Black Country Churches Engaged

the sub-region’s ecumenical intermediate body

Response to Hazel Blears

The Enabling Group is grateful to the Rev Peter Sellick for co-ordinating the contributions of the members of the team which framed

our response to the

'Face to Face and Side by Side' Consultation.

Black Country Churches Engaged is an ecumenical body representing the main denominations of the Christian Church in the Black Country (Boroughs of Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton, combined pop 1million) and working in partnership with Black Country Consortium. Although we are a christian organisation, we have very strong links with the Multi-faith bodies in the four boroughs and also to a network of church link officers who work to connect churches and faith groups to the public sector. The President of BCCE is Mgr Patrick McKinney, Enabling Group Chair is The Revd Pat Nimmo. More information about us can be found at www.bcce.org.uk.

1. STRUCTURES WHICH FACILITATE INTERACTION AND SOCIAL ACTION

Question 1: Is the balance of structures to facilitate inter faith dialogue and social action at national, regional and local level right?

There should be more investment at local level – this is where most action takes place and where differences are real. Eg even getting two local factions within a single faith community to talk/work together is hard/important.

What is ‘regional’ has different meanings for different faiths/organisations – all have ‘regional’ boundaries in different places.

Across our region the inter-faith picture is very patchy and varied.

Question 2: What more is needed at national, regional and local levels to facilitate inter faith interaction and social action?

More recognition and support for this work from public sector bodies; funding for staffing, on a long term basis, with realistic application times (unlike faith capacity building fund).

More ‘faith literacy’ and understanding differences between faith issues and cultural issues.

Less fear of funding ‘faith’ activities as well as social activities – art groups are funded to encourage art, sport groups sport – why not faith groups encouraging faith? Eg local faith tourism trail could only be funded on basis of architectural/historical heritage, not on the attraction of ‘live communities’.

Appreciation that good interfaith work sometimes can best be a relationship between two faiths, rather than trying to cover all faiths.

When self-interest is around, faith groups more likely to emerge/ engage.

Question 3: Are different approaches required at national, regional and local levels? What might these consist of? What role or roles do you envisage government, faith communities, faith and non-faith based organisations, inter faith organisations and wider civil society playing?

At national and regional levels there are difficulties of ‘representativeness’; at local level it is ok to be more ad hoc.

At local level some faith social organisations (eg Industrial Mission, hospital and hospice chaplaincies) can act in an inter-faith way by being mainly (or wholly) staffed by one faith, but by being open to other faiths and eg passing on referrals / reporting back to other faiths.

At local level it is hard to find some faith leaders with time/resources to meet/consult etc – only some faiths (eg Christian) have the structures and
resources to engage/take leadership/administer a relationship.

Non-faith based organisations do not often have the understanding nor experience necessary to facilitate inter-faith situations.

2. OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING WHICH BUILD UNDERSTANDING

Question 4: Are there appropriate opportunities in your community and your local area to learn about different faiths and beliefs?

Some places good, some places poor. Depends on local funding and interest of local leaders.

Question 5: How do we improve opportunities for learning about different religions and beliefs and build on existing best practice?

Develop role of schools RE teaching and make better links between schools and faith communities. Better involvement and leadership from local authorities on SACRE. Better structures within SACRE – Anglicans can be separated from ‘other denominations and faiths’.

Hard to access outside funding for any ‘belief’ focussed activities – yet for most faiths these are inseparable from action. [Local premiership football club is not disallowed from ‘evangelising’ football in its community programmes – yet social/police costs of football are arguably considerable – look at the town centre on local derby days] What assessment has been made of the damage/risk of funding faith?

‘Outsider’ access to Christian faith buildings/community often easier than to other faiths.

Question 6: How best can different faith communities work together whilst retaining their distinctiveness?

By identifying their commonalities and focussing on projects – and allowing time for conversation and sharing.

By working with eg one or two other faith partners than with many at the same time.

Question 7: How can the lessons learned and experienced gained from inter faith dialogue and social action help to build relationships with people from different communities more widely?

By wider dissemination of information to cultural groups, residents groups etc as well as faith groups.

By listening to, and allowing a platform for good faith leaders, rather than dismissing them – allowing them to demonstrate that they have a huge amount in common.

Question 8: What role or roles do you envisage government, faith communities, faith and non-faith based organisations, inter faith organisations and wider civil society playing in building understanding about different beliefs and practices?

By national/regional faith leaders putting inter-faith and inter-cultural issues on their agenda and encouraging local engagement.

