Each year, we invite all the Baptist ministers and leaders across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire together for our regional Ministers’ Conference. It is a highlight of the year for me, and it is a real joy to gather together with our church ministers, chaplains, pioneers, children’s and youth workers, and others serving across the East of England.
This year’s event took place towards the beginning of March, and our theme for the week was ‘In Conversation: Cultivating Holy Curiosity’. It emerged through a series of conversations about how we position ourselves in mission, our posture towards the world, and our disposition towards those – inside and outside the church – who might think differently from us. Over three days, we had over 20 different contributors sharing with us, each bringing their own spirituality, experience, and context as we reflected on John’s Gospel and sought to take inspiration from the way Jesus conversed with those he met.
In our moments of candour and honesty, many of us could perhaps attest to the fact that we don’t always deal with difference in a way that is open, creative, and positive, and yet our ecumenical work – especially across Norfolk and Waveney – is a wonderful example of how our own faith and ministry can be enhanced and blessed by one another.
In conversation with colleagues from different traditions, I have found it consistently enriching to learn more about why things are as they are, and why people have the ecclesiology and theology that they have. This has resulted in a fair amount of ‘Holy Envy’ – to borrow Barbara Brown Taylor’s language – where I have come to genuinely appreciate and value what happens on the other side of any denominational fence.
German theologian Jürgen Moltmann wrote of the need for Christian thinking and ministry to be centred on future hope and, because he was focused on future hope, he regarded curiosity as one of the primary theological virtues – writing that theology should be adventurous and engaged with what we don’t know or understand yet.
He believed in asking better questions rather than just seeking quick answers, and that there is always more to discover in and about God. Theology and ministry are to be an adventure, to be front-footed. We need not be scared by that which is different, but rather are called to live as disciples who are curious, big-hearted, and keen to explore.
Earlier this year, at the kind invitation of Rt Rev Graham Usher, Diocesan Bishop of Norwich in the Church of England, our group of denominational leaders from Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney visited the Houses of Parliament. It gave us an opportunity to meet with MPs from the county, to see some of the inner workings of the House of Lords, and to talk together about the different ways that our churches work with one another to serve their local communities. It was a privilege to be part of the group that day, and not just because the food in the House of Lords dining room was excellent! Each conversation that day, with colleagues and parliamentarians alike, was a treasure trove of wisdom and insight. I am in no doubt that I’m a better disciple of Jesus, and a better leader in my own denomination, because of what I continue to learn from my sisters and brothers.
I guess there are times when it would just be easier if we were all the same. Yet, there is a distinct beauty and grace in each of our traditions. As I write, I feel more determined than ever to be curious and keep learning. This, I believe, is part of the gift of ecumenism. At its best, it is about more than simply finding out and emphasising what we agree on. My sisters and brothers in other denominations are a gift, and I thank God every time I remember them. In my prayers for the Church across Norfolk and Waveney, I pray with joy because of our partnership in the Gospel. May God continue to strengthen our life together.
This reflection first appeared on Network Norfolk – Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney.
Photo courtesy Eastern Baptist Association.