On Suffering

The cost of contending

6 min readJan 30, 2024

It’s hard to be part of the Church of England right now. The crisis in leadership and faith has been going on for years, and many of us are exhausted. Keeping going in a war of attrition is costly. To be part of a church that seems determined to walk away from Christ is tragic. Much of what is said about us by revisionists hurts. Who signed up to be called a heretic, unloving, a safeguarding risk, or liable for the deaths of LGBT young people? In arguing for staying in the Church of England and contending for the gospel, I am not naïve about the personal cost.

Neither is the New Testament.

Matthew 5:11–13: Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.¹

John 15:19–20: If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they keep my word, they will also keep yours

2 Timothy 3:12: indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Jesus Christ will be persecuted

1 Peter 2:21: For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

1 Peter 3:14: But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.

1 Peter 3:17: For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

1 Peter 4:12–14: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

Jude 3–4: Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jude 8: Yet in a like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.

Jude 17–23: But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Revelation 2:10–11: Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

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I actually find this perspective encouraging. It’s much harder to endure suffering when it comes as a surprise. But suffering for the gospel should not be a surprise to any of us. We’re told to expect it—embrace it, even. We can rejoice gospel suffering for three reasons:

We follow in the way of Christ, who himself suffered, died, and rose again for our salvation. We follow him on the path that runs: suffering-> death -> grave -> resurrection -> glorification. To be united with him in his suffering is to be united with him in his glory.
To suffer for the name of Christ is a great honour and blessing. It’s the greatest honour this world can afford us.
Christ sees every pain and cost we endure in his service, and will abundantly repay them when his kingdom comes.

To stay in the Church of England and to minister faithfully will be abundantly painful. It’s painful to see false teachers devouring the sheep before our very eyes. It’s painful to hear the name of Christ attached to ungodly teachings and practices. It’s painful to know that your fellow clergy and bishops are breaking the same ordination vows that you take so seriously. It’s painful to have people leave your church family because they have bought into the worldly narrative on these issues. It’s painful to be treated as a safeguarding risk, simply for teaching what the church has always taught. It’s painful to be called schismatic, when you haven’t moved anywhere. It’s painful to be slandered and defamed for your faithfulness.

To contend is costly. And there is a special pain that comes when the ones afflicting us are inside the Church. We might expect it from the world outside, but ‘friendly’ fire hurts more.

It might be a surprise to find John Dod referenced in this article series, given Dod was a strict nonconformist who advised other nonconformists on nonconformity. But what I find helpful is this, related by Michael P. Winship:

Dod had no illusions about how fortunate he was. When puritans came to him to discuss nonconformity, Dod would adjust his answers to his assessment of their capacity to suffer.²

Dod would gauge their capacity to suffer, and then base his advice accordingly. My ecclesiological purposes may be somewhat opposite to Dod’s, but I still find this instructive.

We all have different capacities for suffering, different appetites for conflict—for a whole host of reasons. There may well be personal reasons, particular family circumstances, innate personality makeups, personal experience and history, health concerns, and any number of other factors that mean that someone isn’t able to bear conflict and suffering as much as another person. That’s ok.

If someone genuinely could not bear the suffering of contending within the Established Church, if it would be beyond what their faith could bear, then I think they should leave. I say that with no judgment whatsoever. The crisis in the Church of England is a spiritual crisis—a spiritual battle.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

That means that the wounds suffered may be spiritual wounds. Our faith and our souls may be on the line. And so, if someone is genuinely concerned that to stay and contend within the Church of England may be more than their faith could bear, then they should probably leave. Our primary calling is to be Christians, first and foremost. Some of us then have a particular calling to minister and worship within the Church of England. But we should remember that our primary calling is to be Christians. And if the particular calling would be to the detriment—even to the destruction—of the general, then we should put aside the particular calling. In this case, by leaving the Established Church.³

If, however, that isn’t you; if your capacity for suffering, if your faith is strong enough to bear the current conflict, then please stay. Please stay and contend. Don’t leave the Church of England in pursuit of an easier ministry. We don’t need an easier ministry, we need to be faithful no matter the cost.

It will be costly. It will you cost you and those close to you. But to suffer for Christ is to be blessed by Christ. A crown of life awaits those who count Christ worthy enough of their suffering.

Notes

Cited in Michael P. Winship, Hot Protestants: A History of Puritanism in England and America (Yale University: New Haven, CT), 2019, 145. I am indebted to Jon Carter for pointing me to this reference.
Here I am echoing Perkins on the nature of vocations. See Joel R. Beeke, Matthew N. Payne, and J. Stephen Yuille, ed.s, Faith Working Through Love: The Theology of William Perkins (Reformation Heritage Books: Grand Rapids, MI), 2022, 179: “everyone is to ensure that their particular calling gives place to the general calling ‘when they cannot stand together.’”

Previous posts in this series can be found here: