The

Modern Churchpeople's Union

Liberal theology in a changing world

MCU History

A Brief Outline of the Modern Churchpeople's Union

1898

• 27th July. A day conference was held at Kensington, the object of which was to start a society of Liberal Churchmen. It resolved to use the Church Gazette as its organ.
• 30th November. At Church House Westminster, The Churchmen's Union was founded. Its objects were published in the Church Gazette of 19th November l898. Its first President was Rev. George Henslow who serve to 1902.
• The First Annual Meeting of the Union was convened on 6th October 1899. Rev. William Geikle-Cobb was appointed as Secretary. The first Annual Sermon was preached by Hastings Rashdall [Website for Hastings Rashdall ~ brief Wikipedia biography] at St Peter's. Bayswater. [List of Presidents and Secrataries]

1904

• The main speaker at the Annual Meeting was Hensley Henson then Rector of St Margaret's, Westminster and Canon of Westminster Abbey, later Bishop of Durham [Wikipedia biography]

1905

• The Annual Sermon was preached by William Ralph Inge, then Lady Margaret Professor of Theology at Cambridge University, and later Dean of St Paul's. [Wikipedia biography]

1911

• The first issue of The Modern Churchman was published in April 1911 edited by Henry D.A. Major, the moving spirit of the organization from 1911 to 1961 [published biography]. It had a red cover in the first year, but this was changed to yellow, which it retained until 1972. The publication was often called the "Yellow Peril" .

Articles from the first edition: Ourselves and our aim (Henry Major) ~ The Birth of the Chuchman's Union (Theodore P. Brocklehurst) ~ Modernism and Modernity (Percy Gardner)

1914

• 3 - 6 July. The first annual conference, organised by Henry D.A. Major and held at the Spa Hotel, Ripon, Yorkshire. [Full list of Conferences]

Modern Believing - previous cover design

By identifying the new learning with heresy, you make orthodoxy synonymous with ignorance.

Erasmus

A State without the means of change is without the means of its conservation.

Burke

(These quotations headed the Modern Churchman for many years.)

1918

• The Modern Churchman's Library was launched. The first book was The Faith of Modern Churchman by M.G. Glazebrook.

1921

• The eighth annual conference was held at Girton College, Cambridge (8 - 15 August). Its theme was "Christ and the Creeds". Publication of the Conference papers in the Modern Churchman, fuelled by misreporting in the media, led to a charge of heresy being brought against the editor, Henry Major. The charge was dismissed by the Bishop of Oxford. The conference and the the controversy it sparked was a factor which led to the creation of the firs Doctrine Commission in the Church of England. It began work in 1922 and reported in 1938.

1931

• The Churchmen's Union became the Modern Churchmen's Union.

1947

• Bishop Barnes published The Rise of Christianity causing considerable
• Major retired as Principal of Ripon Hall.

1952

• The document Marriage and Divorce in the Church of England produced by members of the MCU had great influence on the debate and contributed to the eventual acceptance of remarriage in Church.

1956

• In December Henry Major edited his last issue of the Modern Churchman after 46 years. Arthur Adams and William Frend become the new editors.

1967

• The Jubilee Annual Conference was held at Somerville College, Oxford, with the theme of "Christ for us today", organised by Dr Norman Pittenger. It was as controversial as 1921- but times had changed and it was regarded as "less earthshaking".

1972

• New Series of Modern Churchman was produced in white covers.

1980

• The first of the Foreword papers was published in May. No. 1 was "Jesus" by Peter Hamilton. The series continued until no 21 in 1985.
• In the 1980s the Modern Churchman became MC under the editorship of Dr A.O. Dyson.

1986

• The name of the Union was changed to The Modern Churchpeople's Union

1989

• Annual Conference "The State of the Ark" - a sell out!

1994

• MC became Modern Believing, edited by Dr George Pattison. It is currently edited by Professor Paul Badham of Lampeter University.

1996

• New series of the MCU Newsletter which includes Signs of the Times.

1997

• Bishop John Saxbee succeeded Bishop Peter Selby as President of the MCU.

1998

• MCU Centenary Year.

2007

• MCU contributions to debate on the Draft Anglican Covenant were included in the official papers sent to General Synod members prior to the dabate (GS 1661)