Archbishop of York writes in The Times

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Last July the Government published a Green paper on the Governance of Britain that set out its continuing relationship with the Church of England as follows, "The Government reaffirms its commitment to the position of the Church of England by law established, with the Sovereign as its Supreme Governor, and the relationship between the Church and State. The Government greatly values the role played by the Church in national life in a range of spheres."

In a collection of Essays on Faith and Nation to be published next week by the Institute of Public Policy Research I will argue the case as to why the Church of England should remain by law established.

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 being jettisoned 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.

Hence the Church becomes a place not only for the most vulnerable but also for their most vocal defenders; a tent pitched in the middle of the public square where all are invited because all are worthy.

It is a place where divine action and human activity overlap in the person of Jesus Christ, who pitched his fleshly tent among us. It is not simply a place of refuge, but rather a place of hospitality for the marginalised, welcoming those who find themselves, by accident or design, at risk of exclusion from any sense of belonging or without a stake in our stakeholding society.

The current challenge for the Church of England, as I believe it is also for other denominations, is to ensure that it is living and proclaiming the Gospel afresh in a way that is comprehensible and relevant to people today, inviting them to participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And I am hopeful. There are many signs that the church is beginning to find again that renewal which lies at the heart of our resurrection faith.

I see it in the work that Anglicans along with Christians of other denominations, people of good will, and those of other religions are doing to campaign and provide for asylum seekers. I see it in the work of Church Academies seeking to transform areas of need and deprivation into places of learning, service and hope. In responding to the needs of the most vulnerable people, the Church is indeed fulfilling the biblical imperatives to stand up for the poor and defenceless and to care for the stranger in its midst.

Click here to read The Times article 'Church of England must serve all the faiths, says Archbishop'