Ministers swap the pulpit for the pub

ANGLICANS in Britain will soon be able attend services in a wine bar or on a barge, held by ministers hip to rapping and skateboarding, in a plan to get the church back in touch with its congregation.

Eager to banish the fusty image of an establishment church full of ageing worshippers, a new breed of crusading ministers will spread the word in nightclubs, shopping arcades and skateboarding parks.

The aim … is to establish new courses that will train experimental, mobile priests to swap the pulpit for the pub.

Another splendid report on the ‘Fresh Expressions’ ministers, this time in the Australian.

I’m all for rapping and sketeboarding on barges. I’m wondering how we will recognise these experimental mobile priests when we see them. They’ll be fully trained in all aspects of going to the pub I suppose.

As an aside: Apologies to anyone who has been expecting to hear from me or hoping I will do something for them this week. I haven’t been having the best of weeks.