The Network met on March 15th.

The major items of business were consideration of how the principles behind the Australian Churches’ Covenant could be applied to the Scottish situation and discussion of how the “ecumenical memory” of Scotland could be preserved for the future.

Considerable progress was made on the Australian Covenant proposal. A questionnaire, designed to establish where denominations can already agree and to identify the places where agreement is, at the moment, clearly not possible, was discussed. The next step will be for each denomination’s representative(s) on the Network to complete a questionnaire as a “trial run” both to provide an unofficial picture of the level of agreement and disagreement between the denominations and alos to allow for refinement of the wording of the questions.
At its next meeting the Network will consider the implications of that unofficial response to the survey and agree on any necessary changes to the questions before deciding when and how the questionnaire might be submitted officially to the denominations.
The Network was hopeful that the Australian Churches’ Covenant’s methodology might allow smaller denominations, which did not feel ready to seek full membership of ACTS, to become more closely involved with the ecumenical movement.

From the discussion of the fear of the loss of ecumenical memory came a recommendation that a small task group, to be convened by ACTS’ General Secretary, should be set up to consider ways in which the memories might be gathered and preserved. The Network itself put forward a suggestion that a library of video interviews of people who had played significant parts in the development of the ecumenical life of Scotland should be compiled. It was envisaged that the material gathered would be made available on the web as well as on DVDs.

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.

The Network met on April 22nd. During the morning session there was discussion of inter alia the following topics –

i) possible resumption of work on the WCC paper “Called to be the One Church”;
ii) policy papers on the remit of Network members and on endorsement and support by ACTS;
iii) the setting up by CTBI of a Four Nations Faith and Order Reference Group;
iv) the visit of the Pope to Scotland in 2010; and
v) the implications for Churches of attempts to implement fully the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

In the afternoon the members of the Faith Studies and Mission Networks shared in a discussion on "Nurturing Adult Theological Literacy". Two questions were used as starting points for the discussion - Why is this conversation important? and What are the barriers and challenges we face?

In the conversations which ensued members wondered whether there was an impression that discussion of the Bible in the Churches belonged to "experts" and that this left ordinary members and enquirers feeling "de-skilled". There was also a recognition that as the number of ordained clergy dropped in some denominations, congregations would have to learn to be more self reliant. How this was to be achieved at a time when there appeared to be a decline in knowledge and understanding of the Bible was seen as one of the barriers to be overcome.

The conversations also touched on what was required for effective inter faith dialogue; the need for effective discipleship if mission was to take place; and the need for confidence in one's own position before engaging in dialogue with those who had different views.

Members agreed to report the content of the conversations to their own denominations. It was left to the Conveners of the Networks to decide whether to continue the discussion at the next joint meeting, which was to take place in November, or to select a new topic for discussion.

The Network received a first report from the Task Group which it had set up to consider whether the pattern of the Australian Churches’ Covenant could be applied in any way within Scotland. The Task Group was of the opinion that the pattern deserved to be given careful consideration by the leadership of the Scottish Churches and that by adopting its methodology a way might be opened for greater co-operation with churches which were not in a position to become full members of ACTS.

Members were informed that the bids for Project Fund support from the Scottish Churches’ Disability Agenda Group and from the Working with Children in the Church Community Core Group, which they had endorsed in November, had been approved by the Trustees and would be submitted to ACTS’ Members’ Meeting later in the month. A new application from Faith in Older People, who wished to hold a Conference in the Dumfries later in the year, was then considered and approved.

The Network then considered an unusual request for support from an historian who wished to carry out research into the clergy in Scotland during the period of the Reformation. Members decided that the outcomes of the research would provide worthwhile information about the period and agreed to permit the historian to note this in his application for grant funding.

When receiving reports concerning the work of the ecumenical groups associated with the Network, members expressed concern that there was not more ecumenical activity within the field of ministerial formation and requested that the Ministerial Formation Group, which had not met for some time, should come together as soon as possible to explore ways in which ecumenical training could be organised for students studying for entry to the ordained ministry and for those already ordained.

A request from the members of the Churches’ Agency for Inter Faith Relations (CAIRS) for guidance on the position which should be taken regarding a possible application from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints for membership of the Scottish Inter Faith Council was discussed and passed to ACTS’ Members’ Meeting for a decision.

The afternoon session was spent discussing the ways in which different church traditions viewed baptism. Short addresses by a member of the Baptist Church, by an Episcopalian and by a Quaker set the scene for a lively exchange of information and opinion.

Network members are now looking forward to their next meeting in April when the afternoon discussion session will be shared with members of the Mission Network.