:
Marshall
Pickering, 1986). 27 An
Anglican appraisal of the Westminster conference is to be found in Michael Cole, “Third Wave of ’84,” Anglicans for Renewal 21 (Spring 1985): 3-5. A report on the next year’s Vineyard conferences in London, Brighton and Sheffield in
appear Anglicans for Renewal 24 (Winter 1985): 2-3. ‘8For
example, see Tom Martin, “The Whole Ministry of Healing,” Renewal 95 Michael
(October-November 1981): 3-4; Harper,
“The
Shape of the Church to Come,”
Voice ofFaith 3 (January-February-March 1975): 11-15.
8
113
Signs
and Wonders and church
growth
and
brought
back what
they
had learned to
apply
to their own churches.
The
Healing
Connection:
Linking Up with the Anglican
Tradition
The
emphasis upon
divine
healing has, practically
from its
inception, been a
key aspect
of the
Vineyard’s
mission.
Although
the
emphasis was not
exclusively upon
emotional
healing,
it was this
aspect
which dovetailed with
many
of the interests of
Anglican
ministers.
Indeed, unlike
tongues
and
prophecy, healing
had
long enjoyed
a measure of popularity
in Anglican
practice.29
From the earliest
years
of renewal in the Church of England, the
healing agenda
had been set
by such figures as
Reg East,
Trevor
Dearing3°
and Colin
Urchart/1
as well as the inspiration
of the renowned Roman Catholics Francis McNutt and the Linn brothers.
Some convinced Wimberites such as David
Hughes,
once a curate at Gillingham
under David
Watson,
had witnessed
healings
from the onset of the Charismatic movement.
Healing
services became a common feature of Charismatic
Anglican
churches.32 Other ministers who claimed
inspiration
from
Wimber,
such as Brian Nicholson in Colchester,
had
long
held an interest in emotional
healing
and
sought
to develop
this
special ministry emphasis
in particular.
Of
course,
a
healing ministry
also needs a
degree
of
public acceptance by way
of
fulfilling
a latent demand within a
congregation. Ever since the
Vineyard gave
emotional
healing
a greater respectability there has been a perceived sense
of urgency
for
healing covering
a wide spectrum
of problems. More than one church has indicated to me that there is
virtually
an endless
queue
for
healing
from sexual
abuse, past traumas and a
variety
of
phobias
across all
age groups
once a
healing ministry
had been introduced. This
array
of human needs vindicated what
many
Charismatics had
already
become aware of: there was a large submerged iceberg
of emotional
problems
that the Church at
large had failed to address.
Of
course,
there are other Charismatic
“healing”
ministries available. The traditional American
healing evangelist, however,
is rather too brash for the
palate
of most
Anglicans.
It is
scarcely
conceivable that they
would feel comfortable with the
ministry of Benny
Hinn or Morris Cerullo
who,
in Britain as
elsewhere, gain
a
greater support
from lower-class white and black Pentecostals.
Similarly,
middle-class
–
29 Chris Craston, The Charismatic Movement in the Church of England (London: C 10 Publishing, 1978).
3° Trevor Dearing, God and the
Healing
Mind
(London: Bridge Publications, 1983);
David Coomes, “Miracles: A Normal Part of Life,” Renewal 50 (April-May 1974):
18-20.
“1. E. Mayer, “A Healing Church,” Renewal 138 (April-May 1972): 7. 32 join Hughes lays claim to witnessing divine healing at St. Mark’s,
where
Gillingham
David Watson was curate.
9
114
Anglicans respond
with a certain distaste to “health and wealth” theology
and what
they
would view as the distasteful
teachings
of Kenneth
Hagin
or Kenneth
Copeland.
Neither is the
eschatology expounded by
the
Vineyard
so “over-realized” and crude
compared with the Faith movement. Wimber teaches that the
kingdom
of God can break
through
under certain
circumstances,
but he
clearly distinguishes between the “now” and
“yet
to come” which allows more for the sovereign
act of God. This
qualification
on human
ingenuity
is more in accord with
Anglican
Charismatic sentiment.
