SOCIETY AND CHURCH - CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE

A CHURCH IN WALES PERSPECTIVE

The Right Revd. Huw Jones, Bishop of St. Davids

Wales is the Westernmost part of mainland Britain, a highland country divided by its geography into a number of distinct regions. The words "Wales" and Welsh are derived from the old Germanic word "Wealas" - foreigner applied by the incoming Anglo-Saxons to the native British who were forced into the Western part of Britain. The Welsh call themselves "Cymry" - "fellow countrymen" and their country "Cymru". They are the descendants of the original Celtic peoples who occupied much of Britain before and after the Roman conquest and who originally migrated from Gaul. In the 19th and 20th centuries there have been great waves of immigrants from various parts of England and Ireland and from such European countries as Spain and Italy in particular as well as from the British colonies in the Caribbean and Africa. On the other hand Welsh people have emigrated to America and in particular to Patagonia in Argentina in the last century and between the World Wars to England in search of work.

WALES TODAY

The population of Wales is just over 2.8 million. The bulk of the population live in the South East and North East corners of the country where the main industries were established in the last century. This was heavy industry - iron, steel and coal producing. For some years before the First World War Cardiff was the greatest coal exporting port in the world. These heavy industries have largely disappeared. While new light industries and technologically based manufacturing have been introduced there is nevertheless a great deal of unemployment. In these old industrial communities there is a sense of having lost their raison d'etre. Since work is no longer located as in the past within the communities there is much commuting to work. The largest part of Wales is rural with many small towns and villages. There is little arable farming and the main emphasis is on beef and dairy cattle and above all sheep production. Since the countryside and in particular the coast lands are very beautiful there has been a great expansion in tourism, particularly in the North and the West.

One feature which distinguishes Wales from the other parts of Britain is the widespread use of the Welsh language. In the Act of Union of 1536 which absorbed Wales into the English state, the Welsh language was given no official or legal status and the hope was that it would eventually disappear and that the people would adopt English as their language. By one of those ironies of history it was largely due to another Act of Parliament in the reign of Elizabeth that the language was saved. In order to advance the principles of the Reformation it was decided to translate the Prayer Book and the Bible into Welsh so that they could be used and understood in the Church's worship. This was done in 1567 and 1588 respectively. This helped to standardise the language, make it a literary vehicle and help keep it alive. In the 16th Century Welsh would have been the language of the bulk of the people although there would have been enclaves of English where the Norman lordships had been established in the Middle Ages. Gradually the proportion of Welsh speakers has lessened as the population has risen especially during the huge industrial expansion which took place throughout the 19th century. Yet in I 900 for the first time the number of Welsh speakers reached the one million mark. This represented 50% of the population. Each population census throughout this century has recorded a drop in the number of Welsh speakers, so that today it is only 20% of the total population that can speak the language and perhaps only a half of those would claim that it is their first language. Nevertheless it is still very much alive - it has its own radio and TV Channels; Welsh papers and books are published; it is taught in most schools and there has been in the last 25 years a proliferation of Welsh medium schools catering for all age ranges.

Welsh speakers see the identity of the nation as been bound up with the language. Yet the bulk of the population who do not speak Welsh would wish to affirm their distinct identity and would see it expressed in terms of history, social mix, national institutes such as the University and even in sports for which national teams are selected. At the same time most of the people of Wales recognise that they are part of the larger unit of the United Kingdom and would wish to affirm a British identity. This dual sense of identity expressed in terms both of a region or nation and in terms of a larger unit, perhaps a federation or political unit is also to be found in other parts of Europe. Some years ago the British Council of Churches produced a report with the title "Four Nations, One State" and many people in Britain would accept that as the correct description of the make up of the United Kingdom.

In the last thirty years or so Wales has seen great changes in its economy and industry, in social and work patterns, in transportation and methods of communication. The rate of change shows no signs of abating. At the present time the rural communities are facing great tensions and difficulties caused partly by the EU Policy on beef and mutton exports. The present Government's policies has resulted in the establishment of a Welsh Assembly and the devolving of decision making and governance across a wide range of educational, social and economic matters from London to Wales.

It is in this context of political and social change that we note also the changing intellectual and philosophical fashions that are not particularly Welsh, but rather European trends that we see in all our societies. These have been alluded to in this Consultation and include growth in the prestige and authority of Science, increased Secularisation in the sense of ignoring any spiritual or divine dimension, the loss of commonly accepted value systems and the corresponding growth in individualistic and privatised values and moralities, the challenging of all forms of authority, the adherence to a completely materialistic view of life, and an emphasis on consumerism. All these factors are seen to be at work in the intellectual and cultural life of Wales.

