If anyone is not familiar with the Catholic Parish Summit, or the Catholic ministry “Divine Renovation” that hosted the event, it was an international gathering of Catholics in the northern English town of Harrogate in early June. The purpose was to invigorate parishes and inspire renewal and evangelisation.
The style of the event would have been unfamiliar to some Catholic attendees, with its rousing talks, carefully designed and aesthetically lit stage, and modern “praise and worship” music, performed by a band replete with drum kit, guitar and emotional vocals. Speakers were accompanied by atmospheric chords played on a keyboard using the “electronic strings” mode, as they crescendoed into rousing calls for change, or invoked the presence of God.
The combination is, if not impressive, certainly striking if you are not used to it, and very different from the Catholic parishes I know. Though the style was not unfamiliar to me, because I spent more than a decade sojourning in evangelical Protestantism after I <a href="https://thecritic.co.uk/christianity-can-only-save-western-civilisation-if-it-is-true/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">converted from secular liberalism in my late 20s</mark></a>.
Most evangelical churches today have adopted this style, dubbed “charismatic”, which in practice has a double meaning: an emphasis on modern music (often the catchy and soulful songs of the controversial Bethel and Hillsong churches), celebrity leaders with a talent for public speaking, a grinning welcome team at the front of church, but also the “charismatic” theology of seeking supernatural intervention such as miraculous healing and deliverance (also known as exorcism).
Unbeknownst to most people at this year's <a href="https://catholicparishsummit.com/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">Catholic Parish Summit</mark></a>, it was a particular brand of charismatic evangelical Protestantism that influenced Divine Renovation and inspired the style on stage in Harrogate, bar perhaps the attractively lit statue of Mary and the liturgy of the Mass.
The influence is so strong that when I first heard the UK leader of Divine Renovation, Hannah Vaughan-Spruce, speak a few months ago, I recognised it after just a few sentences: Holy Trinity Brompton, or HTB as it is known, which whenever I encounter it appears to come with a particular style of speech and enunciation.
This one church, based in upmarket southwest London, has had a huge impact on the Church of England. It is where the evangelistic “Alpha” course was born, which has been the main tool for evangelisation in most Protestant churches for decades now – there has been a Catholic version for some years, too.
More relevant in the context of the Catholic Parish Summit is the HTB takeover of umpteen dying Church of England parishes up and down the country. When HTB does so, usually involving a church that is about to close, it brings wholesale change.
This includes new leaders, its own recognisable formula of music, simple “charismatic” theology, a modern and staged style, the Alpha course and community work. Church growth usually follows, especially of stylish younger people, thus ensuring that bishops tend to tolerate the movement, even if they do not share its theology.
There is no doubt that there are many Anglican churches that host services today that would otherwise have closed without the intervention of HTB. Also, that many people have come to faith through doing an Alpha course. In a world that so desperately needs to hear more of Jesus, these effects of the HTB revolution seem positive, and hence criticism of it should proceed cautiously.
Furthermore, what was on display and said at the Catholic Parish Summit advocated things that, if genuine, should be very good for any parish: prayer, team-building, evangelisation, thinking outwards, seeking the Holy Spirit. Neither was the style wholly evangelical. For example, there were inspiring contributions from Sister Miriam James and the Sisters of the Morning Star in Devon, who led exquisite chants at one Mass.
But if the Catholic Church is to learn and adopt the successful strategies of HTB, as Divine Renovation appears to be clearly advocating for, it must also learn from its problems, some of which I experienced during my time in the charismatic evangelical world.
I’ve met people in HTB and attended a number of their churches as well as the mother-ship in Kensington. Many are lovely people and genuinely seek to love and serve Christ. However, HTB has its own distinct culture, which is carefully protected. Its conferences, at least at the time I moved in those circles, were invite-only – people who didn't attend HTB churches were restricted from attending. Perhaps this is wise when ministering in the warring Church of England, but the cliquishness gets some people’s backs up.
In practice, good intentions can lead to negative consequences. I lived in a place where I attended a small evangelical Anglican church. There were two such churches in the area, both of which suffered what one vicar described as “persecution” from their CofE Diocesan authorities, who were much more liberal theologically.
A new Bishop brought new ideas, and approached HTB to establish a church in the midst of it all. I have often wondered why. The town had umpteen successful churches that were very missional: they ran Alpha courses, did amazing work in the community, were “seeker friendly”, had “modern worship music", and were evangelical theologically – in short, very like HTB.
