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filings spring 2003 - issue 17 Sent to all District and Synod Ecumenical Officers, Synod World Church Advocates and Synod European Partnership Co-ordinators for copying and distributing to local churches.
A second cut
The Resource Planning Advisory Group (RPAG) asked the Ecumenical Committee and the Communications and Editorial Committee to each look for more cuts in the region of £80,000 in their 2004 budgets. The Ecumenical Committee, with regrets and concerns, decided: From July, to have one administrator instead of two personal assistants for the two staff secretaries.
To withdraw, gradually, from all China work.
To freeze, at the 2003 level, grants to ecumenical bodies - apart from those under the CTBI umbrella which had been cut in the first round of cuts.
To reduce the number of English language scholarships for partner churches.
To end the committee’s ecumenical project grants.
To apply for CWM help in co-hosting the World Convention of the Churches of Christ in Brighton in 2004, and to prune the expenditure even more.
Taking stock - the Belonging to the World Church programme.
The Belonging to the World Church programme was adopted by General Assembly in 1998, revised in 2000, and began to take off under the present International Relations Programme Officer in 2001.
Its basic purpose is to give as many people as possible first-hand experience of being part of the World Church. Seeing God’s world and seeing God’s mission from a different perspective can open hearts and minds to what God is doing here at home. The programme’s particular funding cannot be used for general church purposes and will run out in 2006 if the programme continues as at present.
The committee affirmed, in particular, the value of the following: Global partners programme - exchange visits between a synod and its global partner, e.g. the Synod of Scotland and the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba, Southern Synod and the Rayalaseema Diocese of the Church of South India.
Initial ministerial training - 6 weeks offered to ordinands (disappointingly low take up)
Continuing Ministerial Training opportunities
International Ministerial Exchange.
Ministerial study tours to learn about the home culture of their members - e.g. to Ghana, now proposed to the Caribbean.
English for Church Workers course offered to partner churches - but decided to reduce the number of places from 14 - 12. 200 URC people per year directly benefit, half through travelling and half through hosting, but the effect on the life of the church will take years to appear. The committee wanted more emphasis on opportunities for lay and young people. Pushing at various ecumenical doors * responding to An Anglican Methodist Covenant and Conversations on the Way to Unity: a United Reformed Church response will be offered to Assembly in which the committee will seek to combine its leadership role with listening to the responses from churches, districts and synods.
* a United Reformed Church/ Methodist Church pastoral strategy will be launched at the end of March. It will encourage more sharing of resources and deployment plans, suggest particular practical ways in which the two churches as a whole could assist in that, and highlight faith and order matters which need addressing if we are to live and work together more closely and more effectively.
* a CTE statistical gatherers’ meeting is trying to find the way to some kind of joint collection of statistics - and lifting some of the burden of multiple returns from LEPs. This latest effort came out of the Church Life Survey because it brought the statistical gatherers from the churches together for the first time.
* the National Synod of Scotland will consider the recommendations of the Scottish Church Initiative for Union Proposal at its March meeting - and in addition will be asked if it is willing to continue to explore this model of unity if one or more of the other partners pulls out. They are the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church.
* the National Synod of Wales, along with the other members of Enfys, the Commission of Covenanting Churches, is re-examining its ecumenical commitments and strategy following the failure of the Ecumenical Bishop proposal. The other members are the Church in Wales, the Presbyterian Church of Wales, the Methodist Church and some covenanted Baptist churches.
New appointment - some re-allocation of tasks
Revd Richard Mortimer will succeed Revd Sheila Maxey as Secretary for Ecumenical Relations and Faith and Order on her retirement at General Assembly in July.
In addition to his Ecumenical Committee responsibilities, he will also be the staff person responsible for the Doctrine, Prayer and Worship Committee.
He will not be responsible for the programme for receiving mission partners through CWM, for the Ghanaian ministry and for the promotion of multi-cultural ministry and church life. That responsibility will pass to Mrs Katalina Tahaafe-Williams, the Secretary for Racial Justice.
The committee membership
John Rees (Convener), Rowena Francis, Malcolm Porter, Lindsey Sanderson, Bryan Shirley, Cecil White, Darnette Whitby-Reid, Mary Buchanan (Scotland), Stuart Jackson (Wales), Chris Baillie (Convener of the International Exchange Sub-Committee).
Representing other committees:
Andrew Bradstock, Carole Ellefsen-Jones, Alistair Ellefsen-Jones, Suzanne Hamnett, Rosemary Johnston, Avis Reaney, Katalina Tahaafe-Williams.
Representing other churches:
Colin McClure (Presbyterian Church in Ireland), Elizabeth Fisher (Church of England), Peter Sulston (Methodist Church).
Annually invited:
Elizabeth Nash, Moderator of the Department for Co-operation and Witness, World Alliance of Reformed Churches.
Jill Thornton, member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches.
Staff
Sheila Maxey, Secretary for Ecumenical Relations.
Philip Woods, Secretary for International Relations
Dale Rominger, International Relations Programme Officer
Veronica Singh, Personal Assistant to Sheila Maxey
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