Williams in Norfolk calls on churches to adapt

[...] “I don't think the parish system is going to collapse - other things are going to grow up around it.

“Especially for young people, it's harder to be a Christian in society than it was when I was a teenager. I grew up almost in the last days of Christendom, where most of my friends belonged to a church and we didn't feel we were swimming against the tide. Now it takes a lot more independence and courage to be a Christian.

“I think it's an exciting period to belong to the church in this country in spite of all the problems. There's energy and depth of commitment that's driving these things forward.

“I feel Christianity remains relevant to people. I believe in a God who doesn't change and whose purpose was revealed in Jesus.”

He paid tribute to the work of the chaplaincy team at the N&N, and said he found his time in the neonatal intensive care unit “very moving”.

And he played down calls by some Christians for him to be more vocal about controversial issues.

“I think sometimes people expect Christian leaders to be people who've always got a loud, straightforward, one-sentence answer to problems. But often witness and challenge don't come best from headlines but from steady witness.

“I've often said I want to speak when I think I've got something useful to say that may make a difference.” Read more
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