ecumenical
General Synod which plays a significant role in Synod and wider Church appointments: from chairs and members of committees, to delegates to ecumenical gatherings, to members of the Faith and Order and Liturgical Commissions, for example.
I have experienced and been blessed by the breadth of the Church of England and currently worship across a three-church benefice near Braintree, one of which is a Local Ecumenical Partnership.
It continues to grow as a vulnerably honest, encouraging ecumenical sacred community.
Once I have my degree I intend to study for a masters at Queen's Ecumenical College.
My new role has shown me the immense value of ecumenical and interfaith work within the community.
Although I became a Christian at university in London, and worshipped then at one of the HTB church plants (St Barnabas), my life afterwards has taken me to an Anglican evangelical church in Loughborough, an ecumenical church plant in Cardiff, a traditional church with more formal services and a robed choir and now to where I find myself today.
In the last year, you might have found me at my own church (largely), at a Taize service, a cathedral evensong, an ecumenical group service based in Coventry's Chapel of Unity, an LGBT friendly charismatic service and an open air communion.
My own formation has made me instinctively ecumenical and committed to the full breadth of Anglican life.
Before ordination training I was part of an ecumenical healing team and ran an ecumenical Alpha course.
Hannah’s voice would be an asset for Norwich Diocese, and important for the wider church through General synod as a younger priest, a parent of four children and someone whose faith began in ecumenical settings in Europe and is now fully at home in the Church of England.
- Diocesan Development Groups - Ecumenical
I value and wish to promote further ecumenical dialogue with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
• Ecumenical & Inter-Faith Engagement: Drawing on my role as Vice
I’ve been a lifelong member of the Church of England, and I’ve attended several churches (one ecumenical) in East, West and Tynemouth Deaneries as Janet took up different posts.
As a General Synod clergy member, I would bring an wide range of experience in ministry to represent you in the debates and decisions: I have served as school chaplain, university chaplain and vocations adviser, rural incumbent, area dean, Bishop’s council, Bishop’s advisor and ecumenical advisor.
I have a track record of commitment to creative evangelism and mission, having, before my consecration, been one of the organisers of the ecumenical initiative, Festival Manchester, in 2022, which reached 65,000 people over four days, and sparked a range of on-going community outreach ministries.
Young, Ecumenical, Practical
I am Young, Ecumenical, and Practical – and I call on you to use your vote, for inclusive and progressive ministry, with Tobias as your 1st vote, and Nadine Daniel and Warren Bohan as your 2nd and 3rd preferences.
I volunteered with the YWCA in my youth - including representing the ‘Y’ at ecumenical conferences in East Germany and Palestine.
All my ecumenical encounters only serve to reinforce this.
I belong to an ecumenical walking pilgrimage to Walsingham during Holy Week- Pilgrim Cross (formerly Student Cross).
I will bring to synod a Christ focussed voice, advocating our unique place in society as the Church of the land, whilst also promoting ecumenical work with our Christian brothers and sisters in other denominations.
Teesside enjoys astonishing levels of ecumenical unity, which has attracted £0.4M investment in Bible Society mission support this autumn.
I feel strongly that we should aim to uphold and strengthen links to members of the entire ecumenical community.
Ecumenical
I bring 25 years of experience as an Anglican Ecumenical Officer and would encourage the Church of England to continue to partner in mission with other denominations.
Anglican Ecumenical Adviser to the
Treasurer Guardian of the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, a national centre for pilgrimage and retreat; I witness first-hand the incredible impact of spiritual renewal, healing and reconciliation for so many thousands of Anglican and ecumenical visitors, not least hundreds of young Christians, who discover the joy and meaning of faith
At university I worshipped at an ecumenical chapel which was part of a Local Ecumenical Project.
• Over 10 years’ full-time, paid ministry, including with Network Youth Church and in an Local Ecumenical
My curacy was in Lordshill, Southampton, a challenging Urban Priority Area and ecumenical parish.
