| Churches Together in England (CTE)
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Sister Churches Goings on! Shared Projects! Bible Readings! Trelowarren CTE Home |
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The beginningThe history of formal inter-church bodies can be traced to the early years of the twentieth century. The 1920s saw the formation of the first local councils of churches; the British Council of Churches (BCC) was founded in 1942 and the World Council of Churches in 1948. Strangers become pilgrims togetherDuring the 1980s the Inter Church Process brought together in conversation the Churches across the nations of Britain and Ireland, in both the national and local contexts. It culminated in the Swanwick Conference of 1987, which issued in the setting up in 1990 of new ecumenical bodies of which the Roman Catholic Church and several Black Majority Churches became full members for the first time. The Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland (later renamed Churches Together in Britain and Ireland) was the successor body to BCC; it continued to have oversight for international affairs, social policy, racial justice, church matters affecting all four nations, and for inter faith relations. Before 1990 there had been no ecumenical body specifically for England (there had been in Wales and Scotland). Churches Together in England was a fresh network of relationships. Its responsibilities include developing ecumenical, inter-church relationships within England, particularly supporting local groups, ecumenical partnerships and County Bodies, women’s issues, and youth matters. County/Intermediate Bodies Alongside these national developments, new groupings emerged in counties, dioceses and districts. These “County or “Intermediate Bodies” became places where the senior leadership of the Churches shared oversight of Local Ecumenical Partnerships and planned the witness and mission of the Church in their area. To help their work, they appointed “County Ecumenical Officers”. Each ecumenical grouping — world-wide, four-nations, national, intermediate and local — is entirely autonomous and independent of the others; though each encourages and affirms the others. Re-Grouping with the Free Churches In 2001 Churches Together in England entered a close partnership with the Free Churches Council, leading to joint employment, shared administration, accommodation and better use of human and financial resources. FinanceThe work of CTE is mostly financed by its Member Churches, with a small proportion from Intermediate Bodies. Work on behalf of the Free Churches Group is covered by funds from the Free Church Federal Council (mc) (FCFC). Money comes from the Department of Health (D0H) via FCFC towards the cost of Health Care Chaplaincy work, and from the Department for Education and Skills for youth work. CTE also administers grants to local projects under the DoHs Opportunities for Volunteering programme. The Presidents of Churches Together in EnglandThe four Presidents of Churches Together in England areCardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor (2000), Revd Esme Beswick (January 2001), Archbishop Rowan Williams (December 2002) and Revd David Coffey (March 2003). The first-ever Personal Covenant between the then Presidents was signed in the presence of The Queen during her Jubilee weekend, June 2002, at Windsor Castle. Archbishop George Carey, Cardinal Cormac, Revd Esme Beswick and Revd Anthony Burnham undertook: · to develop their mutual friendship and support, · to pray, study and work together for the unity and mission of the Church, · to consult together on issues affecting the common good, · to promote justice, integrity and peace, · to speak with one voice to give common witness to Jesus Christ, as far as they were able. Governance of Churches Together in EnglandThe Governing and Trustee Body of CTE is the Enabling Group. The Trustees are appointed by each of the Member Churches, by the biennial Forum and by ecumenical groupings in the regions. The Convenor of the Enabling Group is Rt Revd Michael Doe, Bishop of Swindon, and the Deputy Convenor is Pauline Johnson of the Association of lnterchurch Families. The Churches Together in England ForumEvery two years since 1991 CTE has held a residential Forum. 300 representatives of national churches and intermediate and local ecumenical bodies attend and review the life of the Churches and provide guidance for future co-operation and impetus for future commitment. The Moderator of the Forum is Revd David Lavender, Ecumenical Dean of Telford; Anne Doyle, County Ecumenical Officer for Wiltshire and Swindon, is Deputy Moderator. The last Forum in July 2003 focused on how local churches express their common life together.
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Churches Together in England is the officially recognised body co-ordinating the life of its Member Churches and bodies in England. They are: Baptist Union of Great Britain Cherubim & Seraphim Council of Churches Church of England Church of Scotland (in England) Congregational Federation Council of African & Afro-Caribbean Churches Council of Oriental Orthodox Christian Churches Ichthus Christian Fellowship Independent Methodist Churches International Ministerial Council of Great Britain Joint Council for Anglo-Caribbean Churches Lutheran Council of Great Britain Methodist Church Moravian Church New Testament Assembly Oecumenical Patriarchate (Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain) Religious Society of Friends Roman Catholic Church Russian Orthodox ChurchSalvation ArmyUnited Reformed Church Wesleyan Holiness Church Observer Seventh Day Adventist Church England-based Churches belonging to the Free Churches Group but not currently members of CTE: Assemblies of God Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion Fellowship of Churches of Christ Free Church of England New Testament Church of God Old Baptist Union Wesleyan Reform Union LinksChurches Together in England works closely with its sister body, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Christian Aid, CAFOD, CACLB and the Christian Enquiry Agency are recognised “Agencies” of CTE. CTE values its relationship with the Evangelical Alliance, the African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance and the Alliance of Asian Christians. CTE strives to forge links with other Churches which are currently not part of the national ecumenical bodies; and often those Churches are represented on Co-ordinating Groups which plan the Churches’ collaborative work. CTE works closely with its Bodies in Association, which are groups, movements and communities that bring together Christians with common vision and concerns. |
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The work goes on• Encouraging Churches to engage in mission together • Broadening the fellowship of Churches Together • Facilitating relations between Member Churches • Supporting Intermediate Bodies and Ecumenical Officers • Offering advice on Local Ecumenical Partnerships • Resourcing local Churches Together groupings • Maintaining a network among the Regions • Arranging training courses and conferences • Sustaining the Churches’ Co-ordinating Groups • Promoting principles of inclusion in local churches • Developing work of Free Church Education Unit • Co-ordinating Free Church response to legislation • Advising on Free Church Health Care Chaplaincy • Providing information to the smaller Churches • Publishing Pilgrim Post, CTE’s Bulletin • Responding to enquiries from government, statutory bodies, charities, media and the general public Prospects for 2003• Assisting Churches in management of change • Developing web-based resources • Facilitating a Bodies in Association event Dare to Share • Communicating good practice in inter faith relations • Improving support for smaller denominations • Networking with and between Black Majority Churches • Arranging Presidents’ Consultation with Church Leaders • Broadening ecumenical fellowship to other bodies • Supporting Trade Justice Campaign • Developing more local resources flowing from the Forum • Moving towards incorporation as a Charitable Company Recent and future Publications• Reprinted Called To Be One the 1995 book on the visible unity of the Church • Together Locally revised handbook for local churches • Good Practice in Ecumenical Youth Work • Inter Faith Contact • Sharing Scripture Together in a Common Life • Linking Churches and Schools (February 2003) • Violence against Women Bible Studies (Spring 2003)
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CET Bulletin & WebsitePilgrim PostPublished five times a year, Pilgrim Post is the bulletin of Churches Together in England. It provides news of people and events, examples of good practice and stories of ecumenical life internationally, nationally, in the regions and counties, and locally, as well as book-reviews and analysis. Subscriptions £l2pa with standing order, £13 otherwise, by cheque to the CTE London Office. www.rejesus.co.uk Sponsored by many of the Member Churches of CTE, www.rejesus.org.uk is a unique website which explores Jesus: who he was, what he did, what his followers think and feel as they live and have lived their faith, how Jesus has been challenged, interpreted, worshiped and experienced. |
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