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ACTS launches national sponsoring body

Support for local ecumenical partnerships.

A new stage in the journey of local churches from different denominations working together throughout Scotland began today when a National Sponsoring Body for local ecumenical partnerships was launched by the Scottish Churches' Forum in Dunblane.

The Sponsoring Body brings together the nine member churches of Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS), together with the Baptist Union of Scotland, to act as an advice and support agency for existing and new local ecumenical partnerships.

The Sponsoring Body will advise on models of ecumenical partnership and drawing up constitutions, as well as trying to ensure that the needs and perspectives of ecumenical partnerships are included in ministerial training.

It will also have a role in reviewing the life of ecumenical partnerships and be able to give advice in the process of appointing clergy to ecumenical situations.

The Sponsoring Body plans to hold annual gatherings for members of local ecumenical partnerships based on themes of interest such as worshipping ecumenically. Planning for the first gathering, to be held in autumn 2005, is already under way.

The Sponsoring Body's first convenor is Rev Murdoch Mackenzie, a United Reformed Church minister who recently retired as ecumenical moderator for Milton Keynes and now lives in Scotland.

He said: "The vision of the National Sponsoring Body is to encourage and enable people who are meeting each other, or who would like to meet each other, in their local situations, to realise that they have the full backing and authority of each one of our various churches in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in order to work together in mission for the common good of the people of Scotland."

The vice-convenor of ACTS, Rev Jim Jones, chair of the Methodist District of Scotland, added: "'Nationally speaking, one of the major tasks of the Sponsoring Body, is to be an advocate of new possibilities.

"Even the existence of such a body is a permanent reminder to the denominations of a Church which is bigger than each of our own particular histories and a pointer to store-houses of treasures much richer than those we possess on our own."

The work of the National Sponsoring Body was committed to God in prayer by the Convener of ACTS, Dr Alison Elliot OBE, current Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly.

About ACTS

Action of Churches Together in Scotland is the national ecumenical instrument for Scotland.

Its member churches are the Church of Scotland, the Congregational Federation, the Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Salvation Army, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Society of Friends, the United Free Church of Scotland and the United Reformed Church.

Further information about the work of the National Sponsoring Body is available from Rev Lindsey Sanderson, Assistant General Secretary, Action of Churches Together in Scotland. Scottish Churches House, Dunblane, FK15 0AJ. E-mail lindseysanderson@acts-scotland.org. Phone 01786 826381.