Free Churches Group Residential

The Free Churches Group held its first residential meeting for some years on 24 - 25 May this year.  The details are on their website but to save you the trouble, they're also printed here!

The first residential meeting of the Free Churches Group to take place for some time has given the churches a fresh confidence for their relationship and common witness. Time was given to reflect on the common identity the members of FCG hold, how this is forged through closer fellowship and relationships and what common work and activity might arise from the relationship. The meeting considered where churches are already working together in common witness through Churches Together in England and various agencies, in order to highlight what might be specific tasks for FCG.

The central theme is that all that the Free Churches Group undertake is to be aimed at enhancing the mission of the member churches.

The following is the statement produced at the meeting:

THE COTSWOLD STATEMENT

This statement is an outcome of the residential meeting of the Free Churches Group

Wednesday 25th May 2011

We re-affirm our commitment to the importance of the Free Churches Group within the strategic relationships of Churches Together in England.

We believe that the Free Churches Group should have a clear identity alongside the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches and other streams within CTE.

We need to build on this in order to strengthen Christian unity.

We believe that there is a continuing Free Churches role within society, particularly with regard to chaplaincy and education.

We believe we have a responsibility to encourage our denominations to recognise their Free Church identity and to explore further ways of speaking out together in the public arena, for example through a closer relationship with the Joint Public Issues Team of the Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed Churches.

We believe that the resources of the Free Church Federal Council (Inc.) should be effectively used to strengthen the mission of the Free Churches.

Related articles

• Induction of New Free Churches Moderator (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Gifts from the Treasure Trove (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)

Induction of New Free Churches Moderator

Here is a press release issued by the Free Churches Group, in advance of yesterday's induction service.

The Revd Michael Heaney, General Secretary of the Congregational Federation, was inducted as the new Moderator of the Free Churches in England and Wales at a service held at the Bunyan Meeting Free Church in Bedford yesterday at 3pm.

Michael was elected by the members of the Free Churches Group to serve a period of four years, succeeding in this post Commissioner Elizabeth Matear of the Salvation Army who has served as Moderator since 2007.

The Free Churches Moderator represents the twenty-four denominations in membership with the Free Churches Group at significant national occasions and generally in the public arena. The Moderator also serves as a Patron to over forty Christian and charitable organisations.

The Moderator is ex-officio a President of Churches Together in England, alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of Westminster and Bishop Jana Jeruma-Grinberga of the Lutheran Church.

The Service of Induction was held in the historic Bunyan Meeting Church, which is affiliated to both the Congregational Federation and the Baptist Union and, with its museum, is a focus for the life and writings of John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress.

Michael currently serves as the General Secretary of The Congregational Federation (a fellowship of some 300 independent congregationally ordered churches across England, Scotland & Wales). He is also a Director of the Free Church Federal Council (Incorporated); Governor of Northern College (United Reformed and Congregational); Director of Congregational & General Insurance Charitable Trust; Chair of Council and Trustee of Congregational Memorial Hall Trust; Member of the Partnership Forum of the Fresh Expressions Network.

Coming to faith as a teenager in a Baptist Church, Michael subsequently embarked on a career in banking. Following a move to Northampton, Michael encountered the Congregational Federation, joining a small village fellowship and being appointed Lay Pastor. Undertaking training and leaving behind a 13 year career in banking Michael then received a call to full time ministry at Witney Congregational Church in 1990. This involved 10 very happy and blessed years of pastoral ministry during which time the church experienced significant growth and successfully transformed its premises by way of a major rebuild. Following a brief period as Assistant to the General Secretary Michael became General Secretary of the Congregational Federation in 2000 based in Nottingham. (pto)

A passion for mission has been an ever present motivation in Michael’s ministry and service within the church. He has served the world church through the Council for World Mission (CWM) family of 31 member denominations across 5 continents. This included 4 years in the office of Honorary Treasurer and steering through a major restructuring of this global mission partnership. Michael has also served on the World Council of Churches Commission on World Mission & Evangelism.

