Ecumenical Websites: CTBI

This is the first in a series of visits to ecumenical websites.  I hope to explore what they have to offer and encourage those who write for them.  It is strange so little ecumenical activity takes place online.  You would think the opportunities for debate would have been taken up by ecumenists.  In fact, there seems to have been more of this type of activity before the internet; the 1986 InterChurch Process was far more extensive than anything we do today.

And it is the InterChurch Process where we start.  Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) traces its origins to the old British Council of Churches, transformed following the InterChurch Process.  Their FAQs page tells the story and includes their explanation of what they mean by 'ecumenism'.

CTBI produces a lot of resources for churches in Britain and Ireland and the latest ones are featured on their site's home page.  Past publications can be found by following the link to their resources page.

The work of the organisation is developed in three sections of the site.  The News page offers a scrolling list of developments, with the latest at the top.  This complements the items featured on the home page.  Two other pages Themes and Our Work, cover the rest of the CTBI's activities.  I have summarised these on the Methodist Church website.

Their list of member churches and organisations is worth a look.  This has links to their websites and so it is a helpful resource.  Another very useful facility is their links to sites over a wide range of issues and topics.  If you go to this page and click on the down arrow, you will see the extent of their information resource.

This looks like an exciting website although some of the detail can be a bit overwhelming.  There is a lot of information and it is not too difficult to navigate the site to find it.  It is possible to communicate with the CTBI staff via the site, if you hunt around but there is no facility for interaction between users on the site. 

Star rating: *** out of *****