This is the second of three posts suggesting new ways of envisioning the future of ecumenism in Britain.
Lay people in the churches are not under the same constraints as the ordained. Nevertheless it tends to be the ordained who take a lead in ecumenism. This is why there are so many stories of successful local ecumenical partnerships (LEPs) which fall apart when the ordained founders eventually leave. It seems ecumenism is expected to depend upon the quality of relationships between the ordained, rather than the lay people. Perhaps lay leadership, founded on their own commitments and friendships, is more likely to work.
Imagine an order of lay people, run by lay people and for lay people. Each Sunday, their commitment to the order would be to worship in their own church, to focus upon and preserve the insights of their own tradition. The rest of the time would be with the order, dedicated to mission in their area.
There are of course several existing communities for lay people. The only lay order I'm aware of is the Franciscans (the picture is of St Francis), although I don't think they are based in localities as I am advocating here.
Such an order might recognise the established training of the traditions. Anglican Bishops might for example recognise the qualifications of preachers from other traditions, if they are members of the order.
The order would be recognised by church leaders but would be independent of them. The aim would be to build around the constraints created where churches are unable to resolve their differences. They would not break rules but focus on the needs of their localities and what can be done with the resources and constraints that exist.
A pipedream? Maybe. But it would mean the churches in a given locality would be perceived as a single church, even though technically still divided. Of course it will never happen but at least it shows a different version of unity is feasible.
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