Joining Churches Together in England

The following outlines the procedure for Membership of Churches Together in England by a Church or Association of Churches.

‘Churches Together in England’ is a community of churches who have heard the call to unity in Christ, and who are committed to that  journey by sharing fully in the process towards the form such unity eventually takes.   Those who seek to join CTE will be those who want to share that goal, and our membership processes reflect that.

1. A Church or Association of Churches shall make a formal written application for membership, sponsored by two of the existing Member Churches.

2. The Trustees will appoint from within the existing membership a Scrutiny Group composed of members from at least three of the member Churches, and may include representatives from the sponsoring Churches. The Scrutiny Group shall be charged with the task of entering into dialogue with the applicant Church, establishing an understanding of its ecclesiology and common life, and reporting in written form to a subsequent meeting of the Enabling Group.

3. In its decision the Enabling Group will normally consider four basic criteria which will be the basis of the Scrutiny Group’s report, namely:

a) The applicant Church’s demonstrable ability to subscribe to or manifest faith in accordance with the Basis and Aims of Churches Together in England.

b) The applicant Church’s ability to demonstrate evidence of ecumenical engagement and commitment through (for example) partnership in mission locally, good relationships between partner ecumenical leaders at local, intermediate and national level, active participation in CT groups and a sensitivity to the perceptions of ecumenical partners about their own particular emphases and practices.’

c) The applicant Church’s demonstration of being organised on at least an English national level.

d) The acceptance by the applicant Church of the implications of the ‘churches together’ model of ecumenical engagement, including its willingness to contribute to the costs of the ecumenical instruments.