Coming from a congregationally ordered body Michael believes it to be one of the gifts God has given to the world wide church. In this regard he believes that the collection of churches that is represented as the Free Churches Group has a significant contribution to make in the wider ecumenical scene, and more importantly within our communities which should be encouraged and celebrated.

Michael has been married to Rose for some 32 years. They have three children and one grandchild. Michael and Rose are both Beaver Scout Leaders, running a colony of 30 young boys in their local village. These relationships and local commitments together with a life long support as a ‘season ticket’ holder of Coventry City Football club keep Michael’s feet very firmly rooted in the realities of life.

New CTE President Appointed

CTE Presidents in 2009: Archbishop Vincent Nicholls,
Archbishop Rowan Williams,
Bishop Nathan Hovhanissian (now retired)
and Commissioner Betty Matear 

A new President has been appointed to Churches Together in England.  First, adapted from the CTE website:

There are four Presidents of Churches Together in England:

• The Archbishop of Canterbury
• The Archbishop of Westminster
• The Free Churches Moderator
• The Fourth President nominated by the other churches in England – including Orthodox, Black Majority, Lutheran and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

The current Presidents are: Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Archbishop Rowan Williams and Commissioner Elizabeth Matear. The position for the fourth President is currently vacant.

The Presidents meet regularly to discuss matters of concern to the Churches in England. Their meetings are facilitated by the General Secretary of CTE.  In June 2002 the then Presidents signed a Personal Covenant in the presence of HM The Queen, at Windsor. This has subsequently been signed by new Presidents.

The Free Churches Moderator is elected by the Free Churches Group and represents all its members, including the Methodist Church.  This is from a news item on the FCG website.

At its Annual General Meeting held on 28th September the Free Churches Group elected its Moderator for the period 2011 - 2015.

He is Revd Michael Heaney, who serves as the General Secretary of the Congregational Federation.

A service of Induction is to be held in the Spring of 2011. Michael will succeed Commissioner Betty Matear in the role of Moderator, serving also as a President of Churches Together in England, alongside Archbishops Rowan Williams and Vincent Nichols.

Related articles

• The Free Churches Group (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Church Leaders Welcome the Pope's Visit (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Archbishop of Canterbury at Methodist Conference 3 (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• The Ecumenical Landscape (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• CTE Enabling Group Catch Up (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)

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)

The Free Churches Group

The Methodist Church of Great Britain is a member of the Free Churches Group, which comprises twenty-two denominations, some of whom are also in membership with Churches Together in England. 

Since the 1880s there have been bodies established to enable the 'Free Churches' to have a common voice and public presence. The Declaratory Statement of Faith and Practice from 1917 continues to serve as the basis for membership. In 1940 the Free Church Federal Council was created, bringing together a number of predecessor bodies.
 
The Free Churches Group and Churches Together in England work within a Joint Operating Agreement, whereby financial and personnel resources are shared to a very large extent.  Though the two organisations have very different backgrounds in the current climate of inter-church relationships it is hard to see the join between the two. There are some denominations who belong to the FCG but not to CTE.

If you are interested in finding out more, they have just launched a revamped website:
 
As of Wednesday 13th October 2010 the Free Churches Group has a dedicated website address that takes you to the Free Church pages of the CTE Website.  You will note that, although these pages are within the CTE site, they are formatted differently. The banner heading is clear and all the tabs lead to pages for the Free Churches. All these pages can also be accessed from within the CTE pages, using the appropriate tabs. CTE pages can be accessed from the Free Churches home page using the top-left link.

The Moderator of the FCG is one of the Churches Together in England's four presidents, representing all the Free Churches, including the Methodist Church. 

At its Annual General Meeting held on 28th September the Free Churches Group elected its Moderator for the period 2011 - 2015.  He is Revd Michael Heaney, who serves as the General Secretary of the Congregational Federation.  A service of Induction is to be held in the Spring of 2011. Michael will succeed Commissioner Betty Matear (Salvation Army) in the role of Moderator, serving also as a President of Churches Together in England, alongside Archbishops Rowan Williams and Vincent Nichols.

Related articles

• Church Leaders Welcome the Pope's Visit (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Ecumenical Websites: CTE (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)