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Associated Ecumenical Groups

The Associated Ecumenical Groups (AEGs) are bodies of the Scottish Churches’ which each have a specialist subject area and remit. There are currently 15 in total and each has an Annual Working Agreement with ACTS as to the level of staff and finance support given by ACTS. Each AEG is linked to a particular Network.

If you would like to contact a particular AEG, unless otherwise stated, please contact the ACTS member of staff responsible for the AEG concerned who will then put you in touch with the relevant person.

List of Associated Ecumenical Groups:

Church Life Network
Shona Paterson

• Borderlands: A loose network of people and organisations working in the area of spirituality who come together occasionally to share good practice and news of events.

Church and Society Network
Tom Moyes

• Eco-Congregation: Many Christians are concerned about the environment but don’t know what they can do. Eco-Congregation helps congregations understand environmental issues and make appropriate practical and spiritual responses. The programme is free of charge and very flexible, to suit churches of all sizes, situations and denomination. Small actions add up to big results. 70 congregation are working on environmental projects through Eco-Congregation, and 20 have gone on to receive awards. Could you start things off in your church?

• Joint Faiths Advisory Board on Criminal Justice: Established in 2000 to create a forum in which Criminal Justice issues could be discussed in a multi-faith context, and which could comment on any aspect of the Criminal Justice System from a Joint Faiths’ perspective.

• Network of Ecumenical Women in Scotland (NEWS): This group of women, representative of many of the Christian denominations in Scotland, seeks to address matters pertaining to women's issues. These encompass subjects such as resources for Religious Education in schools, gambling and the effects on the family, leadership (or lack of it) by women in churches or the problem of asylum seekers in 'lock ups'. Meeting once a quarter, the sessions are always preceded by refreshment and, more importantly, a time of devotion, which gives time for reflection and puts the discussion into perspective.

• Scottish Churches’ Education Group: The remit of the Group is "to engage pro-actively and re-actively with all matters concerning the Scottish education system". Membership is open to nominees from all Christian churches in Scotland. The Group is currently engaged on a revision of the document "A Christian Vision for Scottish Education", which was drawn up by its predecessor, the ACTS' Education Group. The "Vision" document sets out the broad principles on which the Group's engagement with the education system is founded.

• Scottish Churches’ Healthcare Chaplaincy Committee: Confers on matters of general interest and common concern relating to Healthcare Chaplaincy in Scotland and monitors and promotes the provision of Healthcare Chaplaincy in statutory, voluntary and private contexts.

• Scottish Churches’ Industrial Mission (SCIM): Joint activity of the Scottish Churches engaging with the working life of Scotland encompassing three main strands: workplace chaplaincy, engagement with civic institutions and engagement with churches.

• Scottish Churches’ Parliamentary Office Advisory Group (SCPO): The SCPO Advisory Group expresses the churches commitment to work ecumenically in their engagement with the Scottish Parliament and Executive. Made up of representatives of the ACTS member churches (plus the Baptist Union Free Church and Associated Presbyterian Church), the Group advises the Churches' Parliamentary Officer in his role of facilitating and supporting the churches' in making their contributions to political decision-making and debate.
Convener : Major Alan Dixon
Key Contact : Rev Graham K Blount, Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office,  graham@actsparl.org.

• Scottish Churches’ Racial Justice Group (SCRJG): The Racial Justice Group provides locally based support and advice for the Scottish Curches Racial Justice Officer, who is employed through ACTS and is based in the ACTS office in Alloa.

• Scottish Churches’ Social Inclusion Network: Brings together a wide range of representatives of the work of the churches and church agencies tackling poverty and social exclusion across Scotland, for the purpose of an ongoing conversation with Parliament and the Scottish Executive. The work represented ranges from the national services provided by the Church of Scotland's Board of Social Responsibility to community work in all kinds of parishes; it also includes such activities as the Poverty Hearings pioneered by Church Action on Poverty, and the Justice and Peace work of Catholic parishes. The Network acts a point of contact with the considerable work of the churches in this area, enabling engagement with Parliament and Executive; it also provides a forum for ecumenical sharing of concerns and work in this area.
Key Contact : Rev Graham K Blount, Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office, graham@actsparl.org.

• Unity Enterprise: An inter-church organisation committed to promoting the ability of people for full cultural, social and economic inclusion within their community.

Faith Studies Network
Tom Moyes

• Churches’ Agency for Interfaith Relations in Scotland (CAIRS) – aims to promote good relations between people of different faiths in Scotland by making Christians aware of the presence, beliefs and practices of the faith communities around them; encouraging mutual respect and appreciation; promoting interfaith dialogue; helping all to benefit from the riches to be found in all religious traditions.

• Continuing Ministerial Formation Group: This is a new group which is exploring the possibility of greater co-operation between the Churches in providing courses of formation for the ordained ministry.

• Working with Children in the Church Community Core Group: The aim of the group is to bring together people, working in the area of ministry to children aged up to 12 years, to allow them to share ideas and to explore common issues.

Mission Network
Shona Paterson

• Scottish Churches’ Rural Group: The group seeks to engage with the changing rural scene and the role of the church within that. It does this through interaction with the Scottish Executive, other agencies working in the rural sector, being present at the Royal Highland Show and working with church partners in England and Wales. It also has a concern for the particular issues faced by rural congregations in providing ministry and training opportunities in often isolated communities.