3. SHARED SPACES FOR INTERACTION AND SOCIAL ACTION

Question 9: What spaces are being used by faith communities for inter faith dialogue and social action?

Faith buildings; schools; workplaces; community spaces; public parks; CVS buildings; hospital, prison chapels

Question 10: What barriers are there to sharing spaces?

Spaces need to allow for a degree of dedicated exclusivity as well as communal space – questions of architecture, arrangement of space.

Trust and mutual respect necessary between the different groups.

Often the different faiths are geographically separate so there is no need for sharing of space.

Question 11: What role or roles do you envisage government, faith communities, faith and non-faith based organisations, inter faith organisations and wider civil society playing to create shared spaces?

Issue of planning control – groups should be encouraged to share space when new buildings envisaged.

When new areas of housing being planned (as at present) issue of faith space ought to be on agenda.

Regional/national faith leaders ought to encourage more such sharing.

When new public sector spaces/places are being built, regard should be given to existing local resources – often faith buildings that could be developed into wider community role, and often in good locations. Many initiatives have failed in this (eg Some SureStart programmes, Extended Schools).

4. CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS TO BRIDGE AND LINK

Question 12: Access to funding, leadership skills, and misconceptions about the role of faith in public life have all been recognised as issues which can limit the ability of faith communities to bridge and link. Are there other barriers in your community or local area which need to be overcome? Who needs to take action, and what do they need to do?

Local government and Media often show high disregard/disdain for faiths – does not encourage, give confidence to bridge or link.

Language differences are often barrier.

Poor local, regional and national leadership of faiths also a barrier: often concerned with justifying own existence against outside world.

Geographical, schooling isolationism also reduce bridging and linking.

Question 13: To what extent does inter faith social action in your local area enable you to work side by side with people who have no religious belief? How might social action involving faith communities and wider civil society be increased and strengthened?

Black Country Churches Engaged (an ecumenical church body in Black Country) issues ‘election questions’ at time of local elections, an involvement which has been well received by wider civil society (especially around concerns re extremist politics). Politicians in the area have approached ecumenical faith groups as people with credibility to raise a voice on these issues.

Being an ecumenical/inter-faith body gives Industrial Chaplaincy a welcome into the private sector and regeneration bodies.

Local government should be willing to engage with, draw faith sector into initiatives – faith buildings very often best placed to provide services for their community.

Question 14: What role or roles do you envisage government, faith communities, faith and non-faith based organisations, inter faith organisations and wider civil society playing to increase the level and scope of inter faith social action?

More funding, support, recognition from government.

Question 15: How are you promoting and encouraging inter faith activity and sharing best practice? What are the best ways of encouraging more people to take part? What role might Government play to champion this?

By newsletters, training days, conferences etc.

Could be given higher profile in media.

Govt needs to give long term support

THE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS TO INTER FAITH ACTIVITY EXPERIENCED BY WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Question 16: How might the barriers experienced by women be overcome?

Education.

Role models of good female involvement and dissemination of.

Reducing scope for faith comms to opt out of sex discrimination legislation.

Question 17: What role or roles do you envisage government, faith communities, faith and non-faith based organisations, inter faith organisations and wider civil society in overcoming these?

Govt, and faith leaders showing strong leadership to change agenda

Question 18: How might the barriers experienced by young people be overcome?
By public sector showing much greater engagement of / interest in faith-based youth clubs etc, drawing them into the civil agenda.

Question 19: What role or roles do you envisage government, faith communities, faith and non-faith based organisations, inter faith organisations and wider civil society in overcoming these?

Faith and community leaders appointed from among the youth – not always old men.

Using schools to link with faith based youth projects.

Govt appreciating good faith youth work.

Question 20: What can successful existing approaches tell us about the key building blocks needed for inter faith dialogue and social action?

Needs to be local: appropriate to local situation

Needs long term commitment to build up and sustain relationships.

Needs co-ordinating bodies/staff to hold knowledge and network together.

Faith leaders need to move out of their comfort zones.

Please include any others comments you might wish to make here:

Existing scene is very patchy – some good examples, some very bad areas.

Considerable cynicism about whether substantial appropriate funding will be found to support this work.

Secular non-faith based on-lookers often wrong (eg ‘cant use church for meetings cos Muslims might not come/ be offended’), yet local authority doesn’t dare examine such opinions.

Office Address:

18 Selman’s Hill

Bloxwich

Walsall

West Midlands

WS3 3RJ