▪ Knowledge of the current vocations climate as a Bishops’ Advisor in the discernment process. ▪ Knowledge of the stresses and strains facing ordinary clergy as a Diocesan Reviewer for MDR. ▪ Elected to Diocesan Synod in 2024 where I have spoken in debates and asked questions about vocations, Parish Share, and finance in the Diocese. ▪ Ecumenical involvement through the Inclusive Church group in our area. ▪ Nearly a decade as a School Governor in local community schools.
I undertook a 3- month human rights role in the West Bank of occupied Palestine in 2019, under the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, which places importance on listening to Israeli perspectives as well as Palestinians.
Diligent in Labour: Labouring tirelessly to represent the voices of the laity, bringing a grounded, ecumenical and theologically informed perspective to discussions.
• Ecumenical Breadth
• Academic & Ecumenical Foundation
Subsequently, I was the Vice-Principal of Westcott House, Cambridge, where I taught New Testament Studies in the ecumenical context of the Cambridge Theological Federation.
I have experienced of serving/being elected and active on national church working groups, committees and councils as well as working on ecumenical bodies some of which are outlined above.
My time at university gave me many opportunities, opportunities, particularly during my year abroad, to encounter a range of other traditions including Catholic, Baptist and ecumenical.
Five Guiding Principles agreed in 2014, and it requires honesty and integrity in respecting the differences between different parts of the Church, not least in dialogue with our ecumenical partners such as the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
This has given me a good understanding of local ecumenical issues.
I have also valued the gifts of ecumenical life, particularly through relationships with the United Reformed Church and the Society of Friends.
In depth insight into ecumenical and interfaith matters, having ministered in other denominations prior to ordination, and working in interfaith dialogue and scriptural reasoning for over a decade.
My ministry beyond the parish has given me experience of the Church at a number of levels, within Erith deanery, the local ecumenical context and the diocese.
Our churches are diverse, including a civic town-centre church, suburban and estate churches, two small rural villages and Local Ecumenical Partnerships.
Benjamin has a passion for ecumenical work based on the call to full visible unity, with the promotion of good relationships between Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Christians.
This has been pursued through being pilgrimage secretary of the Anglican and Eastern Churches Association and organising their annual pilgrimages. (eg South India, The Ecumenical Council location in Turkey to commemorate Nicea, and next year Egypt).
Finally, I am a passionate advocate for church unity and ecumenical engagement.
In our town we have seen tremendous gains in mission, as well as support and wisdom for church leaders, coming from ecumenical prayer and mission.
Alongside my day jobs, amongst other things I have served on the General Synod of two provinces; been Diocesan Ecumenical Officer, DDO, an Officiating Chaplain to the Military, Acting Dean of a Cathedral and a member of a lifeboat crew!
I have always been deeply committed to ministry with children and young people, ecumenical and cross-cultural ministry, and racial justice.
During my discernment process in Bradford, I trained for ordained ministry at the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education in Birmingham.
Ecumenical & Intercultural Engagement: Building constructive partnerships across diverse theological traditions and cultural backgrounds.
During my curacy, I have developed new forms of family-focused worship, helped develop a men’s breakfast, and organised an ecumenical day of prayer and worship focusing on men’s discipleship.
I ran an ecumenical youth group for young people aged 11–14, bringing together members from the
These experiences have given me a deep appreciation of the importance of lay ministry, ecumenical cooperation and investing in the next generation.
• I grew up attending ecumenical churches in Milton Keynes, and I love to see Christians and
I am active in ecumenical relationships through Churches Together in Huddersfield, which I currently Chair, and Interfaith relationships through my involvement in the establishment and development of South Kirklees Interfaith and Belief Forum.
My commitment to working ecumenically at both local and national level is clear and I would hope to bring a broad ecumenical perspective to Synod.
I am supportive of ecumenical partnerships, having served in a Baptist Church as their Youth Director for three years, whilst being committed to our Anglican roots.
And we've built close ecumenical relationships across Lyon, with both the Catholic Church and the evangelical movements here.
