Day 1
Inter Church and Inter Faith Work Highlighted in Christian Unity and Dialogue Report
The Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue is “a vine with many branches reaching out to be with, engage, promote, support, maintain, encourage and build up unity within the wider body of the Church”. So said the proposer of the Commission’s report, Canon Stephen Fielding, to General Synod today (Friday May 9).
The report of CCUD outlines a wide range of inter–church and inter–faith relationships. It covers the activities of three working groups – covering Anglican and ecumenical affairs, European affairs, and inter–faith issues – and notes that the next meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council will be hosted by the Church of Ireland in 2026. The European Affairs Working Group plans to launch a new blog, providing a digest of material drawn from various sources and perspectives. The Inter Faith Working Group has continued to host an annual conference, with the next taking place in Dublin in May.
Canon Fielding spoke of his work as the Porvoo Contact Person for the Church of Ireland and a conference he attended in Sweden with the Archbishop of Dublin who chairs the Porvoo Contact Group at with Archdeacon Andrew Orr was a delegate and speaker. He thanked all who responded to the recent survey on past and current connections with the Porvoo Churches. The survey reported an interest in wishing to learn more about the Porvoo Communion.
Referring to Canon Dr Maurice Elliott’s report from the Meissen Commission, he noted Dr Elliott’s sentiment that the aspiration of the Meissen Agreement was towards full visible unity, the most significant challenge remained interchangeability of ministry. He said that the Porvoo Communion was actively seeking ways to enable transivity of ministry that will bring together other Anglican and Lutheran Churches.
He also noted the forthcoming Porvoo Communion meeting in Cardiff around the theme of ‘Christology and Ecumenism – marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed’. The Nicene Creed, Canon Fielding said, was one of the statements that drew us together as a credal church.
Seconding the report, Canon Katherine Poulton (for the Revd Suzanne Cousins) said that the work of CCUD was largely unseen but was significant and often seminal. She urged members of Synod not to take ecumenical partnerships for granted in light of contemporary influential forces and voices in society which are contrary to Christ’s call and command to love and which are confusing and misleading for citizens, including church people.
She drew Synod’s attention to the Inter Faith Working Group and the growing importance of interfaith matters, which she said were pertinent to us all. “Today it is quite apparent that our ability to engage comfortably and graciously with people of faiths other than the Christian faith is essential to our witness, work and citizenship, and for many of us, in our increasingly multicultural settings, interaction and engagement is an everyday affair. And so the Church’s evolving work in the area of inter faith dialogue and relations is of increasing relevance and requires our careful attention,” she stated.
Canon Poulton said that part of the working group’s role was to assist the commission in providing a voice within the Church of Ireland for refugees and asylum seekers, a voice of mercy, grace and the compassion of our Lord Jesus himself towards displaced people, refugees, migrants and the marginalised.
She commended the ‘Dialogue of Friendship’ conference run in conjunction with Sanctuary of Faith – the faith stream of Places of Sanctuary. This conference takes place on Saturday May 17 in Dundrum Methodist Church, Dublin under the title ‘Listening Well to Build Communities’. Dr Ebun Joseph is a keynote speaker and Dr Lucy Michael of the Primate’s Reference Group of Ethnic Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Justice will contribute.
Synod approved the membership of CCUD for the coming year as follows:
Ms Gina Copty, Very Rev Niall Sloane, Rev Canon Dr Daniel Nuzum, Rev Meurig Williams, Rev Suzanne Cousins, Ms Cate Turner, Rev Abigail Sines, Rev Canon Kevin O’Brien, Mr Femi Atoyebi, Dr Bridget Nicholls and Rev Dr Ryan Hawk.
Speaking to the report Archbishop Michael Jackson spoke of the work of the commission. He said that while 20 years ago there was a tension between missional and inter faith self–understanding, that gap was closing as it gave the opportunity to each to give and account of their faith. The Orthodox traditions have been rising in Ireland, he said. He also encouraged people to mark the anniversary of the Council and Creed of Nicea. “Members of the Orthodox churches in our midst can enhance this discussion,” he said adding that dialogue was important in understanding and living. He encourage members to feel that the work of CCUD was something entirely of their locality, humanity and personal belief.
The Revd Dr Karen Campbell of the Irish Council of Churches drew members of Synod’s attention to the IICM conference in November which focuses on the Council of Nicea. She urged people to support it. She said they were also running a conference entitled Called to Preach on June 17 to encourage female preachers.
George Woodman (Connor) spoke about the Interfaith Working Group and said he welcomed this activity but noticed that the focus was mostly on the Southern Province and there was little impression of anything being done in the Northern Province or jurisdiction. He said he was a member of the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum and would like to see it mentioned. He said he knew a lot of parishes were active on the ground and highlighted the Oxford Interfaith Walk that he took part in. After the riots in Belfast last summer which took on a religious tint, the bishops made excellent statements but he suggested that something was needed to bring senior clergy and other faith leaders together in a public event. He thanked the Archbishop of Dublin for what he said about the Council of Nicea.
The Revd Rebecca Guildea (Clogher) highlighted a trend that while the Church was warm to those of the established denominations, there was a suspicion of new denominations. They were seen as a threat rather than as other fellow Christians. She suggested that while the new denominations make us ask hard questions, they are nonetheless our Christian brothers and sisters.