A review of “The Church of Tomorrow” by John McGinley and “Lighting the Beacons” by Jill Duff.

One of Aesop’s Fables tells the story of a competition between the Wind and the Sun. The challenge is to make a man remove his cloak. The two competitors go about it in totally different ways. The Wind blows harder and harder, but simply causes the man to wrap the cloak even more tightly around him. The Sun, on the other hand, simply shines more and more brightly upon the man, until he is so warm that he sheds the cloak.

I have been reading two books, both with the same end in view, but written in very different ways to achieve their objective…the renewal of faith in a church appropriate and fit for the post-Covid world. Both McGinley and Duff are Anglicans and associated with New Wine. McGinley is a church planter and builder of missional communities, whilst Duff is a Bishop, working in Lancashire and St Asaph, Wales, and was formerly a founding director and lecturer at the ministry training college of St Mellitus North West. They have much in common.

Their approaches are, however, quite different, with McGinley focussing on “Power” and Duff on “Warmth”. Both point to a renewed dependence on the Holy Spirit (who is described in scripture as both wind and fire) and a return to our first love for Jesus (Revelation 2: 4).

McGinley’s approach is more analytical. He begins by reminding readers that every 500 years the church seems to go through a period of change, often brought about by a combination of factors in our cultures…external crisis + inner conviction + God-given momentum = church reformation. He looks at each of these in detail, then goes on to examine eight landmark practices that will characterise the changing church, devoting a chapter to each.

He finishes by saying:

“This book has been an invitation to hold the plumb line of Scripture, the Church in revival in history and the rapidly growing Church around the world up against the Church that you and I belong to in the West and to note the differences.”

Duff’s approach is much more narrative, flowing from her apparent hands-on style as a bishop in the C of E. She examines much of the cause and effect of decline and renewal that John McGinley does.

Her first chapter, which sets out the heart of the book, is summed up by:

“The fire in God’s heart, which lights the beacons, is all about sending this message, ‘We miss you, please come home’”

She examines the work of the Spirit in the life of believers, key people in lighting the beacons, fanning the sparks of the Spirit into flame, things that might quench the flame (a powerful chapter) looks at the battle we’re in and looks forward hopefully to a renewed and revived church.

She uses images from Tolkien’s “The Return of the King” to introduce the biblical themes and illustrates the themes and practices with stories about real people living for Jesus in the here and now.

“My hope is that each of us, warmed by fresh fire of the Spirit, finds new faith to see visions and courage to dare to dream dreams. Dreams of the heavenly version of the places where we live, the spheres of influence in which we find ourselves, the communities we belong to, the countries we love…And then with gutsy courage and determined faith we offered our lives unreservedly  to be God’s junior partners, fired by all his ‘incomparably great power for us who believe’ (Ephesians 1: 19), to see that heavenly blueprint begin to break in as a reality while we are still alive”

John McGinley came across as a bit stern and left me with a sense of a steep hill to climb and more than a little guilt/conviction (probably a good thing), while Jill Duff is warmer and more personal, and produced in me a real sense of the powerful love of Jesus and the response of “I can do that”.

Both books are worthy of serious consideration as they will unquestionably impact people of different temperaments, and both contain much to convict, teach and encourage us as we are becoming the Church of tomorrow.