There are lots of “Local Ecumenical Partnerships” in Derbyshire. Each is based on a formal written agreement affecting the ministry, congregational life, buildings and/or mission projects of more than one denomination, and there is a recognition of that agreement by the County Body (C.T.D.) and authorisation by the appropriate denominational authorities..

Being an L.E.P. speaks about the unity which exists between groups. It also links them into the whole Church so that their experience may be shared more widely. It also gives more stability when there are changes of personnel.

If you represent 2 or more different denominations working together in a particular situation and you are considering an official partnership like this, what is your next step?

1. Be clear what it is that you want to do together instead of separately:
a. Is it bringing together existing ministry, mission, life?
b. Is it responding together to a new challenge or opportunity, e.g. new housing, a chaplaincy, a publicly recognised need?

2. Talk with all the other Christian traditions in your locality about joining you in this partnership.

3. Make sure your respective Denominational Church Leaders and Ecumenical Officers know what you are thinking. Their support and guidance is essential and will be invaluable to you. Yours will be a partnership not only between different local churches but also with the wider Church. Ecumenical Officers can help you to avoid the pitfalls which others have found and which can be both frustrating and time consuming.

4. Start floating the idea gently around the wider congregations and leadership, not just the visionaries who cannot make ecumenism work on their own! Always remember that different churches have different patterns of decision-making and different understandings of how local initiatives relate to the wider Church.  The most familiar ways are not always the best ones.

For more information, contact your own denomination’s ecumenical officer.

Starting something locally