Ecumenical Mission Statements
If you are planning to start a partnership with another church, it is good to begin by thinking about what unites you before you start drafting detailed constitutions.
Here are two sample Declarations of Intent of the sort used by many such partnerships.
Two Sample Ecumenical Vision Statements
for Churches planning a local covenant between them
In obedience to the call of Christ, we, the ministers and people of (named churches)
who have increasingly shared our Christian life in a variety of ways over recent years, now feel a need to show our love for God and for one another by a more formal commitment to grow together in doing His will.
We confess our Faith in One God,
the Father, Creator,
the Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour,
the Holy Spirit,
guiding His Church, the Body of Christ, into all truth.
We repent of all that is sinful in our past histories and present attitudes.
We rejoice in the riches of the traditions we have inherited and seek to share them more fully with one another in the unity which is the will and gift of God.
We seek a deepening of our communion with Christ and with one another.
We covenant to seek visible unity, even though in our pilgrimage together we cannot foresee the form it will eventually take.
We therefore make this commitment to God and to each other.
We commit ourselves and our churches -
a. To move through co-operation to clear commitment to each other, in search of the unity for which Christ prayed and in common evangelism and service to the world.
b. To engage in joint worship, prayer and study so that we may know and value each other and seek God's will for His people.
c. To work together in pastoral, social and evangelistic outreach into our community.
d. To publicise and promote our Church life and worship by joint means wherever possible.
To develop an Ecumenical Ministry Team for regular prayer, study, consultation and appropriate action.
To co-ordinate decision-making and use of resources through a Partnership Enabling Group comprising the Ecumenical Ministry Team and two lay representatives appointed by and from each participating congregation.
g. To ensure that each ordained or lay appointment to the Ecumenical Ministry Team, although made by the appropriate denomination, is made with such consultation with the Ecumenical Ministry Team as is reasonably possible, consonant with denominational procedures.
h. To set specific targets under each of the above headings and review progress annually and to express our achievements and aspirations in a united act of worship and rededication, marking the anniversary of the signing of this covenant.
SIGNED by Local Clergy and Ministers plus two lay representatives of each partner local Church.
COUNTERSIGNED by official denominational representatives serving on the Sponsoring Body.
CHURCHES TOGETHER IN ................
We the Ministers and People of …………. (Names of participating congregations) in the (village / district / town /city etc.) of …………………….:
REAFFIRM our common faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the authority of the Bible, and the unity of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
REPENT of our past divisions wherever they have been sinful and a hindrance to our witness for Christ.
RECOGNISE that we are incorporated into one Body by the Holy Spirit and that the visible unity of the life of all Christ’s people is the will of God.
REJOICE in the rich variety of our traditions of worship and order and recognise that there will not be uniformity in the unity we seek, but legitimate diversity.
WE THEREFORE COVENANT WITH GOD AND WITH ONE ANOTHER for an initial period of ..... years to co-operate as fully as we can and not do separately what can better be done together. In particular we commit ourselves and our Churches to explore ways:
1. of worshipping, praying and studying together to help us
2. of working together wherever possible in mission, social concern, pastoral care and training;
3. of sharing the use of resources, including buildings.
We pray that God will guide us in this venture.
In addition we agree to ensure that all ministerial appointments, although made by each denomination according to their own procedures, are made with such consultation with the Ministers and People of the covenanting congregations as is possible.
On appointment to any of the churches participating in the covenant, a new Minister will be invited to sign the covenant during an appropriate service
This covenant will be subject to regular review by the covenanting churches with an external consultant. It may be renewed annually at a united service
(Signed and dated by local ministers, church representatives, and endorsed by the signatures of the regional Church representatives and leaders, e.g. Bishop, Chairman, Moderator and Secretary of the Sponsoring Body).
Signed on ………………. (Date of signing)
NOTE
:Such a Covenant should be signed during the course of a solemn act of worship attended by as many people as possible from the partner Churches and at least one representative from each of the sponsoring denominations from whom authorisation should first be obtained.
It may be desirable to provide an opportunity for those attending to add their own signature to one large sheet. Copies should be made and displayed in the foyer or worship area of each Church. The document can be copied and postcards made for individual use.
