(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – In what seems like a new ramification of wokeism, the Church of England no longer seems to be using the word “church” to refer to itself, a new study has found.
In a recent comprehensive research conducted by the Centre for Church Planting Theology and Research based in Durham, the Church of England appears to be strategically omitting the traditional term “church” in its efforts to attract a broader audience, Fox News reports.
This intriguing shift in nomenclature is outlined in a report titled “New Things: A theological investigation into the work of starting new churches across 11 dioceses in the Church of England.”
The qualitative study meticulously analyzed the terminology employed by 11 Church of England dioceses when describing their newly established religious entities.
Historically, such new congregations have been commonly referred to as “church plants.”
However, the findings of this study reveal a notable departure from this tradition.
Over the last decade, more than 900 new religious establishments were founded by these dioceses, yet the words “church plant” or even “church” itself were conspicuously absent from their primary descriptions.
The conclusion of the report states, “Not one diocese used the term ‘church’ in their main descriptor. ‘Church plant’ is not used by any of the 11 dioceses. Only one diocese used ‘fresh expressions’ of ‘pioneering’ in its descriptor.”
This suggests a deliberate shift in language aimed at redefining these new spiritual gatherings, which the study refers to ambiguously as “new things,” without clarifying what these “things” precisely entail.
The report ponders the theological implications of such linguistic changes, suggesting, “That the term ‘church’ is not used, in favour of other terms (community, congregation etc.) is worthy of theological reflection. We explore whether the question, ‘what is church?’ is worth asking.”
This indicates a deeper, introspective inquiry into the essence and definition of what constitutes a church within the modern context.
According to the Reverend Dr. Will Foulger, who is the primary author of this study and also serves as the vicar of St. Nicholas’ Church in Durham, England, there is a noticeable preference in the language used by the dioceses when referring to these new projects.
He notes that six of the 11 dioceses primarily described these initiatives as “worship,” seven as “community,” and merely two as “congregation.”
Dr. Giles Fraser, the vicar of St. Anne’s in Kew, voiced his concerns to The Telegraph regarding this linguistic shift, stating that the sudden omission of the word “church” indicates “a misplaced desire to be relevant and modern-sounding.”
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