When the Faith Studies Network met on November 17th one of the main items on its agenda was discussion of a proposal that the Network attempt to map the areas of agreement and disagreement between the Scottish Churches.
Network members heard from Lindsey Sanderson, Assistant General Secretary of ACTS, of the Covenant which Australian Churches had adopted. This provided a multi-dimensional way of looking at the relationships between the Churches. Lindsey pointed out that agreement in the Covenant could range from a willingness to support each other in prayer to concurrence on matters of theological principle. The Covenant was not a complete and final document. It was still being added to and amended.
Network members accepted that the Australian Covenant might provide a useful pattern to try to apply to Scotland and which might encourage Churches, which did not feel able to join ACTS, to become more closely engaged with ecumenism. Plans were made to put a proposal to ACTS’ Members’ Meeting which, if approved, would begin the process of exploration of areas of agreement which could form the basis of a Scottish Churches’ Covenant.
The Network also discussed the study paper “One Baptism – Towards Mutual Recognition” which had been produced by the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Group. Members agreed to bring to the next meeting of the Network reports on what their denominations were doing with the paper.
