Empty Talk about Diversity as Anglicanism Becomes More Socially Narrow

It is ironic that the more the institutional church harps on about 'diversity', the more socially narrow it seems to become.

Due to the numerical meltdown of Western Anglicanism since World War II, a typical Anglican congregation anywhere in the English-speaking world is white, home-owning and over 50, if not 60. Where there are large churches with young people, they are often located in affluent areas and the young people they attract are often university graduates and urban professionals.

This sad decline in social and demographic diversity within the institutional church has occurred against the background of an increasingly loud celebration of theological and moral diversity. The range of 'churchpersonships' in a diocese is a thing to be loved, honoured, and obeyed, a leading cleric might intone at a diocesan conference. The assembled Anglicans are exhorted to cherish contradictory opinions on important spiritual and moral issues in the same increasingly empty big tent.

In celebrating 'diversity' the institutional church is of course aping the world. Only last week I saw the following slogan on a university notice-board - 'celebrating diversity, promoting equality'. On the same board was a notice about how to get ahead in the career race.

So, the world loves to bang on about diversity and equality whilst ruthlessly pursuing careerism. And so now increasingly does the institutional church with its obsession about who should be entitled to wear that most absurd of ecclesiastical status symbols - the ceremonial tea-cosy otherwise known as the mitre.

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