Institutional Factors
Facilitating
the
Vineyard-Anglican
Association
There are certain institutional factors in the
Anglican
church which allowed the accommodation of the
Vineyard’s
influence. For one
thing, the
Anglican
church is a
fascinating
“broad church” which carries within itself a great diversity of
theological
strands. As a
consequence, one of its
enduring
features has been its toleration of a multitude of contrasting
and often
conflicting opinions.
There exists under the same umbrella
theological liberals,
conservative
Evangelicals, Charismatics, the New
Age fringe,
not to mention a few
agnostics
and a handful of committed atheists.
In the
period
of Charismatic
Renewal,
the Church of
England
has been able to accommodate variations in
practice
and
theology
fostered by
the Charismatic movement itself 33
Significantly,
the new
Anglican Alternative Service book of
prayer
allows for traditional and more innovative Charismatic services to be reconciled
successfully. Attempts to
merge both, particularly
in
evoking
the
Holy Spirit
is seen to have parallels
in
Anglicanism
in the First and Second Eucharist
Prayers
of the “Alternative Service Book.” The invitation of the
Holy Spirit
can also be
experienced
in the form of Anglican
liturgy. Thus,
the statement “the Lord is here”
begs
for the
response
from the
congregation
“His Spirit
is with us. ,,34
In
very
real
ways
Wimber’s
ministry brought
a
unique challenge because of the
phenomenon
associated with it. At the “Third Wave” conference of 1984 even the most seasoned Charismatics were not prepared
for the unusual manifestations which followed when the
Holy Spirit
was
evoked, especially
the
physical shakings
that came to be known
colloquially
as the “Wimber Wobbles.” These
physical manifestations attracted considerable
controversy
inside and outside the Charismatic movement in Britain. 35
“J. Williams, “Charismatic Renewal in
Anglican Parishes,”
Renewal 66 (December
34
1976 – January 1977): 19-21.
David Pytches, Come Holy Spirit (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1984), 44. “Peter
Masters, The Healing Epidemic (London: Wakeman Trust, 1990), Wallace Benn and Mark Burkhill, “A Theological and Pastoral Critique of the Teachings of John
Wimber,” Churchman 101 (1987): 111-113; David Rushworth,
Divine
Evangelical
Healing Fellowship News (Summer 1987), 2. Some of the manifestations are
10
115
Because of the nature of the “Third Wave”
ministry
there is the danger
of excesses in manifestations. For the most
part,
the
safeguards against
excesses which do exist are the structured lines of hierarchical accountability
from
parish
to
Bishop.
Of
course,
what is considered an excess manifestation
depends upon
who the
Bishop
is. One
Bishop
in northwest
England
has “some reservations” about the activities of some of the Wimberite churches in his diocese.
Largely
because of some unfortunate
associations,
the church has
acquired
a deliverance ministry, inspired by Wimber,
and is
kept
under close
scrutiny by another
Bishop.36
In
contrast,
the
Bishop
of
Willesdon,
Graham
Dow, is a convinced
Wimberite,
so it is
hardly surprising
that there are a number of very active
Vineyard-inspired
churches in his diocese.
Despite
these institutional
safeguards, Anglican
Charismatic churches generally
have been afforded a good deal of freedom in
implementing the
Vineyard’s ministry.
Some seem to
operate
almost as autonomous institutions and it is
my
observation that several churches
identifying with the
Vineyard
hold such
pastoral
concerns as
marriages
and funerals
deliberately
at a minimum. The
Anglican
diocese also tends to create a measure of
theological solidarity, particularly
within
“special subject groups.”
This network is more conducive to
cooperation than, say,
the more
loosely
based structure of the
Baptist Union,
or independent Baptist
and other
Evangelical
churches.
Consequently, Anglican
churches seem to cluster in
specific geographical
areas. For example,
there are a dozen or so churches in Manchester convened
by David
Hughes,
who
organizes
the annual
Vineyard
conferences in the city.
There are also some two dozen
parishes
in London.
The
embracing
of Wimber’s
ministry
has sometimes
brought
its own difficulties. At one church an internal conflict ensued for two
years between the
minister,
who had the
support
of the
majority
of the congregation,
and the
traditionalists,
who
opposed
Wimber’s influence and
eventually
felt
obliged
to
go.
