The first ever meeting organised by Galilee was an absorbing meeting in the company of Dave Tomlinson. Dave described his origins as the son of a disabled father in Liverpool and the start of his spiritual journey. As a result of a religious experience he found himself as a young man in conflict with the church he grew up in. Talking frankly about the phases of his life Dave reflected upon his time a leader of a church on Teesside with much reassessment and new perceptions but with no real regrets.
Since moving to London in the mid 80s life continued to evolve through changing circumstances. Initially focussing on building a multi-cultural church, Dave found himself increasingly responding to those who wanted to explore more about God but who were finding church structures as much of a hindrance as a help. From such a group
‘Holy Joe’s’ was born. It was a very open group, encouraging discussion and dialogue with a minimum of structure. Famously it met in a pub in Clapham, although Dave pointed out that this was initially a matter of convenience rather than part of a plan.
Publication of
The Post-Evangelical brought controversy in some quarters although the surprising volume of letters that came in following publication were overwhelmingly positive and appreciative of what he had to say.
One of the warmest and most positive parts of his story concerned his eventual moves towards Anglicanism and his current role as a parish priest in Holloway in North London. Smiling and talking about finding the most fitting role he had ever had in life, Dave had the look and manner of someone who had found themselves in a place that was satisfying and fulfilling.
The audience was encouragingly large and there was no shortage of questions. These ranged from Dave’s views on contemporary prophecy, though leadership styles and the feminine influence on church leadership, to the need for clear thinking on issues of social justice. The question and answer session was just long enough to start ideas flowing and bring out some interesting insights from Dave, but too short to cover the ground properly.
Practical arrangements for the evening went reasonably smoothly with a few important lessons to be learned. All in all feedback was positive and it seems Dave did a good job in initiating the current series of events.
His final phrase, seeking to capture the most important learning from his life story so far was: “Be true to yourself”.
Chris.
