DECLARATION OF ECUMENICAL WELCOME AND COMMITMENT

In many villages (and even some towns and cities) there is only one church building and worshipping community in the neighbourhood. Within the village there may be Christians of different traditions, some of whom try to combine loyalty to a particular denomination with their desire to worship and witness in their local community. Sometimes a church or another denomination has been closed, sometimes people from another denomination have moved into the village, sometimes those who previously commuted to a church outside the village are prevented from doing so through infirmity or poor public transport.

The Church Councils and Ministers of such churches will aim to make members of other denominations feel at home, and to feel that they belong to the Christian community in that place. But the informal relationship may not always be enough.

Five denominations have therefore now made provision for affirming this informal ecumenism. The Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church have each produced a Declaration of Ecumenical Welcome and Commitment.

The Declaration is intended for places, often villages, where there is only one place of worship. The church making the Declaration formulates a policy towards those of other traditions who are within their family. This policy is aimed at incorporating their insights, strengths, gifts and graces into the whole life of the congregation - including worship, mission and service, as well as the administrative and decision-making process.

The preamble above is taken from a leaflet produced by Churches Together in England, called "You're All Welcome". Copies can be obtained from CTE, 27 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HH. Tel. 020 7529 8141 or e-mail glu@cte.org.uk

Two sample Declarations are given here. Copies of draft Declarations and denominational guidelines can be obtained as follows:

The Baptist Union of Great Britain: Contact the Ecumenical Administrator, Baptist House, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxon OX11 8RT.
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The Church of England: Contact your Diocesan Ecumenical Officer or the Council for Christian Unity, Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3NZ. A useful leaflet is available summarising how Christians from other traditions can be involved in Anglican worship and in the running of a local parish church. It is entitled "Yes, you may!"
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The Methodist Church: Contact your District Ecumenical Officer or Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR
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The Roman Catholic Church: A useful guide for Roman Catholic involvement in all kinds of ecumenical activity has recently been published. "The Search for Christian Unity" is available from Publications, Catholic Communication Service, Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BZ (£4.00).
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The United Reformed Church: Contact the Secretary for Ecumenical Relations, United Reformed Church House, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT.
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