CRITICISM OF CHURCH

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30588, 3 November 1964, Page 20

CRITICISM OF CHURCH

“Too Much Truth In It”

The remark by “Black Nativity” players that the Church of England was cold and dead had been allowed to pass unchallenged, probably because there was too much truth in it, said the Rev. R. A. Lowe, Christian education officer of the Church of England, yesterday. Mr Lowe was referring to a report in “The Press” on October 31 in which a member of the cast of “Black Nativity,” Mr A. Bradford, said that “much of the thinking in New Zealand has obviously been moulded by the cold, strict, and just too dead thinking of the Anglican Church.”

“Nobody has denied or contradicted what was said, and I suppose it is because there was too much truth in it,” said Mr Lowe. “If we are regarded as the instigators and guardians of dullness we should have a long look at church dynamics and strategy before we harangue or exhort the faithful to come more and give more. This is a relation taken for granted and allowed to grow stale. “We do project an image of dullness,” he said. “We should be aware of that before we rush in with too many answers.” Mr Lowe suggested that there should be more interesting parish magazines, more congregation participation in services, church interest in general community interests, and education of the laity. A course for adult training was already under way in the Avonside parish, he said.