The second commandment, from which 'hang all the law and the prophets' is to love our neighbour as ourselves. The parable of the good Samaritan tells whom we should regard as our neighbour and, in Matthew 25:31-46, we are told to see our Lord - who we are instructed to love in the first commandment - in all those who are disadvantaged. The message could not be clearer.
The Church has always risen to this challenge and there are many specific initiatives which respond directly to this calling. However throughout the nineteenth and the first part of the twentieth century the Church was the primary agency for community support throughout the country. This was the practical outworking of our response to God‟s call.
All this changed just after the 2nd World War when the state assumed the mantle of responsibility, with Beveridge‟s plans for the welfare state. In contrast to education, where the Church has continued to play a major role to this day, we left the welfare field as the Government‟s provision of social security became deeper and deeper.
Now, for the first time in 60 years, we have a Government which positively wants voluntary organisations with vocation to work in partnership in building communities. It wants this to be a reality at the local level, and appears to be well-tuned to the risks and challenges of such partnerships, both for the Government and the voluntary organisations themselves.
Of course there are many who will be sceptical of their interest, particularly after the impact of the crushing benefit reductions. But whatever reservations there may be, our focus should be on the opportunity to carry out our Lord‟s second commandment – to love our neighbour as ourselves. So our resolution should be constructive and focused on this aim. The Church is one of the few voluntary organisations with a country-wide establishment, capable of responding on the scale necessary. Of course not all dioceses would wish to do so, but the opportunity merits the development of a model which could allow us to speak with Government on a coherent, rather than piecemeal, basis.
General Synod has, therefore, approved a properly constructed feasibility study which will result in a range of business templates to be considered by dioceses one by one. The study will be run under the auspices of Mission
and Public Affairs (MPA). MPA will also enable a single point of coordination for negotiation with Government: a key part of maintaining our coherence, whilst appreciating that the practical implementation in local areas would
depend on diocesan preferences.
I believe this is a major opportunity for the Church of England to show God‟s love for others, particularly the most disadvantaged, throughout the country. Just as our contribution to state education has provided that all-important witness of faith within a secular society, I believe we can achieve the same in welfare. We have an opportunity to provide a sure foundation for many who are lost in our modern society - we will not turn away at this critical time.
Gavin Oldham, Oxford