THE CHURCH SITUATION

We have always prided ourselves on our rich religious traditions and the great part that Christianity has played in shaping and giving expression to our national identity, but this century has seen a dramatic and even catastrophic decline in the main stream denominations, and especially in those largely Welsh language denominations, the Presbyterians, Baptists and Congregationalists. A 1995 survey conducted by the Bible Society concluded that now only 8.7% of the population are church attenders. These are divided into three main blocks - Anglicans (The Church in Wales) make up 28%, Roman Catholics 21% and the traditional Free Church - Methodist, Presbyterians, Baptist and Congregational - 36%, the remainder belonging to Pentecostal. Evangelical and Independent churches. Another feature noted is the very high number of church buildings, roughly one church for every 580 residents, and the consequent high number of church congregations over 5,000, resulting in a great number of small groups. Such surveys based on head counts of Sunday congregations have to be balanced by other surveys which have shown that a much higher proportion of people claim to be believers and claim to have some connections with the Church, particularly through attending those services which celebrate the great personal and family events of birth, marriage and death. Even if these are noted, nevertheless these statistics quoted show that Wales is a deeply secularised country.

In considering the responses of the Church to these challenges let me begin by referring to an important feature of Church life in the last forty years, namely the growth of ecumenical activity. Therc is now a national Council of Churches which includes eleven of the main stream churches, including the Roman Catholics, and which acts as an umbrella to one hundred and fifty local councils of churches in different parts of Wales. Four of the Churches, - the An lican, Presbyterian, Methodist and United Reformed with a dozen Baptist churches - have signed a solemn Covenant or Agreement to seek to bring about an United Church. This relationship is a closer one than that which prevails in the Council and has led to co-operation in producing joint services, including an Eucharistic service, joint agreements on certain theological issues and the sharing of ministries in designated localities. Yet it has to be admitted that the ecumenical dimension is still not central to the life of the churches as a whole and their pre-occupation is essentially to find ways of maintaining and safeguarding their own structures and life.

But now let us look more closely at the Church in Wales. Until 1920 it was part of the Church of England and therefore part of the Established Church. It lost that status as a result of Parliamentary legislation and the then four Welsh dioceses were separated from England to form a self governing Province of the Anglican Communion with its own Archbishop. It has a Representative Body which administers the property and finances of the Church and a Goveming Body which is the synod of bishops, clergy and people and is the legislative body of the Church. The dioceses have been increased to six and each of these have consultative and administrative structures. A Board of Mission has been set up with six departments - Education, the World Church, Ecumenism, Social Responsibility, Parochial Development and Renewal (which includes Evangelism and Lay Education) and Communication. The role of this Board is to encourage and guide the dioceses which in turn have developed councils and departments corresponding to those of the Board of Mission. The Board works closely with the Bench of Bishops which meets regularly and provides the Church with its leadership. The Bishops take the initiative in doctrinal, ministerial, liturgical and mission matters, although any changes in the Church's Canons have to be passed by the Governing Body.

The Church in Wales has a parochial system which goes back to medieval times and embodies the principle that the whole country is ministered to and that every resident has a parish church and parish priest that he can turn to. Because of the reduction in clerical manpower in the post war years there have been amalgamations and grouping of many small parishes to form larger units but the Church has remained committed to the parish principle. From one standpoint it could be said that this is the most important level of Church life for it is in the parishes that people are encouraged and nurtured in Christian discipleship, brought together for worship and prayer. It is the parishes with some help from diocesan and central agencies that maintain the church buildings and burial grounds. provide pastoral care and develop the mission and witness ofthe local church.

RESPONSES

It is in the light of this basic emphasis that I now wish to describe three examples of ways in which the Church in Wales has responded to the challenges which I referred to earlier.

First of all there has been an emphasis on lay education in the parishes - the deepening of people's understanding of Christian faith and practice. In recent years much use has been made of the Alpha Course which has been pioneered and developed at Holy Trinity, Brompton, a leading Charismatic/Evangelical Church in London. This is a fourteen week course which seeks to educate Church members and enquirers in Christian basics. The emphasis is on using the small group: people come together for a meal, they listen to the presentation of the theme for the evenings and then split into small groups for Bible Study and discussion. This has been used with great success in many parts of Wales. Another method of deepening the spiritual life of lay people is the Cursillo course, which was first developed in Latin America and has spread all over the world. People come together for a four day course, which has been very carefully constructed to renew the participants' faith and commitment. It is then followed up by participants meeting regularly in small groups in their parishes for mutual support and study.

