A Glimpse into the Future

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This is the last of my posts for a fortnight and so watch out for the resumption of Methodist Ecumenical News on Tuesday 3 May 2011.  I will keep an eye on comments and might occasionally Tweet if anything comes up.

I thought I would review some of the initiatives which together might re-shape local ecumenism in Britain over the coming months and years.  Rest assured Methodist Ecumenical News will report on these in detail as they come live.  In the meantime, let me know if you would like more information. 

1. Hopefully, sometime in May will see the launch of a new model constitution for Methodist United Reformed United Areas.  Up to now, each new United Area had to write its own constitution.  This new constitution should simplify the process for setting up a United Area.  (Please note, the link takes you to a draft of the constitution.  I will post about it when the final version is ready.  If you need to use it before then, please contact me before you do anything.)
2. The Church of England will soon publish a new Memorandum of Understanding for single congregation Local Ecumenical Partnerships.  This will clarify the relationship between the Parochial Parish Council (PCC) and the Ecumenical Church Council, where the LEP is the only church in the Parish. 
3. An enormous report about Fresh Directions in Unity in Mission, is being prepared by the Church of England. 
4. There is a lot of exploration of shared ministry going on and a number of initiatives are in the pipeline.  This will have implications for everyone and particularly for Methodist, Church of England and United Reformed Churches.
5. The Joint Implementation Commission will present their interim report to Methodist Conference and General Synod later this year. 

These are all ideas and initiatives that are in the pipeline.  It is in the nature of things that not everything comes to fruition, but it has to be said there is a lot of potential here for real changes to how we experience ecumenical work in the future.  Methodist Ecumenical News will keep its readers up to date with developments as and when they happen.

Related articles

• Methodist Anglican Panel for Unity in Mission, April 2011 (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Technical Ecumenism (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Documenting Local Ecumenical Partnerships (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• What is a Local Ecumenical Partnership? (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Methodist Responses to Embracing the Covenant (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Ecumenical Stakeholders' Forum, March 2011 (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)