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Local Ecumenical Partnerships

The Council for Christian Unity offers guidance and support for dioceses and local churches in the Church of England as they develop closer working relationships with Christians of other traditions.

A network of Diocesan Ecumenical Officers

Each diocese in the Church of England has at least one Ecumenical Officer who is available to offer advice on working with other Christian churches locally and throughout the diocese.

The Ecumenical Relations Measure

The Church of England set up procedures to enable it to share worship, ministry and mission with Churches with whom it is not in communion in 1988 by passing the Ecumenical Relations Measure.

Through this Measure, two canons (B43 and B44) have been added to the section of canon law which regulates the provision of Church of England worship in Church of England parishes.

A comprehensive range of guidance notes is available for Ecumenical Officers in the CCU Resources pack which can be downloaded from

www.anglican-methodist.org.uk

Leading shared worship – in any parish

The Ecumenical Canon B43 sets out the disciplines under which (a) invitations can be made to other Christians to lead worship in Church of England churches, and (b) ministers of the Church of England can lead worship in churches of other traditions.

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Partnership with other churches

The Church of England is able to participate in all forms of Local Ecumenical Partnership supported by the ecumenical Sponsoring Body set up by Church leaders in that area.

The Ecumenical Canon B44 sets out how a diocesan bishop can make an agreement with other Christian churches to put these arrangements in place.

The possibilities include

Shared Building Agreements – where two or more congregations from different traditions share the same building but continue to worship separately.

Covenanted Partnerships – where two or more congregations from different traditions develop shared ministry and mission (and much else) while continuing to worship in their own churches.

Single-congregation Partnerships – where two or more Churches agree to establish a single congregation, usually in a shared building, which continues to take part actively in the life of each of its parent denominations.

Chaplaincy Partnerships – where the Churches appoint chaplains jointly to work in industry, colleges or in other non-congregational ministries

Mission Partnerships – where the Churches support joint mission projects in specific areas, often involving the local churches

Education Partnerships – where the Churches develop joint educational and training programmes

When the Anglican church is the only church in the neighbourhood

After consultation with other Churches in the wider area, parish churches where there are no immediately neighbouring churches from other traditions are encouraged to acknowledge publicly their hospitality to Christians from other Churches through making a Declaration of Ecumenical Welcome and Commitment.