This post provides further detail about the programme of work, described in the publication Inter-Church Programme Proposals.
I wrote three posts about this era earlier this year and the first placed the Inter-church Process into its historical context. By 1985, the plans were advanced and the plan was to work through three phases.
Phase 1 was called Understandings of the Church and was to last throughout 1985 and until September 1986. It aimed:
To look closely at our understandings of the Church in the light of our common mission, from the point of view of the tradition and experience of each denomination, but also in the light of ecumenical experience and in relation to the existence of other denominations.
The objective was to find replies to a central question from local, national and international sources. The question was:
"In your tradition and experience, how do you understand the nature and purpose of your church, in relation to other Christian denominations and as together we share in God's mission to the world?"
- At the local level, the aim was to engage local Christians to share their views together during Lent 1986. This would be 'nationally co-ordinated and locally devised'. This process would be supplemented by the views of those involved in local ecumenism and members of other local Christian Communities.
- At national level, the national churches would be consulted and asked to produce a 2000 word response to the churches. This would be supplemented by the views of national bodies such as the Evangelical Alliance, other responsible secular, professional and non-Christian organisations, and major non-Christian faiths. This would be supplemented by work already completed.
- At international level, the findings of multilateral and bilateral conversations would be collated and third world views obtained through church missionary organisations.
Phase II: Reflecting and Questioning Together, over the autumn and winter of 1986-7, aimed:
To promote prayer, reflection, and mutual questioning on the material produced in phase I in order to prepare for phase III.
This would be done at local, regional and national levels though meetings to discuss the material produced at phase 1. The expectation was ecumenical groups would make their own arrangements but the 'nature and purpose of the church' would also be the theme for the January 1987 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Phase III was Evaluation and Proposals for Action between the Spring and Autumn of 1987. It aimed:
To evaluate and assess this process of prayer, study and discussion in order to discern the way forward and to make proposals for the practical and organisational aspects of the churches' mission and unity, including the shaping of the ecumenical instruments needed for the future.
This would take place through a series of meetings. (1) Three meetings took place in England, Scotland and Wales within 10 days of each other, (2) a conference of 500 - 1000 participants in September 1987, (3) after September proposals would be considered by churches and other ecumenical bodies.
This is an impressive programme and it seems it was followed fairly closely. In the light of ecumenism today, two things stand out.
The vision did not have a narrow Faith and Order focus. In terms of content and its commitment to engage with all interested parties locally, nationally and internationally, the process showed a real vision for the whole church in the context of the wider world.
There was a genuine commitment to engage with local churches. Given the technology of the time, they achieved something that would be unthinkable now. It is amazing they were able to do all this 25 years ago. With blogs and social networking today, it would seem easier to undertake these wide-ranging conversations. In reality, this vision seems to have deserted the ecumenical movement and such a broad conversation seems impossible.
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