ACTS APPOINTS NEW GENERAL SECRETARY

At the meeting of the Scottish Churches Forum on 16th May 2007, Brother Stephen Smyth’s appointment as ACTS General Secretary was ratified unanimously by the ACTS member churches.  Brother Stephen is a member of the Marist Brothers, a Roman Catholic religious congregation which has a focus upon Christian education. Stephen has worked for the past seven years as the Ecumenical Officer for Glasgow Churches Together and has wide experience in education at secondary and adult levels. 

Stephen has worked with ACTS in the planning and delivery of two major events in recent years, the Scottish Ecumenical Assembly which took place in 2001 and the Scottish Ecumenical Gathering, ‘Seeds of Hope’ which was held last year. He has also been involved in work on a denominational level with a number of the ACTS member churches as well as being a member of the Archdiocese of Glasgow Ecumenical Commission.

Stephen was born in 1950. He has a Master of Ministry and Theology degree from the Urban Theology Unit, Sheffield / Sheffield University; and has been a member of the Contextual Bible Study Development Group in Glasgow for the last ten years.

Speaking about Brother Stephen’s appointment, Rev Mary Buchanan, Convener of the Scottish Churches Forum said, ‘We are delighted that Brother Stephen will be joining the staff of ACTS. This is the first time a member of the Roman Catholic Church has been appointed as General Secretary since ACTS was formed and is a further staging post in our shared journey towards the visible unity which Christ wills for his church.’

Stephen himself said, ‘I look forward to this next stage of our pilgrimage as Churches in Scotland. My vision is that together we can deepen our relationships and celebrate more the gifts of one another’s traditions.’

Brother Stephen will take up his post in mid July.


About ACTS
Action of Churches Together in Scotland is the national ecumenical instrument for Scotland. Its member churches are The Church of Scotland, The Congregational Federation, The Methodist Church, The Roman Catholic Church, The Salvation Army, The Scottish Episcopal Church, The Society of Friends, The United Free Church of Scotland and The United Reformed Church.   Further information about its work can be obtained by contacting the office (see details above) or by visiting www.acts-scotland.org