At a second church the choir master objected
to the modem choruses and took the choir with him when he left. In
yet
another church the traditionalists remain but leave at the end of the service when the
prayer
for
healing
takes
place
or the
Holy Spirit is evoked because
they oppose
the
practice
or find it disturbing.
Applying
the
Vineyard’s Ministry
in an
Anglican
Context
The structures of the
Anglican
church are
sufficiently pliable
to allow for considerable
adaptation
of Wimber’s
ministry.
The church
provides ministry
for both Charismatic
Evangelicals
and the
pastorally
minded. The
annually
held
Anglican
Renewal
conference,
which makes an
discussed in David Lewis, “John Wimber: Signs and Wonders?” Passport
(1987): 18-22; and, David Lewis, “John Wimber and the British Church,” Renewal 159 (August 1989):
36
6-10.
Peter Lawrence, The Hot Line (Eastbourne: Kingsway, 1990), 154.
11
116
is
Anglican
important
contribution to the
Anglican’s
“Decade of
Evangelism,” also a sounding board for Wimber’s ideas.
Of
course,
successful
evangelism
means church
growth
and some
churches have flourished. At St. John’s in
Harrow,
on the
numerically,
“partly
Harboume which has a congregation
fringes
of north
London,
there has
long
been a stress
upon evangelism. Under Bruce
Collins,
who
unashamedly
embraces
Kingdom theology, the church has
enjoyed
considerable
growth.
At St.
Wchael-le-Belfrey in York,
always
one of the
principal
centers for renewal in Britain, the congregation
has continued to
grow
under the
Vineyard’s inspiration
so that it now boasts a
congregation
of
1,000 parishioners
which
puts it,
in the
top
1% of churches in Britain. Rev.
Betts,
now minister of St. Nicholas’ in
Nottingham,3′
had
formerly
seen his previous
church in southeast London
grow
from 30 to 150
parishioners
due to Wimber.” Other churches include John
Hughes’
Gunstone,
have
managed
and have seen
in of
800,
Brian Nicholson’s church
which stands at
nearly
ministry
with the especially through
the
healing
grow through
this more
is
who
in Colchester which has
grown
to
250,
and John Coles’ at St. Barnabas’ in north London where the
congregation
has
grown
from 40 to 360. At St. John’s in west
London,
Ian Fishwich has also
recently built
upon
the
steady growth
of the
congregation
400. Even some leaders of the
Anglo-Catholic wing, notably
John
to reconcile Wimber’s
traditional stress
upon
the
sacraments,
ministry,
the church
conservative
approach. 31
It remains true that a
good part
of the Church of
England pastorally
oriented. In
many respects
this
pastoral emphasis
has set limits to the
dynamics
of the Third Wave
Anglican
Charismatics have taken from Wimber
largely only
that which is relevant to them. This selective
approach
has
generally
led to an
emphasis
on
healing rather than
taking
the full
package
of power evangelism.
The exact
expression
of the
Vineyard’s ministry
varies
considerably within the
Anglican
churches. At St. Nicholas’ in
Nottingham
the
especially following
On some
occasions, ministry might follow a
specific
“word of
knowledge.”
service
per
month which involves
evoking
the
Holy Spirit.
At St. Barnabas in north
London,
there is a traditional
morning
service based
Communion rite of 1662 while the “celebration” will
regularly
include Wimber’s
ministry.
At
Holy Trinity
ministry
is after a
service, people
are invited to come forward.
around
the
Holy
Joyce Huggets.
communion where
There is
usually only
one
evening
37 St. Nicholas’ had become a center of renewal under the leadership of David &
See David and
Joyce Hugget, “Planting Acorns,”
Renewal 152
Anglicans for
(Spring 1993): 5. “‘See John
Gunstone, Signs and Wonders: The Wimber Phenomenon (London:
DLT-Daybreak, 1989).
12
117
Coventry,
Graham Dow has established a kind of
“pop
in”
counseling and
healing
service for the
public
in the middle of the
city.39
Wimber on the Wane?
