The work of Christian unity may not be the most visible part of Church life but, in an increasingly fractured world, it was one of the most important, Bishop Andrew Forster said, as he proposed the report of the Commission of Christian Unity and Dialogue on the third day of the General Synod.
Noting that Jesus linked unity with mission, Bishop Andrew said that unity wasn’t always easy to achieve – even within our own traditions, never mind across them – but pointed out that that was precisely why the work of the commission mattered. He said he believed that in towns, villages and communities across our island there was a desire to build the Kingdom of God across denominational boundaries. “In many ways, the most encouraging part of working together for Christian unity happens day by day, quietly, faithfully, at local level – in parishes and communities. Christians from different traditions are working together in joint services, supporting food banks, running Alpha courses, peace building initiatives, and times of shared prayer. It doesn’t make the headlines but it’s Kingdom work, and there’s a great deal there to give thanks for”.
Bishop Andrew said he counted it a privilege to be involved in the Irish Council of Churches and the Irish Inter-Church Committee, and that he had never come away from those meetings without feeling blessed. “There’s a depth of fellowship,” he said, “that is deeply enriching and a real sense of shared faith in Christ.” Bishop Andrew expressed “delight” at the appointment of Bishop Michael Burrows as vice–chair of the Irish Council of Churches. “I assure him of our encouragement and our prayers as a leading ecumenist on this island.”
Seconding the report of CCUD, Archdeacon Katharine Poulton (Meath and Kildare) looked forward to the Anglican Consultative Council’s meeting in Belfast from June 27 to July 5 this year. “The ACC is one of the Instruments of Communion,” she said, “and reminds us to think beyond our parochial, diocesan, and provincial boundaries”. Among the items on the agenda for discussion will be the Nairobi Cairo document which was produced by IASCUFO (the Inter–Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order) in response to a resolution from ACC 18 held in Ghana three years ago. It was a theological paper offering a framework for fostering Christian Unity and maintaining communion, she explained.
Speaking to the report, Andrew McNeil (Dublin) agreed that the breadth, scope and scale of the report was wonderful. He repeated last year’s call by the Revd Rebecca Guildea who encouraged the Church to engage with Pentecostal and house groups. He said it was good to see that Churches doing things together was no longer front page news as it was when the Church of Ireland and Catholic Archbishops of Dublin first carried a cross through Dublin on Good Friday.
George Okikiolo (Dromore) suggested that the Church of Ireland’s focus should not just be on the western world but also on those who were persecuted.
Dean Stephen Farrell (Ossory) hailed Pope Leo’s forthcoming encyclical Magnificat Humanitas looking at AI and its impact on human dignity and human flourishing. He hoped it would be something that captured the imagination and helped shape the churches’ response to the vexed issue of AI.