The Board of Mission is encouraging an approach called Parish Development and Renewal. It is an attempt to initiate in the parish a process whereby the parish priest and parishioners work together to bring about the full participation of parishioners in the life of the local Christian community. It is an ongoing process under girded by prayer, worship and Bible study. A team or core group is built up which identifies the special needs of the parish and seeks to meet these needs through a programme of lay education and equipping. Participation and commitment are the key words. It aims at making the parish come alive so that there is a renewal of its prayer and worshipping life and of the service it renders the community.

This brings me to the second example which is called Communitv Development. The Church in Wales has undertaken this in partnership with the Children's Society which is a well established Charity that was set up originally in the last century to care for homeless and orphaned ehildren, but is now concerned with the welfare of children and young people in the widest terms. The Mission Statement drawn up for this project reads as follows:

"Reflecting on the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and in obedience to God's command, the Church in Wales and The Children's Society have entered into partnershipfor change in His world. Sharing our skills and resources we will work together with children andfamilies in their communities that they may become strong and their- communities grow in power and confidence. We do this in order that God's Kingdom may be extended and celebrated now."

What it seeks to do is to encourage people to become involved in the development of their communities and to empower them to discover their own skills and confidence as they tackle the issues that especially concern them. Let me describe some of the practical projects undertaken in our diocese to illustrate the work being undertaken.

(1) A large housing estate on the edge of one of our small towns had very little in the way of facilities for children. A group of parents and other residents were encouraged and advised as to how to make an adventure playground, to run a summer play scheme for about sixty in the school holidays and run a youth club which meets all the year round. This has helped to unite the local community and give them a sense of pride and achievement as well as providing very much needed facilities.

(2) In one of our large towns where there is much under age drinking a non-alcoholic bar was set up where teenagers could meet after school for social activities and learn that fun could be had without resorting to alcohol.

(3) Parenting programmes have been provided in a number of places. These are designed to help people cope with the difficulties of being effective parents in today's world and to build up more secure and loving family relationships.

(4) In an area of unemployment and deprivation a Credit Union has been set up. This is a self help savings and loans co-operative. Local people join together and help each other by saving together. The savings are used to build up a common fund from which members who have been regular savers can borrow. It is for the benefit of everybody in the area covered by the common bond. Local people are in charge of it. It is not a distant impersonal institution. Not only does it help people with financial problems but also helps to build up a better, friendlier community.

(5) The most ambitious scheme in the diocese is the establishment of a Family Centre in our largest town - in an area of high unemployment with many social and family problems. Activities in the purpose built building include play groups for small children, crèches enabling unsupported mothers to find time to do their shopping and other necessary tasks, parenting programmes and a drop-in centre where advice and guidance can be given. Above all, to quote its mission statement. "The brief is to work with families and young adults in the community to help them acquire the skills and knowledge which will enable them to promote social change."

Programmes such as these have been adopted in all the dioceses of the Church in Wales and represent a valuable example of how the church can help in community building and empowering the powerless.

My third example is another expression of the Church's concern for the society in which it finds itself is a report "The Church in the Welsh Countryside" which was published in I992. A Commission was appointed to look at rural society in Wales. It produced a very comprehensive picture of the Welsh rural areas, indicating the great changes that were taking place, for instanee changes in agricultural production, the growth in tension caused by the purchase of second homes by people who occupy them spasmodically, the decline in services and shops, the loss of public transport facilities, the closure of small rural schools, the lack of facilities for young people, the depth of rural poverty and the sense of isolation. In the Welsh speaking parts there is the cultural tension caused by the immigration of English speakers and the consequent feeling that the language is being threatened. The Commission reported also on the work of the Church in rural Wales, noting such problems as the shortage of Welsh speaking Clergy, the smallness of congregations, the difficulty clergy have in large pastorates dealing with small, scattered communities, the financial difficulty of maintaining the great number of church buildings, some of which are of architectural and historical importance.

This was an important piece of work and was very relevant since as already indicated Wales is predominantly a rural country and the Anglican Church because of its adoption of the parochial system is committed to ministry in the rural areas. A detailed list of recommendations for action by the Church at the various levels of its life was produced at the end of the Report. Progress in implementing the recommendations has been monitored. The report was debated in some detail at the Governing Body and in diocesan bodies. The report has not been allowed to be a dust gathering document but a serious attempt has been made to implement the Recommendations.

These three areas of work are just examples of how the Church in Wales is responding to the challenges posed to it by the society in which it works.