Contributing to a common life

Many of you will know Russell Bailey, a member of the congregation at St John’s, and a strong advocate of Christian Unity. He has written this report of the Churches Together in England Forum held at Swanwick, Derbyshire in July 2003. It is reproduced with permission from CTBC (Churches Together in the Borough of Croydon) News

The conference brought together CTE Presidents and 300 church representatives. We were divided into 28 groups of 10 who met each day at different times for about an hour.

In preparation for the Forum, over 600 groups of local Churches Together had reported through a questionnaire on their activities. Their top ten activities were: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Lent Courses, Good Friday Procession of Witness, Christian Aid Week, United Pentecost Praise Services, One World Week; Christmas Card Distribution, Carol Singing, Debt and Trade Justice Campaign and Youth and Schools workers.

They had also noted the areas which they considered of importance for ecumenical consideration. These were considered and the following priorities highlighted.

In order of importance, these were felt to be:

  1. Hospitality, spirituality, mission, strategic use of resources
  2. Developing positive relationships, collective action on social issues, ministerial education
  3. Faith and order/ministry issues, diversity
Russell Bailey comments: "It is quite clear that there has been a major change in recent years in the way churches are working together, and this change is spreading everywhere. The important thing now is to build on the unity in Christ that all churches already have, and to use that working together to tell people about Jesus Christ.
We do not want to spend our time in endeavouring to try for structural unity, which would dissipate the enthusiasm for mission that is clear and existing, especially among the younger people.
It is clear to those who have spoken to young people that they need to be freed from the fetters of churchy bureaucracy and get out into the world to work with their Christian brothers and sisters of all denominations and of none".

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