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Original poster

evangelical preacher in c of e school

36 replies

FatThighs · 10/10/2006 11:28

my son goes to c of e aided primary school. I was okay with all the religion from the c of e vicar who I know and thought it would be much the same as I had at school (prayers, bible stories, hymns etc.) I am an athetist but felt that learning about church of england and some of it's values would be fine.

Have recently fouind out that once a week a man from a home church goes in and does adn assembly and when I checked out his website I found that he is an evangelical christian - I am concerned that impressionable minds are being told things that the parents are not aware of. My husband wants to make very strong waves but I would like to be diplomatic, keep my son in the school and find out exaclty what is going on. HOw do I do this without it becoming a them and us thing???

OP posts:
Blu · 10/10/2006 11:35

Ask to go into the assembly one morning and judge for yourself? And then if not happy, ask for your child to be withdrawn from the assembly he takes each week?

Marina · 10/10/2006 11:38

Agree with Blu.
It might be fine, but I would be leery of this situation too. House churches can be great but they certainly aren't my bag as a very ordinary C of E person and I don't participate in them, or send my children to them.
Hopefully he is fact a great guy and an inspiring assembly leader, but ask if you can see for yourself.

mumblechum · 10/10/2006 12:11

I also agree with Blu. It's difficult, isn't it, we're all atheist in our family but sent our ds (now 12) to the village school because it's so local & it just happens to be C of E. Our son participated in the assemblies etc, but I remember once he dared to question something ( I think it was to do with evolution) and he had to go to the Head & recite the Lords Prayer in front of her! I didn't make a big deal about it, he just learned to keep his opinions to himself because I suppose that's the payback for going to that type of school...anyway, back to the point, if you think the evangelical preacher is over the top, just keep your son out of those particular assemblies.

HallgerdaLongcloak · 10/10/2006 13:25

I'd just talk to your son after the assemblies and find out what he's taking in, and talk to him about any points you dislike or disagree with. I note that your concern is about what you've read on the home church man's website, not what he has actually said in an assembly. The school may have told him, or he may have worked out for himself, that what is acceptable in a home church wouldn't necessarily be so in a school assembly.

I'm an atheist too, but I slightly prefer the prayers, bible stories, hymns etc to the gooey uncritical all-religions-are-good-and-have-the-same-fundamental-principles, let's sing pop songs and pretend they're about everyone being nice to each other despite the fact half the kids have worked out they're about something else entirely ... oh dear, don't get me started.

I think in mumblechum's situation I would have had a go at the Head though.

Blu · 10/10/2006 13:32

yes, Mumblechum, I find that really shocking. Especially as your school is the 'default' local village school, rather than one that people go to specificaly because they want a faith school.

And if i was a practising faith-based christian, I would be even more horrified by the Lord's prayer being used as a punishment!

Marina · 10/10/2006 13:38

Not to mention creationism by default Blu (cannot think of any Christians I associate with who are comfortable with this concept )
That's a really upsetting story mumblechum

harpsichordcarrion · 10/10/2006 13:42

yes, good advice from blu. you really need to judge for yourself.
at mumblechum's story. I would have been livid actually. but I expect he learned an important lesson or something

donnie · 10/10/2006 13:45

the only way you will know is by attending one such assembly.

Judy1234 · 10/10/2006 14:33

I'd be lobbying for a high church C of E person with latin hymns to right the balance may be.....

It is a church school so I don't think people should really object.

Blu · 10/10/2006 14:48

Xenia - it is a local school paid for by the local authority. It is the only village school where FatThighs lives. I think FatThighs has every right to question what religious teaching is provided - especially when it is not even the stated orthodoxy of the church school in question. (Christian) House churches round here specialise in 'healing' people with HIV/AIDS, excorcism, extreme homophobia. creationism, and a God who punishes ill-doing by sending their parents children with 'deformities'.

beckybraAAARGHstraps · 10/10/2006 14:52

Blu - Although I would love to believe that they 'cured' peple of extreme homophobia, I suspect I read that wrong.

Fat Thighs - I would go to an assembly. I expect he dials it down for school. I'm sure you're not the only parent who would be concerned if he didn't.

Blu · 10/10/2006 14:54

LOL BBS!

