AFTER a presentation and debate on the Sunday evening, the General Synod took note of the report Thy Kingdom Come: Renewing the call to prayer and evangelism.
The motion offered the Synod an opportunity to give thanks for the work of Thy Kingdom Come (TKC) over the past ten years. What began in 2016 as a prayer initiative of Archbishop Welby for the re-evangelisation of England has grown into a global ecumenical movement, the report says. TKC has been supported by high-profile faith leaders, including the late Pope Francis; and has a presence in nearly 90 per cent of countries.
“It has also united churches’ different traditions and locations as well as appealing to all ages, including children and families and young people and other groups,” the report says. The movement has also worked with organisations and networks such as the Mothers’ Union, London Institute of Contemporary Christianity, Christians against Poverty, Open Doors, and Hope Together.
Introducing the presentation, the Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Philip North, suggested that, so far, this Synod meeting had felt like a “pick your own crisis in the Church — missional crisis, financial crisis, pensions crisis — any crisis you want.”
But steadfast and ambitious prayer, partnership, and evangelism were the Church’s response to crisis, he continued. The heart of the TKC movement was 11 days of focused, intentional prayer in partnership with other denominations and with “the shameless prayer that people might come to faith”, he said. It was “the antidote to omni-crisis”.
A guest speaker, Emma Buchan, the TKC project director, reminded the Synod that the impetus had come from a 2013 motion affirming prayer as the cornerstone of the Church’s mission: the evangelisation of England. “We all feel that God has had a clear hand in the work we’ve done. . . The Spirit has blown us along. I absolutely believe that this is God’s work. It’s been an utter privilege to be part of this and I’m so excited by how God has guided us will continue to do so,” she said.
The project lead, Kemi Bambgose, said: “We’ve had the privilege of seeing and hearing incredible stories of Thy Kingdom Come’s impact on people coming to faith and churches being renewed in their zeal for evangelism; and witnessed increased ecumenical collaboration among Churches.”
Independent research had found TKC to be the second most effective intervention to promoting church growth in mid-size churches, she said. “It shows impact, and people going deeper, especially those who are isolated, in confidence to share their faith.”
She testified to stories of prodigals returning, of reconciliation and friendships, of conversions and profound encounters, and emphasised: “We’re fiercely intentional about ensuring diversity — every nation, tribe, people, and language, as far as possible, we try to represent in our work. It’s in schools, colleges, workplaces, the streets, shopping centres, town centres, nursing homes, chaplaincies in hospitals, prisons, army bases, police stations — and all of this points to our great, marvellous God who has made this possible.”
The Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd David Williams, described a TKC pilot that he had been asked to organise in Winchester Cathedral in 2016, as “an astonishing gathering, the like of which I’d not seen in 24 years [at the cathedral]. . . Every denomination felt compelled to come.”
Recounting the rising number of ecumenical gatherings in the following years and the experience of speaking in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018, he testified to the initiative as part of his own formation, including the 11-day pilgrim walk that he undertook this year in his first few days in post as Bishop of Truro. Hundreds gathered to pray on the way: “I’m convinced as never before that prayer has to be the essence of our ministry. . . Thank you. But let’s not stop now.”
Four young people from schools in the north-east spoke of the importance of prayer in their lives.
“It’s how I get closer to God,” one said. “It helps me feel less stressed, especially when things are getting difficult. Over time, it’s also helped give me confidence not just in my faith, but in who I am as a person. I don’t think I’d have that confidence if I had been praying for most of my life.”
Another said: “I pray for believers to go to the right people and share the gospel, and, for non-believers, that they’d feel comfortable enough to hear it, or even just to come to church. It’s not always about taking someone the whole way: sometimes it’s just helping them take that one small step and maybe years later they’ll be ready take another. . .”
The third said: “People my age have been given the label of the anxious generation. With pressures from school, social media, and constantly trying to figure out who we are, it becomes easy to feel alone or isolated in the search for something only God can fill. This is why empowering prayer amongst young people is not only important but necessary. It helps break strongholds like anxiety, fear, and self-doubt by allowing us to give our worries to God. It reminds us that the we’re not fighting battles alone. . .”
The fourth said: “I went up [in church] to ask for something trivial, exams, but what I actually wanted was a moment of spiritual quietness when my faith was low. But I didn’t have the courage to ask for this. The man praying for me prayed for my exams and then says that God was telling him that he sees me and that he knows that I think my faith is low and he wants to remind me of how my faith was higher than I thought. . . I felt revived and inspired . . . because he made me see how God actually speaks to us and listens to us. . .”
Bishop North then moved the motion.
Mike Royal (Churches Together in England) described TKC as “an opportunity for the whole Church to speak as one”. He thanked the C of E for the quality of the resources.
“Let’s do more of this,” said the Revd Chantal Noppen (Durham) said. The United Reformed Church was wrestling with the same questions: “Things like Thy Kingdom Come show us we can do this.”
Catherine Butcher (Chichester) said: “The watching world sees so many differences and divisions. . . This is something we can do together.”
The Bishop of Lancaster, the Rt Revd Jill Duff (Northern Suffragans), loved “the sense that power is bubbling up in our motion”.
Canon Kate Wharton (Liverpool) spoke of the fruits of 24 hours of prayer, including the setting up of Woolly Warriors that followed the distribution of 500 crochet crosses on a new housing estate, which had proved “a way into church for some”.
The Revd Ayo Audu (Oxford) commended the TKC for “enabling people to feel part of something bigger”.
The Revd Andrew Hargreaves (Portsmouth) had experienced, on pilgrimage walks to celebrate ten years of TKC, “the beauty and diversity of our diocese. . . People can really unite round prayer, in spite of their differences.”
“We pray as we can and not as we can’t,” the Revd Pat Hawkins (Lichfield) said.
The Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Sophie Jelley, recalled Ms Buchan visiting Durham in 2016 and asking, “If we were going to reach the world in prayer, where would we start?” Bishop Jelley promised the four young speakers: “We must meet the needs of this anxious generation, and we can do it through prayer. You have provided the prophetic voice we needed through this.”
Sandra Turner (Chelmsford) urged: “Let’s be positive in prayer,” before praying, “May your kingdom come, soul by precious soul.”
Read more reports from the General Synod digest here
