Archbishop Urges Christians to Live up to Their Faith In order to Evangelise Unbelievers

In the shadow of the gay clergy crisis and talk of a split in the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury has called upon Christians to evangelise. He especially emphasised on engaging with unbelievers.

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, went head to head on the existence of God with atheist and popular author Philip Pullman in the National Theatre in March. He found that the “unbeliever cannot manage to get out of his or her head the idea that God is an unfriendly alien", and that people who believe in God become “boring at best and dangerous at worst.”

Dr Williams lamented the failure of Christians in testifying their faith, “It would be easier to persuade them otherwise, if we Christians were a bit more convincing in our witness to the fact that humanity blossoms where room is given to God.”

Dr Williams urged believers to walk a path of unity,as this would help in setting up a role model for unbelievers. “Magnify the Lord and the Spirit overshadows you. And the Lord will magnify us,” he said.

He introduced a spiritual curriculum of the “Three R's”. The first R represents “Relate”, meaning Christians should be in the “company of God”. “Relinquish” – the second R - reminds believers to let go of fear, prejudice and longing to be “known to be always right”. Lastly, they should be able to “receive”, “what God gives through friend and stranger.”

Speaking at Ripon College in Oxford, he encouraged students to see Christ in one another, interpret the Church’s teaching and “weave” communal life.