The ‘third age’ I went part-time at the age of 55, allowing me to take up a number of new roles, including becoming increasingly involved in a variety of Deanery and Diocesan matters: Training for and being admitted as a Licensed Lay Minister (LLM), and subsequently becoming responsible for co-ordinating the ministry of all LLMs in the Diocese by acting as the ‘Registrar of LLMs’; Taking on the role of Lay Chair of Dorking Deanery Synod; Assisting with the management of a Foodbank being newly set-up by the ecumenical group Churches Together in Dorking; Being elected to Bishop’s Council (where I currently serve on sub-committees covering Finance, Risk Management, Safeguarding and Remuneration); Recently, becoming Vice-Chair of the Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance; and Continuing my involvement in the world of pensions (after I had formally retired from actuarial work) by becoming a member-nominated trustee of four schemes for employees of the insurance company Aviva.
My faith has been shaped by several Christian traditions, nurturing an instinct for ecumenical partnership.
My ecumenical background helps me value difference while seeking unity.
Ecumenical Engagement: Drawing on my work with Churches Together in England and national- level ecumenical representation, I will continue building bridges and deepening friendships across traditions.
Ecumenical Representation.
I had the privilege of representing the Church of England at the Methodist Conference (2024) and the Churches Together in England Residential Forum (2025); experiences that strengthened ecumenical relationships and informed my reporting to the Council for Christian Unity and General Synod.
Ecumenical partnership — through my role as Chairman of Churches Together in Northampton and involvement with Anglican and Baptist churches.
I believe I could bring to General Synod a combination of Christian faith, practical experience, ecumenical breadth and a commitment to listening.
I believe my 39 years as a member of the Church of England, together with my experience of church leadership, preaching, evangelism, prayer, ecumenical relationships, safeguarding, local government, youth work and community service, give me a broad experience from which to serve.
10 years of working with Children, Youth and Young Adults across diverse contexts within the Church of England - as well as various ecumenical projects and events.
I’ve been committed to serious, doctrinally-informed ecumenical engagement, serving on the Council for Christian Unity, and on the Anglican Communion’s new dialogue group with the Assyrian Church of the East.
06 Faithful Engagement with the Wider World Strengthen ecumenical relationships and offer a thoughtful Christian contribution to public life, drawing on the Diocese in Europe's unique vocation across cultures and borders.
After my degree I stayed to work with students at Holy Trinity Church and was deeply blessed by joining Lyn’s House, an ecumenical community of friends with and without intellectual disabilities.
My ministry is also deeply ecumenical.
Ecumenical
From local French churches to international Christian networks, ecumenical conversations and government advocacy, I have learned to listen carefully, identify common ground, and foster mutual respect.
• I set up and organised an ecumenical “Christian Viewpoint” group for women, which aimed to draw in
Before ordination, I was deeply involved in children’s and youth work, mission and evangelism, including ecumenical work in Ireland.
I would bring to General Synod experience across parish, deanery, diocesan, rural, educational, and ecumenical ministry.
In 2006 I took three months’ unpaid leave to serve as a human rights monitor on a World Council of Churches initiative called the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).
I will advocate for sustainable ministry that supports clergy and enables those with a lay vocation to flourish; clear and transparent governance; investment in children, young people, and families especially through our Church schools and partnership working, including ecumenical collaboration where it strengthens mission.
e |was ecumenical officer in Paris, and taught modules on Eucharistic theology, the Anglican reformation and Missiology at the ISEO theological faculty in Paris
I am deeply committed to the missional, pastoral and ecumenical vision of the Trust, and I find it enriching to serve, and to work alongside, people whose views are different to my own.
In this role I founded an ecumenical partnership to create a network of Modern Slavery Ambassadors to raise awareness of this issue.
My varied ecclesiastical background — Baptist, Ecumenical Church project, charismatic (Anglican and non- conformist), non-aligned and exclusively Church of England since the 1990s — has taught me to value unity across diverse church backgrounds.
If elected I would hope to promote good ecumenical connections with other Christian denominations.
For pastoral, theological and ecumenical reasons, I do not support a change to the Church’s Canon Law in relation to the seal of the confessional.
