Charismatic Anglicans Negotiating Liturgy: A Review of John Leach's Thesis

Charismatic Anglicans Negotiating Liturgy

A Review

John Leach’s thesis investigates the rise of what he terms “non‑liturgical Anglicanism”, a phenomenon in which many charismatic Anglican churches have replaced authorised liturgy with extended worship‑song sets. As he notes in the abstract, this shift has accelerated since the 1960s, particularly within two influential networks: Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) and New Wine (NW), both deeply shaped by the Vineyard movement and its theology of worship and ministry. Leach’s central research question asks: What is the relationship between these churches and formal Anglican liturgy?

The thesis begins by tracing the historical and cultural streams that converged to make non‑liturgical Anglicanism possible: the Liturgical Movement, the Family Service Movement, charismatic renewal, ecumenism, the rise of contemporary worship music, and the influence of Vineyard praxis. Each of these movements loosened Anglican attachment to fixed forms, encouraged accessibility and mission‑orientation, and elevated experience, spontaneity, and musical encounter as primary vehicles of worship. Leach observes that many leaders came to believe that “the traditional liturgy of the Church has been largely or completely replaced by sung worship” because liturgy was seen as a barrier to evangelism and growth.

Through participant observation, interviews, and a focus group, Leach documents how HTB and NW churches intentionally minimise formal liturgy, favour informality, and rely heavily on worship songs to create emotional intimacy and a sense of divine encounter. Leaders frequently justify this approach in terms of mission, cultural relevance, and the desire for spiritual immediacy. Yet Leach also records their ambivalence about legality, with some describing their approach as “civil disobedience” or “the principle rather than the letter” when bypassing authorised forms.

The thesis then offers a theological critique. Leach argues that worship songs cannot function as “the new liturgy” because they lack the structural, doctrinal, and formational depth that liturgy provides. Liturgy, he contends, offers belonging, balance, theological breadth, long‑term spiritual resilience, and a connection to the wider Church, benefits that song‑based worship alone cannot supply. As he writes, churches that abandon liturgy risk “accommodating to the secular culture” and neglecting the “riches of Church tradition” essential for forming disciples “for the long haul.”

In conclusion, Leach proposes a “more excellent way”: a renewed liturgical‑charismatic synthesis in which authorised liturgy provides the framework and theological ballast, while charismatic worship enriches affective engagement. Rather than choosing between liturgy and liberty, he argues for a via media that honours Anglican identity while embracing the gifts of renewal.

https://etheses.durham.ac.uk/id/eprint/15626/1/LEACH000632971.pdf

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