As the controversy about Scotch eggs dies down, there's some energy again about its close cousin, "the picture". While I have some sympathy with some of the objections, I think it's neat, and the reaction exaggerated - a short thread

There's an ecclesiology-as-aesthetics objection - oughtn't it to have been expressed in a more resonant, convicting manner? But I'm comfortable with this being a working document - it's not going on Xmas cards, reredoses or anything that lasts beyond 2030 https://twitter.com/FrPeterAnthony/status/1334201068142669832?s=20

And, anyway, it's more than possible to render the content in traditional Anglican-ese https://twitter.com/sionrhysevans/status/1334244048379506688?s=20

There's also a Tory objection (Blue Labour @giles_fraser; High Orielensis @WalkerMarcus) that it signals the death of the parish. But it seems to do little more than acknowledge the existing Anglican mixed economy

After all, even in the Diocese of London, one of the few places where the one-church parish remains viable, 20% of attendance is in seven churches - and that's not because there are seven parishes with very, very, very high populations

There's then a concern - by @charliebelllive and others - that there isn't a robust hold on this by laity and the church at large. I thought that the @CottrellStephen Dioc. Synod address showed how this kind of strategic thinking can be earthed & explained https://twitter.com/CottrellStephen/status/1332630943375503362?s=20

Behind this all, there's a concern about "centralisation" and "management". I wrote something last week about why I think it's vital that there is, at the very least, some strong apostolic planning across the geography and demography of a diocese https://sionrhysevans.medium.com/the-christian-priest-yesterday-2fbc716149c2

But the irony is that, as a national strategy goes, it actually manages very neatly to be wisely comprehensive about priorities (theologically-engaged congregations, more younger people, diverse expressions) without limiting the scope for local drive

For an institution with such a high cat-herding score, that seems a good @churchofengland outcome - three important priorities that all can sign up to which will help to channel substantial but finite resources, all within something not as resonant as to dominate the real Story