CTE Enabling Group, September 2011

Image by Catholic Church (England and Wales) via Flickr

Vincent Nichols

Today Churches Together in England's Enabling Group meets for one of its twice yearly meetings.  Enabling Group's role is to reflect upon the progress of ecumenical relationships in England.  It is 'a key level of governance because it is where all the churches, which are members of the organisation, are able to be represented.  (It) also includes representatives of the Intermediate Bodies, representatives of the Bodies in Association and of the Forum.'  (See CTE's websites for definitions of these terms.)

Highlights on the agenda this time include:

1. The Church and the Olympics, a session with Dave Wilson, eho is the CEO of More Than Gold.
2. The Intermediate Body Review, a session led by Revd Bill Snelson, who wrote the review.
3. There will be a session with two of CTE's Presidents, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols (Roman Catholic Church) and the Revd Michael Heaney (newly elected Moderator of the free churches group).
4. It also seems likely a report from a consultation in March 2010 will be discussed.  The consultation, Mission Shaped and Ecumenical,  was organised by CTE and consisted of Missioners and Ecumenists in Conversation.  I hope to cover this in more detail in the near future.

CTE Enabling Group Catch Up

Image via Wikipedia

Here are some of the things the recent meeting of Churches Together in England's Enabling Group recorded in its minutes.  I've already posted about the General Secretary's presentation, The Ecumenical Landscape and the Rights to Warmth Campaign.  As always, I can provide more information upon request.

• The Free Church of England is to become a member of CTE.  It has been a member of the Free Churches Group for some time.
• Urban Mission will be considered a Co-ordinating Group of CTE for urban mission.  I hope to post about this group in the not too distant future.
• There was a progress report on planning for the next CTE Forum, which will take place at Swanwick, 23-25 October 2012. The programme will be based around I Cor 12 -14, which will allow a range of themes to emerge as the needs of the times became clearer – the Spirit and the body of Christ, diversity and belonging together, the gifts of the Spirit etc.  A connection with receptive ecumenism will be established  through group work.
• A far-reaching change has occurred within the Orthodox family of churches. The Orthodox Patriarchs, meeting at Chambourcy last year, addressed the question of parallel jurisdictions in diaspora lands, and stated Orthodox bishops in each country should form a united assembly under the senior bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This applies to all the Eastern Orthodox. It will eventually encompass the Oriental Orthodox as well.
• There is a new development in United Reformed Church ecclesiology. The Moderatorship of their Assembly, which had previously been vested in one person, is now expressed through the Co-Moderatorship of a minister and a lay-person, who are equals in their Moderatorship.

Related articles

• The Ecumenical Landscape (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Church Leaders Welcome the Pope's Visit (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• The Free Churches Group (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Churches Together In England Enabling Group, September 2010 (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Rights to Warmth (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)