The task
of the committee is
• to
encourage and assist the churches in inter-faith situations
• to
affirm and support individuals involved in inter-faith dialogue on
behalf of the church
• to
engage in direct contact with people of other faiths, particularly
through our advisers on dialogue with Buddhism, Judaism, Islam,
Hinduism, Sikhism, and New religious Movements
• to
develop theological understanding of inter-faith dialogue and
mission
•
to keep abreast with what is happening in the teaching about other
faiths in schools and colleges.
Committee
Members
Convener: Mrs
Daphne Beale Secretary: Revd Sally Thomas
Mrs Linda Hopley, Revd David Taylor, Mr Matthew Bean, Revd Alistair
Ellefsen-Jones
Advisers: Revd Jonathan Dean (Judaism), Revd Dr John Parry
(Sikhism), Dr Elizabeth Harris (Buddhism),
Revd Peter Colwell (Islam).
Staff Link: Revd Philip Woods (Secretary for International
Relations)
1 Five Year Review
1.1 The Committee for Inter-Faith
Relations is grateful to Mission Council for the review of the
committee’s work and the support this implies. We acknowledge
their wisdom in suggesting a further review in five years time and
commend this as a model of good practice for other committees.
2 Searching for Meaning
2.1 In this so-called post-modern
world there is a great hunger for the spiritual and for healing. We
know that through the church God has much to offer to people who are
searching for meaning in their lives. There is a need for us to
understand their longing and the religious traditions and healing
therapies that are offering to satisfy their needs. Our churches
have most often failed to come to terms with the new demands of our
society or to appreciate the attractiveness of many new age methods
of healing and spiritual fulfilment. We are looking at these issues
in our committee and would welcome your responses.
3 Encouraging Local Churches
3.1 We are hoping during the next
year to have in place contacts in each synod with whom we can share
information and who can encourage districts and local churches in
matters of inter-faith relations.
3.2 We welcome the appointment of the
Revd Dale Barton as the Lancashire Inter-Faith Adviser and
appreciated the opportunity of meeting with him at our January
meeting and learning about this ecumenical approach to encouraging
local churches in their inter-faith relations. We commend this
approach to others in multi-faith communities as a means of
stimulating and sustaining dialogue and mutual understanding between
local churches and their neighbours of other faith traditions.
4 Supporting Individuals
4.1 There are many people in our
churches who are in touch with people of other faith traditions and
we would encourage them to make the most of their contacts and
deepen their understanding of other faiths through these contacts.
It can be a most enjoyable journey of mutual discovery to enter into
such a dialogue built on the bonds of an existing relationship, be
it as friend, colleague or neighbour.
4.2 Asylum seekers and refugees,
finding themselves in an alien and strange world need our care and
support and would especially appreciate our understanding of their
culture and faith. The committee and its advisers can help you learn
more about the different faith traditions to be found in Great
Britain today.
4.3 Working with other churches the
committee is in the process of contributing to the production of an
ecumenical inter-faith newsletter and would welcome the names of
people who would like to receive it.
5 Engaging in Dialogue
5.1 The committee’s advisers offer
us opportunities for dialogue in a more formal setting and later
this year it is proposed to have a Sikh-Christian conference for a
group of young people exploring together their faith traditions and
what it means to be a person of faith today.
5.2 Dialogue can take place at many
levels and learning of the faith of another person can open the way
to sharing our own faith and witnessing to what Christ has done for
us in a non-threatening way.
6 Developing our Theological Understanding
6.1 As we engage in dialogue we find
ourselves challenged to a deeper understanding of our own faith. The
committee would welcome suggestions as to how theological thinking
about the openness and limitations of dialogue might be more widely
shared. Questions can arise as we visit the places of worship of
other faith communities, or as people of other faith visit our
churches. The committee would encourage you to take such
opportunities and then share your experiences with us.
7 Working with Schools and Colleges
7.1 Many of us are engaged in the
educational sphere as parents, teachers, governors, or members of a
SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education). There is
good material to share in this field, so please share more with us.
8 Liaising with Others
8.1 The committee works closely with
other committees of the United Reformed Church and also with other
denominational inter-faith committees, particularly through the
Churches Commission for Inter-Faith Relations (CCIFR). We have also
been closely involved with the London Inter-Faith Centre at Kilburn
and welcome Revd Peter Colwell (Deputy Director) and Gillian Jones (Centre
Manager) who will be helping to resource the work of the committee
from hereon as we develop the networks and contacts referred to in
this report.
9 Looking to the Future
9.1 Our hope is to get members of the
United Reformed Church talking to each other, ecumenically and
across faith boundaries about how we can share the gifts that God
has given us for the common good of the whole of our society. Please
engage with us in this work of dialogue and mutual understanding.
The convener, Daphne Beale
and secretary, Sally Thomas
look
forward to hearing from you.
Resolution
25 - Holocaust Memorial Day
General
Assembly urges all local churches to observe Holocaust Memorial Day
on January 27 and commends the excellent material available through
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and the Council for
Christians and Jews (CCJ).
1 This year was the first celebration
of Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27 and this government
initiative was valued in many places.
2 Introducing the event the Home
Secretary stated:
Holocaust Memorial Day will be an
inclusive commemoration of all the individuals and communities who
suffered as a result of the Holocaust. It will also focus on its
contemporary relevance in the light of continuing genocide and other
atrocities.
A key reason for establishing an
annual United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Day is to offer all of us
the opportunity to reflect both on the Holocaust and more recent
crimes against humanity. The Day also promotes the need to build a
society free from the evils of genocide, racism, antisemitism and
other forms of discrimination.
3 We recognise that genocide has not
been confined to one time or one place, nor is it merely an
historical phenomenon, but that such things can happen today. We
need therefore to reach out in friendship to others, learning to
know them and understand their hopes and fears, so that we can
resist all attempts to arouse hatred based on race, culture or
religion. This day helps us to focus our attention on what has
happened so that our remembrance can help us to recognise any signs
of this happening in our own communities.
4 In 2002 Holocaust Memorial Day
(January 27) falls on a Sunday and so we commend it to all
congregations as an opportunity to reflect on the tragedy of
genocide.
5 There is much material around to
help us in this, including the excellent government website –
www.holocaustmemorialday.gov.uk. The material commended in the
resolution gives both a broad picture of the issues and a more
focused look at the Holocaust itself.