Marina · 10/10/2006 14:54

Blu - I think we have house church lite round our neck of the woods. That does sound so grim
Xenia, well that would be my strategy too . Sung mass with a nice bit of Gibbons during communion...

harpsichordcarrion · 10/10/2006 14:56

pmsl at healing extreme homophobia
yes, there are some terrifying extreme things taught by home churches ime.
that wives should obey their husbands and if they do not then men are justified in expressing frustration with physical restraint/violence.
that popular music is the work of the devil and that in order to live a godly life, and not be tempted, you should never listen to anything that isn't Christian music.I am not saying that such views are common or that they would be likely to express them in a school, but house churches are not the same of the CofE.

harpsichordcarrion · 10/10/2006 14:58

actually if my CofE village school stuck to high mass and Gibbons and the book of common prayer I would have no problem with it whatsoever
sadly, it is mainly guitars and clapping

Blu · 10/10/2006 14:58

OTH, I think my grandparents used to be involved with house churches which were thoughtful, gentle, supportive and philosphical.

Marina · 10/10/2006 14:59

O Clap Your Hands Together, All Ye People...one could try sneaking it in I suppose...

harpsichordcarrion · 10/10/2006 15:00

pmsl at Marina
Psssst! want some incense, mate? back pew, nearest the font.

Original poster
FatThighs · 10/10/2006 17:38

thanks for all replies and support. I am going into assembly this Thurs to observe - will my presence mean it is dumbed down at all?

I understand that I can take him out if I feel it is too much - but I do feel for other parents that this is not fair, esp if any views expressed are extreme.

Also if someone from any background other than the C of E church is taking assemnblies then surely they should be screened or balanced in some way. This thing that bothers me most is that it is all a bit random him being there.

If he does dumb it down for school still means he is anti gay anti abortion etc. and there are lots of ways of expressing that without saying it.

will be interested in what thursday brings, but will feel like a bit of a wally sitting at the back of a hall of children!

OP posts:
Original poster
FatThighs · 10/10/2006 17:39

I need to clarify!

when I said 'I understand that I can take him out if I feel it is too much' I meant take my son out of the assembely, not 'take out' the preacher in a gangster kind of way!

OP posts:
Judy1234 · 10/10/2006 18:00

But surely the C of E ought to be most of those things. It's the Christian religion, just as in Catholic schools. This is going to be very interesting because I think Blair is going to force church schools to take children who don't share the faith (much to the annoyance of his sons' school, The Oratory) so it's going to arise more and more. There's always been a right to withdraw children from RE in state schools.
Anyway just because this man is from a home church doesn't mean he's going to say things the C of E might object to.

portonovo · 10/10/2006 18:09

Very biased opinions of home churches!

In my experience there is no such thing as a typical 'home church'. I have known C of E churches that are more 'extreme' than home-based churches. In fact, I have known house churches set up as break-away groups to be more C of E than the C of E!

I think the answer has already been decided anyway, to go and visit during assembly time. It's the only way of seeing what goes on.

Our primary school (non faith school) has regular visits from 2 C of E clergy, one Baptist minister and one person from a more evangelical church - there seems to be very little difference in what they do and say in schools.

Original poster
FatThighs · 10/10/2006 18:16

Is c of e anti-gay?

OP posts:
Original poster
FatThighs · 10/10/2006 18:17

oh amd i fromed my opinion of the home church by viewing their website - up until then I was fine witht he idea.

OP posts:
Ladymuck · 10/10/2006 18:22

Well the CofE does include a fairly large evangelical contingent (the Alpha course was started in the CofE for example). I think that some of the experiences of house churches on this thread are a bit unrepresentative of them as a whole. There are different streams of house churches - do you know what affiliation if any he belongs to?

I doubt he will have been informed of your attednance at assembly, and I don't think that he is there for ominous reasons. He will almost certainly have prepared his material ahead of the asembly and would be unlikley to adlib. My lodger used to do these schools visits, as some schools have no staff who are happy to take any sort of faith based assembly. They're usually on fairly bland themes, especially at primary age. The most "risky" were lessons on self-worth, where Creation gets discussed, but obviously more on the lines of "you were born with a purposes" rather than "this is what happened in 7 days approx 6,000 years ago".

Go along and have a look. I doubt that there will be much that is really outside of the CofE sphere. Some Anglicans do believe in God.