Monday, July 03, 2006

Anglican, but with a difference

Confused about what it means for someone to be an Anglican? Sometimes I am, and I have been one for more than 50 years! Tim Chesterton introduced himself in a comment on my Sorry to disappoint... posting as an Essex man who has long lived in Canada (but is still an England football supporter, apparently, even now in "the worst of times" I hope). Tim has written a wonderful tongue in cheek Welcome to the Anglican World, which tries to explain for example that despite appearances the Primates who are in charge are not monkeys!

Tim has also featured in his latest chapter of fiction an Anglican church here in Chelmsford, at which
the service was lively, with contemporary music, spirited preaching from [the vicar], and a warm sense of fellowship in the congregation.
Could this have been my Anglican church in Chelmsford, Meadgate? We certainly fit this description. We advertise ourselves (or will do on our new website which is due to go live soon - in fact I should probably be working on content for it this evening instead of blogging!) as "The Church of England with a Difference". So we try to be different from much of the Anglican world as described by Tim. But hopefully we are not too different from his idea of a Chelmsford Anglican church.