Bishop’s Ecumenical Adviser
The Church of England at its best is ecumenical, holding firm to our calling to be one body, one Church A member of the council of Ipswich in Prayer, longest-serving member of the executive of Churches Together in Suffolk, I am confident that a church which recognises and respects differing theologies and ecclesiologies is the better equipped to fulfil its mission.
In my time since ordination, I have been Curate, Priest, Incumbent, Rural Dean, Ecumenical Adviser and the Chair of Clergy, all in this diocese.
I am Chair of Churches Together in Bexhill (overseeing the work of Bexhill Foodbank and Advice Centre) and convenor of the ecumenical clergy group.
ecumenical peace charity, since 2019
Before ordination, I was a Newcastle solicitor (defendant civil litigation), having read Law at Trinity Hall Cambridge (worshipping regularly then in chapels, at St Edward’s and GSM, and as a member of university Ecumenical Fellowship Groups).
My involvement in ecumenical structures has been less active in St Neots, but in
York Diocese, I was Ecumenical Adviser for Cleveland Archdeaconry for five years, connecting into a variety of regional and national ecumenical networks.
Before that many of my previous roles also had specialist ecumenical dimensions.
My approach to General Synod has been to engage with the full breadth of Synod’s concerns: I have not frequently made big set-piece speeches, but have more often given time to questions, to points otherwise missed in debate, to being one of those who attends to the legislative work, to effective group work and to fringe discussions (such as on safeguarding, cathedrals, and ecumenical issues).
If I were to be elected, I would use my long-standing experience as an Ecumenical Adviser to actively promote Unity within the Church of England, as well as our relationships with brothers and sisters from the Anglican Communion and other Denominations.
Before moving to England, I worshipped with our Porvoo Communion partners in the Church of Sweden (where this Diocese has an official link with the Diocese of Harndsand) and I have also, through friendships and an Ecumenical Placement while at Cranmer Hall, had significant contact with the Roman Catholic Church.
I am interested in liturgy and especially the Book of Common Prayer, but also other liturgical traditions, both Anglican and ecumenical.
However, in my twenties, I also attended local ecumenical partnerships and fresh expression churches, both urban and rural.
In 2016/2017 I volunteered with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme for Palestine and Israel (World Council of Churches) residing in the
@ Diocesan Ecumenical Officer
My studies with the World Council of Churches in Geneva and practical ecumenical work in parishes have strengthened my conviction that our divisions weaken our witness and that we must seek every opportunity to work, pray and grow together, and to seek the full visible unity of the Church.
(Local Ecumenical Partnership)
- Certificate in Ecumenical Theology
His experience makes him a e Member of Bishop’s Council (Current) strong advocate for racial justice, e Trustee, Diocesan Board of Education (Current) safeguarding and inclusivity. e Member of Chester Diocesan Synod (Current) e Founding Chair of MAT, Chester Diocesan Learning Trust (2024 to 2025) and As DBF Chair, he understands Member (Current) Chester's needs and will ensure our e Trustee of Theological College, The Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical voice is heard.
I am also responsible for organising food bank collections, representing our church on the local ecumenical Round Table, for the World Day of Prayer, and for the group working towards the recent recognition of the Anglican and old Catholic churches in the Canton of Vaud.
In Spennymoor I am actively involved in Spennymoor Churches Acting Together and seek ecumenical partnerships, for example our summer Holiday Club is a partnership with Trinity Methodist church and involves members of other churches.
Family circumstances have taken me to Innsbruck, where there is as yet no Anglican congregation, so I am, at least for now, teaching in a Roman Catholic faculty and developing ecumenical links by worshipping regularly outside the C of E.
Part of an ecumenical team from local Baptist, Free Church, URC and Anglican churches which organises bi-annual Bible conferences aiming to bring faithful bible teaching and worship to a wider audience Each summer I volunteer as part of the Prayer Ministry Team at the annual Keswick
• Leading a weekly ecumenical Bible study group (affiliated to HTB) with my husband, Rob.
