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WHEN CHURCHES
JOIN
Appendix G: Suggestions
for a Local Covenant
Based on The National Council of
Churches in Australia Covenant (June 2000)
Declaration of Intent
We, the people of ...........................................................(names
of participating churches)
RE-AFFIRM our commitment to one another
as partners on the ecumenical journey;
BELIEVE that we are being blessed in
our generation to witness the action of the Spirit in drawing
the Churches in a common search for unity;
GIVE THANKS for all we have in common,
though recognising that our divisions are a hindrance to the
Church's mission;
RECOGNISE ONE ANOTHER as Communities
of Faith, Hope and Love, committed to following Christ and
pledged to serve God's Kingdom;
MAKE A COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER in this
covenant, not knowing what form unity may eventually take,
but believing that, by taking the steps to which we now commit
ourselves, we shall be led to grow ever more deeply in that
unity which is Christ's will for all His People.
The Agreement
First Dimension:
We AGREE together
• To join in prayer and worship
• To pray and care for one another
• To explore together our Christian convictions and their
present application
Other Possible Dimensions
i) Decision Making
We AGREE together
• To consider prayerfully, in all our decision-making
processes, the question 'Can this be done with our covenanted
partners?', so that no major decisions are taken without consultation
with each other.
• To continue to develop methods of decision-making in
common
ii) Shared Use of Buildings
We AGREE together
• To develop with one another the opportunities for shared
building arrangements, so that existing physical resources
can be shared more extensively
• To consult with one another before new building developments
are undertaken
iii) Common Strategies
for Mission
We AGREE together
• To explore with one another issues and strategies for
mission, so that the possibility of common mission is always
a priority, information is shared, issues of mission are discussed,
and strategies for evangelism are planned in consultation
• To co-operate with one another in Christian education
(especially in the public school system) and training for
ordination
iv) Common Witness
We AGREE together
• To expand, with one another, the practice of engaging
in ministry together, so that the potential for common witness
is realised through the development of joint ministries (such
as youth ministry, outback ministry, prison ministry, military
chaplains) and the search for justice and reconciliation is
engaged together
[The following Dimensions were included
in the Covenant of the member churches of the National Council
of Churches at the national level.]
v) Common Sacraments
We AGREE together
To recognise the Sacrament of Baptism administered in each
other's church
We AGREE together
To invite and welcome members of each other's church to share
in the Eucharist according to pastoral need
vi) Shared Ordained Ministries
We AGREE together
• To take the necessary action within our church to make
possible sharing with each other a mutually recognised ordained
ministry
The Future Pledge
We PLEDGE ourselves
• To continue to discuss and articulate within our own
churches the meaning and significance of our involvement in
the quest for Christian unity and the possibilities for further
engagement in ecumenical partnership
• To explore such further steps as will be necessary
to make more clearly visible the unity of all Christian people
in this country. (NCCA and ACCTL)
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