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News from the Ecumenical Committee
Issue no. 17 Autumn 2002
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.
The ecumenical pilgrimage - an uphill struggle
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: The proposal for an Ecumenical Bishop in East Cardiff was defeated in the Governing Body of the Church in Wales. All six bishops were in favour: clergy – 48 in favour, 46 against: laity – 83 in favour, 60 against.
The Ecumenical Committee welcomed the new, transparent formula for member churches’ subscriptions to CTBI, CTE, ACTS and CYTUN. It is a global figure, leaving the instruments and their commissions and groups (on all of which we are represented) to divide up the money. It is based on church attendance and central financial strength. The United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland were shown to have been contributing well beyond their size and wealth. Both have decided gradually to cease to do that. The Salvation Army and Roman Catholic Church are now expected to contribute more
The World Alliance of Reformed Churches European Area Council had a stormy meeting in Oradea, Romania. The confused relationship between church tradition and national identity, and the very different ways of working in Eastern and Western Europe contributed to this. The URC representatives sent a letter of concern to the incoming president.
LEPs in changing times is the title of a consultation in November hosted by the Group for Local Unity of CTE. It seeks to face hard issues and challenge LEPs and their parent churches to move on in ways which respond to our times. 13 United Reformed Church people from 10 synods, nominated by their moderators for their particular experience, will be attending.
The purpose of the Free Churches’ Group is a hard ecumenical question for the URC today in the changing landscape of the proposed Anglican-Methodist Covenant. It is also a financial question. The committee has asked a small group including the General Secretary to formulate a response.
In solidarity with Christians in the Middle East, the United Reformed Church is developing a relationship with the National Evangelical Synod of Syria, following a joint visit with the Church of Scotland to the region in May.
In support of two churches in war-torn Angola, the Igreja Evangelica Reformada de Angola and the Igreja Presbiteriana de Angola, the International Exchange Sub-Committee has agreed to provide scholarship funding for English courses delivered in Angola – and therefore at a fraction of the cost.
a new Partnership Agreement was signed in June with the Evangelical Church of the Pfalz, one of the URC’s oldest partner churches. It re-emphasised the commitment to one another and clarified the role of the Yorkshire synod, the Friends of the Pfalz, and Assembly committees and staff in that.
Elizabeth Nash was part of the first World Alliance of Reformed Churches inter-faith visit. The group, which included a Muslim, Hindu and a Buddhist, visited Indonesia, a place of inter-faith tension and violence. They met men and women working, in their different ways, for peace between the communities.
Revd Mary Buchanan is the new Ecumenical Officer for the National Synod of Scotland.
Mrs Francis Brienen, Mission Enabler for the CWM European Region, attended the committee on this occasion.
Mr John Baxter–Brown is the new CTE Youth Officer
Revd Sheila Maxey retires in July 2003. Mission Council in October approved the revised job description with its greater ‘faith and order’ emphasis and noted that responsibility for the five special category posts through CWM would then pass to the Secretary for Racial Justice.
John Rees (Convener), Mary Buchanan, Darnett Whitby-Reid, Phillip Jones, Elizabeth Nash, Bryan Shirley, Cecil White, John Smith (Scotland), Stuart Jackson (Wales)
Representing other committees: Carole Ellefsen-Jones, Alistair Ellefsen-Jones, Hugh Graham, Suzanne Hamnett, Rosemary Johnston, Avis Reaney, Katalina Tahaafe-Williams, John Crocker (Convener of the International Exchange Sub-Committee), Representing other churches: Colin McClure (Presbyterian Church in Ireland), Elizabeth Fisher (Church of England), Peter Sulston (Methodist Church).
Responding to an Anglican-Methodist Covenant:
The URC leaflet Conversations and a Covenant is free from this office
The green leaflet an Anglican-Methodist Covenant is 50p from the bookshop: the whole report is £4.25 plus £2.
Conversations on the Way to Unity: the report of the trilateral conversations, is £1 from the bookshop, including p&p.
A church shaped for mission is the workbook for local groups, produced by the two partner churches. From the bookshop - £4.95, plus £2 p&p.
Reforming Theology by David Peel - £20 plus £4 p&p.
Seasons with the Spirit: a compilation of prayers and meditations from All Year Round. Compiled and edited by Ruth Harvey. £9.95 plus £2 p&p from the bookshop.
Treasure in Clay Jars: 2003 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity material, from CTBI
Sheila
Maxey, Secretary for Ecumenical Relations [ecumenical@urc.org.uk] Philip
Woods, Secretary for International Relations [international@urc.org.uk] Veronica
Singh, Personal Assistant to Secretary for Ecumenical Relations Doris
David, Personal Assistant to Secretary for International Relations.
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