The Anglican Wimberites

The Anglican Wimberites

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105

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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