 |
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Two hundred years ago a group of believers joined together to use all their influence, gifts, wealth and abilities to preach the Gospel and cure a sin-sick Britain. They lived and congregated near Clapham common but they only became known as the 'Clapham Sect' retrospectively well after William Wilberforce's death. To their early contemporaries they were simply known as the 'Saints' because of their Christ-centred mission to change the moral climate of their time. Out of the conversions of the revival known as the Great Awakening a new generation of born again, Bible-believing saints were determined to bring their experience of Christ every aspect of the leading nation of the world at that time - Great Britain.
The Clapham Group came together in a remarkable, and indeed supernatural, way. There was no single founder but through a series of events and connections a diversely gifted group of people came together around a number of homes in Clapham. They were not a formal organisation, it was the evangelical causes that united and enthused them. An alliance of Christian lawyers, wealthy businessmen, politicians, church ministers and missionaries strategised and planned from their Clapham base to affect the major giants of influence in society at their time.
Spearheaded by the famous Member of Parliament William Wilberforce, one of the main leaders of the Clapham Sect, the group used all its influence to confront the evil slave trade. Through lobbying parliament and engaging with the law they relentlessly pressed to make the slave trade illegal. But they also the understood the importance of influencing public opinion, most of Britain was unaware of the horrors of the slave trade and thus had tolerated its wealth-creating benefit.
The Clapham Sect published tracts, wrote articles in newspapers, published a journal named 'The Christian Observer', made scale models of the appalling slave ships, had advertising campaigns and organised public debates with educated ex-slaves speaking and writing books about their experience. Soon all educated society became aware of the dreadful truth of slavery.
William Wilberforce was one of the main leaders of the Clapham Sect.
This tireless campaigning slowly shifted society's opinion until slavery itself was abolished in 1833. Members of the Clapham Sect founded Freetown in Sierra Leone as a home for freed slaves and sought a plan of education to raise up ex-slaves as political leaders.
The Clapham Sect encouraged and supported the Sunday school movement headed by Robert Raikes. This was the first significant attempt to educate the lower classes who had no opportunity to learn even the basic of reading and writing and Christian teaching. Many schools were founded by them.
The group resourced and promoted the work of such people as Elizabeth Fry in reforming the appalling conditions and sentences handed out, mostly, to the impoverished poor.
The group modelled integrity in public offices and condemned abuses of those who help responsibilities in power. They believed that personal morality was an essential component in Public service. They refused to bribe voters during elections as was common in their day.
Britain was in the process of becoming the biggest Empire the world had ever known. The Clapham Sect was convinced that they must ensure the gospel was preached to these nations - they felt that it was their responsibility. They also were concerned that the British Empire be run justly and that the colonies would not be abused. They founded a number of missionary societies such as the Church Missionary Society and British and Foreign Bible Society - both of which are still active today.
The group understood that only the gospel could restore the broken society of Britain. They spoke out about the evils of societies the gambling, alcoholism and child abuse, financing and supporting social work to combat these things. They sought to protect children in factories and to attack child labour. Out of this group the RSPCA was formed to combat cruelty to animals.
One of the Clapham Sect, John Venn worked tirelessly to bring health care the underprivileged, even attempting to found the first public health service in England. During an outbreak of small pox he financed and promoted vaccination for all throughout the parishes of England.
The Clapham Sect believed that wealth was given by God to be used in his service. They gave sacrificially to resource what they believed to be their Kingdom work. One member gave 7/8 of his income into the works mentioned above. Even Wilberforce died penniless because he sowed all his wealth in the vision of the Clapham Sect.
The Clapham Sect, or the 'Saints' as they were known, are an inspiration to the modern Christian. We face a modern version of a broken society, both socially and spiritually. As we seek to make disciples under a revival anointing so also, by the Spirit of God, we must bring reformation to Europe. We are the modern day 'Saints' and only we can do it.
