Local ecumenical partnership
Encyclopedia
In England
and Wales
, a local ecumenical partnership (or project) is a partnership between church
es of different denomination
s. First piloted in 1964, over 850 now exist to promote unity between different Christian
denominations.
Although broadly accepted today, this increased level of partnership has not always been evident. The missiologist
David Bosch
in his Transforming Mission (Orbis, 1992) recognised ecumenism
as the most recent paradigm of mission emerging from the worldwide Church. The main thrust of ecumenism is that despite the theological and cultural differences evident between denominations, the mission of any local Church is made more effective through a united witness. In some cases this has meant that a Christian presence has been retained in areas where neither denomination would be able to continue on its own. In addition, ecumenism encourages the sharing of different worship styles, the development of mutual understanding and the ability for the Church to speak with a united voice on social justice issues. Materials from organisations with a strong ecumenical emphasis, such as the Iona Community
and Taizé
, are evidence of this.
As a result of the Anglican Methodist Covenant, Anglicans
and Methodists
are committed to working in partnership with an end goal of achieving full visible unity. Even so, what has begun as an ecumenical dream could end up an administrative nightmare given the differences in culture, structure and resourcing between the two Churches. Moreover, an important emphasis in Methodism is the sense in which it is a grass roots movement. Consequently, a top-down approach is never likely to achieve immediate results. It will however add momentum to the process. The beauty of LEP's is that they enable local Christians who do wish to work together to do so with the full support of the Church and umbrella organisations such as Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
(CTBI). One further offshoot of LEP's is the steady development of charities or parachurch organisations formed to enable ecumenical work to take place. Herein, members of different Churches come together and serve as directors on an independent body. This is becoming increasingly evident within chaplaincy and youthwork.
Whilst one might think that ecumenism is based around Churches, recent developments have led missiologists to focus on congregations. This recognises events affiliated to the Church that do not necessarily takeplace in a Church building or on a Sunday. One recent example is the Fresh Expressions
movement, an organisation run jointly by the Church of England and the Methodist Church. This seeks to encourage effective patterns of mission by bridging the ever-increasing gap between the culture of inherited Church and that of wider society. Its focus is on encouraging local projects that relate the gospel in a manner that is relevant and welcoming to newcomers.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, a local ecumenical partnership (or project) is a partnership between church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
es of different denomination
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
s. First piloted in 1964, over 850 now exist to promote unity between different Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
denominations.
Although broadly accepted today, this increased level of partnership has not always been evident. The missiologist
Missiology
Missiology is the area of practical theology that investigates the mandate, message, and mission of the Christian church, especially the nature of missionary work...
David Bosch
David Bosch
David Jacobus Bosch was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church, married to Anne-Marie and author of Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission — a major work on post-colonial Christian mission.-Early life:Bosch was born in Kuruman, Cape Province, South Africa, and died in a...
in his Transforming Mission (Orbis, 1992) recognised ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
as the most recent paradigm of mission emerging from the worldwide Church. The main thrust of ecumenism is that despite the theological and cultural differences evident between denominations, the mission of any local Church is made more effective through a united witness. In some cases this has meant that a Christian presence has been retained in areas where neither denomination would be able to continue on its own. In addition, ecumenism encourages the sharing of different worship styles, the development of mutual understanding and the ability for the Church to speak with a united voice on social justice issues. Materials from organisations with a strong ecumenical emphasis, such as the Iona Community
Iona Community
The Iona Community, founded in 1938 by the Rev George MacLeod, is an ecumenical Christian community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Christian church....
and Taizé
Taizé Community
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of about 100 brothers who come from Protestant, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions. The brothers come from about 30 countries across the world. The monastic order has a strong...
, are evidence of this.
As a result of the Anglican Methodist Covenant, Anglicans
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
and Methodists
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
are committed to working in partnership with an end goal of achieving full visible unity. Even so, what has begun as an ecumenical dream could end up an administrative nightmare given the differences in culture, structure and resourcing between the two Churches. Moreover, an important emphasis in Methodism is the sense in which it is a grass roots movement. Consequently, a top-down approach is never likely to achieve immediate results. It will however add momentum to the process. The beauty of LEP's is that they enable local Christians who do wish to work together to do so with the full support of the Church and umbrella organisations such as Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland is an ecumenical organisation. The members include most of the major churches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It was formerly known as the Council of Churches of Britain and Ireland...
(CTBI). One further offshoot of LEP's is the steady development of charities or parachurch organisations formed to enable ecumenical work to take place. Herein, members of different Churches come together and serve as directors on an independent body. This is becoming increasingly evident within chaplaincy and youthwork.
Whilst one might think that ecumenism is based around Churches, recent developments have led missiologists to focus on congregations. This recognises events affiliated to the Church that do not necessarily takeplace in a Church building or on a Sunday. One recent example is the Fresh Expressions
Fresh expressions
Fresh expressions are any of a number of new church groups that have developed within the Church of England since 1990. These believe that 21st century British society is very different from the society when most British churches were formed and that traditional expressions of church have become...
movement, an organisation run jointly by the Church of England and the Methodist Church. This seeks to encourage effective patterns of mission by bridging the ever-increasing gap between the culture of inherited Church and that of wider society. Its focus is on encouraging local projects that relate the gospel in a manner that is relevant and welcoming to newcomers.