It
may
well be that Wimber’s
impact
is on the wane.
Certainly,
there are those in Anglican circles who believe that it is, and there are several reasons offered in
support
of this claims.
Firstly,
the
controversy
over the death of David Watson.
Although
it was an overzealous member of the
Vineyard
who
prophesied
that Watson would recover from his eventually
fatal
illness,
the
prophecy
is still attributed to Wimber himself and the
controversy
has made an indelible
imprint
on the Evangelical
world at
large.
Secondly,
there was Wimber’s
damaging
association with the
discredited Kansas
City Prophets (KCP),
headed
by Paul
Cain. In
1990, the KCP had
prophesied
that a world revival was imminent and that this revival would
begin
in London.
Although
Wimber had not verified this prophecy,
his
ministry
was
again
tarnished
by
the fiasco.
Finally,
there has been the matter of the
independent Vineyard
churches.
Perhaps
this development,
above
all,
has
antagonized
some Charismatic
Anglicans. This
feeling
of ill-will is
largely
because Wimber set
up
the first church in 1986 after
having previously promised
not to do so.
Significantly, four ministers left the Church of
England
to lead their own
Vineyard congregations:
Chris
Lane,
Rick
Williams,
Martin Smith and John Mumford. The latter heads the
flagship Vineyard
church in southwest London. Rumors abound that a
leading Anglican
Charismatic was asked to head
up
the
Vineyard
in Britain but refused. It
may
be possible that more clerics are
poised
to
join
the
Vineyard.
Since the Church of England
has
permitted
women
priests,
some
Anglo-Catholics
have joined
the Church of Rome. The
Vineyard
is a potential haven for those who
object
to the ordination of women but are more Charismatic in orientation.
The Toronto
Blessing
and the
Anglican
Wimberites,
In
early 1994,
the remarkable
phenomenon
which has come to be known as the “Toronto
Blessing” swept through
the various strands of the Charismatic movement in Britain.
Believing
the
phenomenon
to be a
significant
move of the
Holy Spirit, many
churches allow room for special services,
often called
“receiving meetings,”
at which the
Holy Spirit
is evoked.
Accompanying
manifestations are not that different from those which had been observed in Wimber’s
meetings. However, one remarkable
aspect
has been
people
who are overcome
by “laughter in the
Spirit”
with an
intensity
hitherto unseen.
“Graham
Dow, “Starting a Church Healing Mission,” Healing
and Wholeness 7 (July-September 1992):
6-8.
13
118
The church which
appeared
to
experience
a considerable
outpouring was the
Vineyard “Airport”
church in Toronto. Thousands were drawn from all over the world in
pilgrimage
to the church in order to encounter the
special “Blessing. ,,40 Early
visitors were
Anglicans
close to the
Vineyard, including
David and
Mary Pytches.
There were also representatives
from the
hugely
successful
Anglican
Charismatic church Holy Trinity Brompton
in London.4′ The same manifestations were soon evident within its
upper
middle-class
congregation
back in Britain. The
parish
newsletter
spoke
of a “revival” under the headline
“Holy Spirit
Fever Hits London.”
Holy Trinity
and the
Pytches’
church in Chorelywood
have since become “fountains”
themselves, attracting people
from all over the
country
who have
subsequently
carried back the
“Blessing”
to their own
congregations.
Like
many
others in the Charismatic
movement, Anglicans
differ in
interpreting
the
significance of the Toronto
Blessing.
Some are content to see it merely as a time of refreshing
for the Church. Others view it more
substantially
as a precursor
to revival. 42 Whatever the
long-term implications,
the “Blessing”
has at least
highlighted
the fact that
Anglican
Wimberites remain at the forefront of the Renewal movement.
°
David Roberts, “Toronto Speaks Out,” Alpha (September 1994): 2-5.
” See
Diary
from
Holy Trinity Brompton,
“A
Mighty
Wind from
Toronto,” Renewal 219 (August 1994): 16-17.
42Tricia Tilling, “But Is It a Blessing?,” Christian Herald, 3 December 1994, 8; John Young, “Is It All in the Mind?,” The Church of England Newspaper, 19 August 1994,
9.
14
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