What does it look like when churches work together?

Salvationist asks people around the territory how they’re getting involved in local ecumenical matters.

When neighbouring churches and Christian fellowships communicate, cooperate and collaborate to serve their communities together, these healthy, positive friendships can have a significant impact on the life of the whole community. Corps around the territory reflect on their ecumenical experiences, activities and wisdom gained.

Abergavenny

This being my first appointment, I was really nervous about moving to a new town by myself without any connections, but local ecumenical partnerships have given me the opportunity to connect with other ministers and Christians in the area that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

To coincide with the Abergavenny Food Festival, we worked with the local Methodist and United Reformed Churches to put on an exhibition of the Wales 150 knitted display over the weekend and a Harvest open-air meeting on the Sunday afternoon. Abergavenny Churches Together also met to provide support for a local Muslim group, who had faced some opposition about moving into a building of their own.

The best thing about our local ecumenical relationships is having a sense that the town is being covered in prayer. It is also a blessing to be able to share in the good news of what God is doing and celebrate with other churches in that.

by Lieutenant Amy Bayliss-Fox

Ilford and Woodford

We are stronger and achieve more together. God has gifted his Church with all they need, but the skills, gifts and opportunities might be at the church down the road. It re-emphasises the need for us to build God’s Kingdom and let God build The Salvation Army. When we Kingdom-build we just need to glance round and we’ll see where we are becoming stronger and more released – the Kingdom impact is tangible and beyond what we expect.

We have started to release volunteers to assist with painting a local United Reformed Church. One is a previous resident of the Malachi Project – he moved into his own flat last year – who we assisted and trained in working at heights. He works alongside a church volunteer. They’re painting the church building working alongside volunteers from that church.

We’re also continuing our ecumenical gardening projects when the weather is better, alongside the same church.

We recently attended the 24-hour prayer vigil at the local Welcome Centre where all the churches in Ilford town centre covered hourly shifts. Most of the local churches got involved.

Everyone’s focus is to love God and love others and that is demonstrated in tangible ways, as in the painting example. We are seeing tangible transformation as everyone buys into anything to do with showing glimpses of God’s Kingdom in everyday actions.

by Major Ruth Gray

Kendal

We’ve learnt that we are all variations on the same theme. Some denominations do some things better than us, in other things we can lead the way. There are no power struggles within our ecumenical working; we are all growing Kingdom together.

We are part of Helm Mission Community, which includes five Anglican churches and Kendal United Reformed Church. We host a Mission Community weekly Connect Café at the hall, based on the Renew Wellbeing model of Pioneer Church, governed by the Anglican Church. An Anglican curate, a United Reformed Church minister and myself lead it together. I also belong to an Anglican Anna Chaplaincy team that provides weekly worship and visitation in Kendal Care Home.

Helm Mission Community have just had our annual end-of-year bacon bap service. There were about 80 of us together, with every minister doing a three-minute thought, the congregation picking their favourite carols and it all ending with a very raucous ‘12 Days of Christmas’!

It can be hard to get clergy together for planning meetings, as everyone is so busy. Since the Covid-19 lockdowns, people are reluctant to commit to going out to things. However, we all genuinely love doing life together: we recognise that we are stronger together, and that there aren’t going to be any denominations in Glory!

by Captain Canon Hilary Borthwick

Kilmarnock and Ayr 

From getting to know other Christians – and particularly other ministers in the area through the regular lunches we host – we have learnt we all face similar issues and struggles in ministry. We are stronger when we work together, and we have experienced this through partnerships and chaplaincies.

Carols at the Cross is a yearly ecumenical service in Kilmarnock marketplace, with Ayrshire Farmers Market present. All the major denominations in town are present, ensuring a large crowd drawing passers-by. Joining together has enabled a greater impact than doing it alone.

Some denominations have chosen not to be fully involved, although individual members have. We continue to encourage and foster relationships. The best thing is friendship with other ministers and church members. It’s difficult to walk through town without being greeted by someone! Regular lunches mean we have become good friends with all the other ministers. They’ve supported us during challenging times, and we’ve been able to support them too.

by Captains Emma and Les Heal

Southampton Sholing

We recently celebrated the launch of OneBody Southampton and it was a great opportunity to pray and worship, receive teaching, and network together. At the launch, a unity scale was presented where five levels from disunity to greater unity were cited: competition, coexistence, communication, cooperation and collaboration. Sometimes the challenge is moving up that scale.

In recent years, our ecumenical relationships have seen the launch of a free weekly community meal, schools work opportunities and, most recently, a pop-up pantry. The community pantry run by Oasis and hosted by our church and community centre has seen a sharing of volunteers and resources, and it’s been great to see people link up with other activities and groups. The pantry is supported by local social prescribers. Individuals who would have been on their own at Christmas were referred for a Christmas Day lunch provided by the corps, and families have been signposted to our new parent-and-toddler group, which started in November after encouragement from ecumenical partners.

The biggest encouragement has been the opportunity to join in prayer and worship with other local Christians and to get a glimpse of the bigger picture of what God is doing in, through and for his Church in the city.

by Lieutenant Matthew Stone

Sutton-in-Ashfield

My ecumenical role is quite varied, and I meet people and ministers from other denominations on a regular basis. We all have similar visions and mission purposes for our communities. We also share similar difficulties. Some of the groups that I sit on allow me to see a bigger picture of the churches’ impact within my county. We have a very good working relationship. 

The annual Ashfield Show had the biggest impact. We had a Churches Together in Sutton stall for two days, distributing leaflets and tracts. We also had an activity table for children, and many conversations were held. None of the local churches could manage this on their own, so we came together and had a very successful and rewarding time. 

The biggest difficulty is finding availability to meet up, with so many different diaries. Another issue is that local church members are happy to attend ecumenical events held in their own church but not so happy to travel to other churches. 

Being involved informally with a Local Ecumenical Partnership, I see how that impacts the membership, the community and the partnership. The best thing for me personally is the friends I’ve made, especially among the ministers. It’s also broadened my knowledge and experience of how other denominations worship and are structured.

by Major Wendy Brown