Fresh Expressions of Ecumenism

To a meeting of Churches Together in South Yorkshire yesterday, to hear Bishop Stephen Croft, the new Anglican Bishop of Sheffield.  Before Bishop Stephen was consecrated, he was team leader of Fresh Expressions, at the time an Anglican and Methodist initiative to encourage and support fresh expressions of church.

I want to record Bishop Stephen's three priorities for the next period of the ecumenical journey.

1. To sustain the many good things that are happening between the churches.
2. To help these established ecumenical churches engage with newer Christian movements and communities, currently outside of formal ecumenical structures.
3. To examine how we might work together to establish new Christian communities.

There is nothing particularly new here.  It is good to hear a senior figure make the third point because whilst there is much interest in establishing new Christian communities, it is usually seen as a mission activity rather than an ecumenical activity.  He was quite explicit, making the point that it makes sense to pursue this ecumenically and it does not make sense to pursue it denominationally.

I suspect local churches have to learn a lot about working together if they are to make this work but it is good to hear the challenge being put to all churches or Christian communities.