Christian Today. Helen Tomlinson argues that ‘bog standard’ is good
There are a number of ways that the old-fashioned model of church avoids some of the pitfalls of celebrity Christianity: There is a willingness to serve difficult communities and be a presence there. Large churches tend to locate themselves where they can be easily accessed, have enough space for the thousand-strong congregation, and can attract the mass market. Older churches were built at a time before everyone had a car, and so had to be walking distance for their communities. This means there are buildings in every community, rich and poor. The bog standard vicar has fewer temptations because there is less of an image to cultivate. Yes, they are a pillar of the community, but the standards expected are more realistic than those imposed on modern pastors of being exciting, crowd-pulling, modern, full of the spirit, etc.
