[Back to Contents Page]

WHEN CHURCHES JOIN

2. Starting Out - Kinds of Co-operation

Possible Kinds of Co-operation (after the U.K. pattern)

A Covenant partnership - a solemn written declaration between two or more churches, pledging to work in harmony and do as much as possible together, and registered with a sponsoring body.

A Community partnership - social action projects where an agreement to work ecumenically has been signed locally and recognised by the sponsoring body.

Chaplaincy partnerships - prison, hospital, education, industry. Such partnerships which already exist need to be recognised more widely, 'regularised' [if they are not yet under formal agreements and have no sponsoring body], and celebrated.

Church partnerships - a formal, solemn agreement involving local churches in any or all of the following:
- shared building; not necessarily a church building e.g. clergy residence, shop, drop-in centre
- shared congregation; with considerable sharing of congregational life - possibly worship, common life and witness, decision making, finance
- shared ministry; agreement for a shared sacramental ministry (perhaps alternating), authorised to minister to members of both churches.

Only one or two of these dimensions may be possible between two particular churches, whereas all of the dimensions may be possible for another two churches.

Examples of Current Co-operative Partnerships:

We are looking at churches in co-operation - not a separate community church.

Coming Together:
• much local ecumenical activity already exists which is not formalised, e.g. World Day of Prayer and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
• occasional special services or special purpose groups
• joint celebration of landmark occasions
• frequent combined opportunities for fun and fellowship
• coming together for common worship on the fifth Sunday in the month
• churches join to worship together on a monthly basis and on special occasions
• opportunities for separate denominations to worship, learn and celebrate together

Community Partnerships:
• disaster relief
• community service projects
• ecumenical conferences as evidence of an ecumenical approach to the overall concerns of rural ministry
• offering at least annually a quality course of Biblical Education drawing on the best scholars of the participating denominations - other topics may include family life, ethics, marriage, social justice issues
• co-operation and confirmation through an adjacent Catholic school which has an ecumenical approach
• Lenten study programme/ Christians in Dialogue
• Ecumenical musters - where 'out west' people discuss ecumenical issues in depth
• a group of churches working together in a newly developed housing area before the bulk of the population arrives, to provide the community with early and comprehensive human and spiritual services
• a unified approach to not only save money, but be the focus of an integrated Ecumenical Mission
• production of an ecumenical brochure
• shared activities and outreach

Shared Buildings and Resources:
• co-operative Christian bookshop
• shop-front centre
• community services e.g. emergency housing; community breakfast facility; cafe (ministry of hospitality)
• shared property, own ministers
• all denominations worship together in whichever church has a service
• one church used by all denominations
• shared building and activities
• UCA funds invested in Anglican property
• two congregations working side by side using the same building
• worship in the same building, but different congregations
• co-operating parishes
• a group of churches building together in a newly developed housing area before the bulk of the population arrives
• shared building with large worship area for large congregations and smaller area for smaller congregations, also with shared office
• shared use of resources
• incorporation of Health Services in shared church building

Remember - a church building may be used by more than one congregation but this does not guarantee personal interaction between the various congregations, or necessarily constitute a co-operative partnership!

Shared Congregation:
• people attending services of both churches held on alternate weeks
• combined Sunday schools
• all denominations worship together in whichever church has a service
• all denominations worship each Sunday in whichever church is holding a service that day (usually Anglican)
• shared activities and shared worship
• one Church Council, one pastoral care committee, one bank account
• shared worship, always Anglican priest
• association of congregations with lay pastors
• intercommunion
• alternating services of different traditions with one congregation
• formally recognised joint congregation, two or more churches

Shared Ministry:
• separate congregations resourced by Baptist minister
• co-operative parish, alternating ministers
• co-operating parish with woman priest
• UCA minister licensed by Anglicans for eucharistic hospitality - with Anglicans feeling freer to attend Eucharist at the Uniting Church
• Churches of Christ pastor to both congregations, with eucharistic hospitality
• joint congregations with alternating ministry authorised to minister to members from both churches
• shared Eucharist, clergy alternate
• totally integrated except members retain own denomination
• common worship, one UCA minister
• co-operating parishes constituted by agreement, with one minister inducted by both churches jointly and authorised to serve the members of both churches
• joint congregation in an Anglican parish, shared use of buildings and an Anglican priest
• intentional pastoral planning so that one minister is left in each town instead of denominations unilaterally all pulling out of one town and leaving another town with several ministers
• shared ministry and buildings, but parallel denominational membership and church councils
• joint congregation in a Uniting Church building with a Lutheran pastor

Denominations already known to be in Co-operative Partnerships in one form or another include:

Anglican
Baptist
Churches of Christ
Lutheran
Roman Catholic
Uniting Church

and in some situations:

Assemblies of God
Coptic Orthodox
Independent Christians
Presbyterian
Salvation Arm