Archbishop defends role of the Church

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Dr John Sentamu, writing in a collection of essays on Faith and Nation to be published next week by the Institute of Public Policy Research, presents a vigorous defence of the established Church in response to recent calls for its separation from the state.

Dr. Sentamu argued that establishment is as much rooted in the contribution to the social and moral life of the country made by Anglican churches, Christian community organisations and individual believers, as it is a product of a unique set of constitutional arrangements. 

The Archbishop said: "At a time when a creeping social Darwinism is on the rise, where life is measured in terms of its "quality" or "usefulness" the Church remains the last bastion of defence for those who would find themselves close to jettison by society. The doors of the Church are never shut to such as these. We embrace an understanding of humanity and the individual where all life is God given and God breathed. There is no measure or qualification of "usefulness" but only the very act of being alive. In this sense the Church re-asserts those principles at the very heart of equality and human rights: the infinite worth of every human being."

The Archbishop said that the UK remains a preponderantly Christian country, with the overwhelming majority of people identifying with Christianity as their primary religious affiliation.

He added that the Church does not simply exist to serve believers but all of society. Dr Sentamu cited the 23 million hours of community service conducted by Anglican Church members and the way this 'faithful capital' is deployed to improve people's lives.

In the context of the credit crunch, the Archbishop said the Church has a vital role to play in representing an alternative morality to that which has become prevalent in much of our social life -- instrumental, economic rationality.

He said: "There is little doubt in my mind that a place exists for an established Church serving our nation. From Church Schools to funerals, from inter-faith work to state occasions, from speaking out for the marginalised to ministering to the sick, the Church plays a vital daily role in the operation of our nation."