Christian social action 'at a crossroads'

The disconnect between charity and justice, problems of deepening dependency and the disconnect from distinctive Christian roots all need to be grappled with, according to a new report 

A study involving 73 church leaders, theologians, and frontline practitioners has concluded that Christian social action has reached a critical crossroads, and that to tackle entrenched poverty effectively, current charitable models must evolve 

Crossroads, a new four-month study from Together for the Common Good engaged leaders from across the major Christian traditions, including Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Salvationist, and Evangelical faiths, from more than 30 organisations including Caritas, Trussell, Ascension Trust, and Feeding Britain. The report's sub-title is 'What is the future direction of social action?'.

The study tested a framework identifying three critical disconnects, described as the “three sins” of Christian social action. These three “sins” which were first formulated by Jon Kuhrt, CEO of Hope into Action and a member of Streatham Baptist Church. Jon's challenge to the Christian social action sector was published on the Grace+Truth blog.   

They are;

1. The disconnect between charity and justice
2. The problem of deepening dependency and the disconnect with empowerment
3. The problem of secularism and the disconnect from distinctive Christian roots 

The study found a consensus, that these three issues are the ones that indeed need grappling with. While there is no ‘silver bullet’ to the issues of poverty in the UK, the report shows that each area throws up tensions that need to be engaged: 

• Systemic and relational justice: Frontline charity workers expressed a strong desire for deeper systemic change. They felt that a prophetic voice was needed from the Church and this is largely absent. There was a fear among some that asking questions risks being “political” and this needed to be addressed. Most felt that systems are broken but that there is no clear voice setting out clearly what the Church should be doing or asking for. There was also a challenge to the wider Church to move beyond simply campaigning for increased welfare and to confront deeper structural issues which undermine the relationships, community and the dignity of work within the political economy. 
• Empowerment over Dependency: there has been significant growth in social action projects which focus on provision, of food and other resources. Overcoming the trap of long-term dependency emerged as the highest priority. Many felt that the dependency questions often go unasked at the grassroots level and these urgently need discussing. Participants also questioned whether the State had grown unhealthily dependent on the Church to fill the gaps as the level of need has grown. Frontline practitioners emphasised the pressing need to pivot toward initiatives which promote true community, healthy interdependence, personal responsibility and mutual care. 
• Reclaiming Christian Distinctiveness: Senior leaders and funders voiced significant concern over a fading theological vision, warning that "mission drift" threatens the distinctiveness that inspired Christian social action in the first place. There was a desire for greater confidence in the distinctive Christian story. There was a need for greater focus on spiritual formation and discipleship and to deepen the theological roots of social action, as well as formation around what it means to be human.  Some also called for an end to ‘secularisation by stealth’ which has affected so many church-based social initiatives. 

 
Jenny Sinclair, founder and director of Together for the Common Good, said: "For too long we've measured Christian social action by how much we deliver.

"The challenge this study puts to the church is not whether we care, but how we do it: whether the disposition of the church is one of solidarity or as a service provider.

"We are at a crossroads: the appetite to discern a different way is real and broad. We must find a way that integrates justice, empowerment and a confident Christian distinctiveness.

"Our task now is to walk that good way together. We invite people to read the report and comment.”
 
Jon Kuhrt, CEO of Hope into Action, said: “Christian social action does an enormous amount of good every day. But precisely because this work matters, we have to be willing to ask difficult questions about its impact. 

“Are we only responding to the symptoms of poverty, or challenging what causes it? Are the people we support becoming participants and partners, or passive recipients? And are Christian organisations still confident about the faith that inspired their work in the first place? 

“What encourages me about this study was how willing people were to engage seriously with those questions. There was disagreement and nuance, but also a strong sense that we cannot simply carry on as we are.” 

Assessing the findings, Baptist Union Public Issues Enabler Steve Tinning, shared this response:

"There is much to welcome in this report," Steve said. "Across the country, churches are doing extraordinary things to respond to the needs of their communities, often providing a lifeline to people experiencing poverty and hardship.

"But Crossroads asks an important question: how do we ensure our compassion doesn't stop at responding to immediate needs, but also challenges the injustices that give rise to them?

"Martin Luther King Jr. once reflected on the parable of the Good Samaritan, arguing that we must not only help those attacked on the Jericho Road, but work to transform the road itself and the conditions that make such attacks possible. It's a powerful image of the relationship between social action and social justice.

"This is precisely the journey we're seeking to encourage through JPIT's Constituency Action Network (CAN), helping churches draw on their experience of serving local need to build relationships with MPs and advocate for change further upstream.

"For Baptists, these questions also resonate with the proposed Mission Resolution and its vision of integral mission, in which proclaiming Christ, practising compassion and pursuing justice belong together as expressions of our calling to follow Jesus.

"There's already some excellent work happening across the Christian sector connecting social action with social justice, through organisations such as JPIT, ChurchWorks, the Evangelical Alliance and Church Action on Poverty.

"My hope is that whatever emerges from the Crossroads initiative will build on and strengthen those existing connections, helping churches more fully embrace an integral understanding of mission that holds compassion, justice and Christian witness together."
 

Access the Together for the Common Good Crossroads study here. Together for the Common Good is a UK charity dedicated to civic and spiritual renewal.