Whatever the reason, HTB arrived. A large Anglo-Catholic church was completely gutted. The direction of worship changed. Out went the altar, wooden pews and the tiny band of 20 or so traditional worshippers that were left. Out went, also, organ music and hymns. In came drumkits, electric guitars, emotive pop/rock praise songs sung by enthusiastic young people, with short and hypnotic sermons – and an entirely new leadership team straight from HTB.
The church grew rapidly. From being almost empty, on Sundays it was suddenly packed with young families, fashionable people, students. The church appeared to have experienced an enormous renewal.
The problem was that most of those attendees came from other local evangelical churches. Some were hit harder than others, some suffered terribly. This “church growth” was not new Christians, but imported from elsewhere.
Yes, the new HTB church “plant” started Alpha and became more missional – but these activities were already being conducted well in the other churches they took from.
I left the area, so I am not sure of the end result. I know that some of the HTB church's first attendees, after their initial flush of enthusiasm, became jaded, as people often do within evangelicalism. I have observed that many are turned off by the slick professional style of these modern churches, that can risk appearing manipulative, at least of the emotions.
Certainly a lot of damage is done if someone encounters a friendly welcomer and kind, smiling leaders but who then show a different side behind closed doors. If the disillusioned have a genuine faith, they may <a href="https://www.christiantoday.com/article/praise.for.the.bog.standard.church.leader.why.average.and.unfashionable.can.be.good.for.ministry/140370.htm"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">seek out "bog standard'"churches for more authenticity</mark></a>. Other Protestant options are the more austere “new Calvinist” evangelicalism or progressive liberal Christianity. Others, like myself, <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/by-rights-i-should-be-an-atheist-but-i-feel-a-pull-towards-catholicism/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">explore Catholicism</mark></a>.
If an HTB-style Catholic church began in a city, what might happen? Younger people in other Catholic parishes could step over the boundaries and start attending the new one. Not least because, as has happened in the CofE, if there is a critical mass of young people gathering in modern worship-style churches, then it’s not fun to one of the few people under 40 years old in the neighbouring church.
Of course, the elephant in the room at the Catholic Parish Summit, and within Catholicism, is that a strong trend among young people at present is traditionalism, especially the Latin Mass. I did not hear this mentioned at the Catholic Parish Summit, which was surprising, given its focus. <br><br>When I’ve visited “trad” Catholic parishes, the average age seems to be about 30 years younger than the norm, which is surely a form of renewal in itself. It would be ironic if the Catholic Church started to promote a modern evangelical style at the time Gen Z turns towards tradition. I met younger Catholics at the summit who were dismayed at the thought of their quiet, humble, meditative, old-fashioned parishes being changed in the way Divine Renovation was promoting.
Which brings me to my biggest concern about what I saw at the summit. At times, it seemed like those who appreciate the “old ways” of hymn books, organs and gentle homilies by unassuming priests were presented as being the problem. I was left with the impression that some of the conference speakers believe that churches’ existing parishioners are a barrier to “renewal” and need to give way, with their wishes and opinions dismissed.
Those who talk about charismatic church renewal usually mean a revival, a move of the Holy Spirit, people being converted miraculously and so on. When this happens it is truly beautiful. But one thing I’m absolutely sure of is that disregard for older parishioners, distaste for the organ and harsh criticism of ordinary priests are not fruits of the Holy Spirit.
That said, the summit appeared to be promoting unity in the Church: protestant HTB vicars were given a platform and spoke, there was modern liturgical music in the “Mass for Unity”, and Fr James Mallon, the Canadian founder of Divine Renovation – the ministry is headquartered in Canada – referenced protestant pastors such as Rick Warren and Professor Tom Wright. He also spoke about his own positive experience of Alpha and of the HTB leaders conference, which he said he attends every year.
But is the unity they are promoting too focused on Catholics and Protestants who are more “charismatic” in the exterior? Those who open their arms in prayer as the speaker lays on hands, boom loud spontaneous prayers through a microphone, move their hips to a drumbeat during worship, and appear to speak in tongues?
For surely it is renewal and unity between Christians who are genuinely “charismatic” in their interiors – truly guided and transformed by the love of the Holy Spirit – that is what is needed and would be a great thing indeed.
I hope the two don’t get confused.<br><br><em>Photo: A band performing during the Catholic Parish Summit; screenshot from <a href="https://catholicparishsummit.com/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">www.catholicparishsummit.com</mark></a>.</em>
<em>Heather Tomlinson is a freelance Christian journalist. You can find her work at <a href="http://heathertomlinson.substack.com/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">http://heathertomlinson.substack.com</mark></a> and on X (twitter) @heathertomli.</em>
