Former chaplain of the Queen urges Christians to leave Church of England for more conservative churches

A former chaplain to the Queen of England has encouraged Christians to leave their Anglican churches for more conservative congregations.

Rev. Gavin Ashenden recently stepped down from his post as a Chaplain to the Queen after he criticized the reading of a Quran during a service at a Scottish cathedral. Passages denying that Jesus was the Son of God were recited at the service marking the Feast of the Epiphany.

He explained in his blog that he resigned his post so that he could speak out on important issues without drawing attention to the Queen. He said that while serving as her chaplain, there was a danger that the media might construe his views as those of her Majesty.

In an interview with Rev. Jules Gomes for The Conservative Woman, Ashenden stated that the Church of England has become more comfortable with politics than spirituality. He lamented that the hierarchy of the Church "have become so politicised that it matters more now that you are a feminist than a theologian or a baptised Christian."

Ashenden advised Christians who seek to be faithful to Gospel to leave their church and look for one that has "kept as much of the historic, apostolic and biblical values as possible." He also hinted that he himself would also leave the Church, which he said was dying.

"I'm not sure I see much point in a Church that just wants to be accepted as a sort of not too irritating chaplain to a secular and hedonistic culture, which is what it seems to be becoming. I want to remain a faithful Anglican, but increasingly it looks like that is only possible outside the CofE," he said.

In an interview with Christian Today, he warned that the Church would collapse within decades if it refuses to defend conservative Christianity.

He pointed out the yearly decline in the Church of England and contrasted it with the growth of churches in Russia and China. He said that the difference was that the Russian and Chinese churches had "not made an accommodation with the culture."

He said that he does not see any signs that the Church will change its policy of accommodation with the secular culture. "It has abandoned certain key and apostolic norms," he remarked.