About me I grew up in church and was baptised at the age of 16 in an Anglican Church that was part of a Local Ecumenical Partnership.
I will keep mission at the centre of Synod's decisions, support fresh expressions and parish renewal, and encourage ecumenical and civic partnerships that help communities flourish.
I lead a local church with: · A good-sized international contingent as part of our congregation and leadership. · A toddler group which has become well known and respected in the local community and seen a good number of parents and extended family come through to faith and involvement in church life. · A ‘Family Essentials’ ministry which provides hygiene and cleaning products to local families in need regardless of their faith or allegiance. · A longstanding partnership with another town church in the local CofE primary school. · Active members of the local ecumenical Churches Together group. · Unchurched people coming to faith, being baptised and discipled and finding a place to belong. · Youth and kids’ work growing in a way that our buildings are now proving too small, a good problem to have.
• Joining the deanery-wide Churches in the Community - an ecumenical group
« Helped establish two foodbanks and been actively involved in three church plants, including one ecumenical project with other denominations.
My early Christian life was grounded in an ecumenical youth group, held in a Pentecostal church, attended by Christians from Baptist, CofE, and Methodist churches.
Throughout my ordained ministry I have been committed to seeking the unity of the Church – both within our own communion and with our ecumenical partners.
I’m actively engaged with local schools, chair the ecumenical ministers fellowship across Hinckley and Burbage – together we seek to share the good news of Jesus and show compassion to the poor in our community.
I also enjoy opportunities to learn from ecumenical movements, such as the Iona Community and the Focolare Movement, both of which encourage unity and inclusion in our spiritual life.
I will also advocate for fresh impetus in ecumenical dialogue, working harder to model the visible unity Jesus prayed for.
As the Vice-Chair of Churches Together in Malvern, I’m excited about what can happen when the Body of Christ, with all its differences, works together to build the Kingdom of God, and I am keen to bring this experience of ecumenical collaboration to Synod.
If elected, I would willingly contribute to the committee and ecumenical work of Synod as required.
During my time in Ashby, I have been active in ecumenical work in the area, seeking to reveal our unity in Christ across denominations and the breadth of the Church of England.
Ecumenical Parish
Along the way, my spiritual homes have ranged from Cathedral communities (Chelmsford and Coventry); urban and town areas (Walsall, West Midlands); Methodist and Local Ecumenical Partnerships (Wokingham, Berkshire) until relocating to rural Rutland.
I come from a global majority heritage and bring to this vocation a background shaped by intercultural theology, ecumenical youth work, peace education, and the pursuit of justice and peace.
Intercultural and ecumenical insights shape how we approach formation, youth ministry, and the renewal of parish life across the Church of England.
My faith life is enriched through ecumenical encounter, and I am strongly committed to ensuring that the Church of England continues to commit resources and time to this essential endeavour.
SEN, international, ecumenical and more.
Since Ordination: Title post served in a parish in York which included an LEP, giving me an insight into ecumenical matters.
ecumenical representative at the Methodist Conference in Telford in 2025 On LLF working group, Pastoral Guidance for the use of prayers, in its later stages, before the project was ended.
My ecumenical experience has convinced me that the Church of England is most faithful to its vocation when it understands itself as part of something larger than itself.
I am offering experience, a European perspective, strategic thinking, ecumenical understanding and a commitment to an inclusive Church.
Since the age of 12, I have been involved in churches of different denominations and in ecumenical settings, both in the UK and abroad.
Working across circuits and churches has given me an invaluable ecumenical perspective.
I believe General Synod benefits from members who understand both the distinctiveness of Anglicanism and the opportunities created through strong ecumenical relationships.
If elected, I will bring experience of parish life, theological study, safeguarding leadership, governance and ecumenical partnership, together with a commitment to serve prayerfully, thoughtfully and with integrity.
Contribute towards Christian Unity through our strong ecumenical partnerships, experience of local unity and our depth of ecumenical relationships and experience.
This gave me a strong sense of the particular vocation of the Anglican Communion to live out our communion in Christ through embracing difference of culture and ethnicity and even of strongly held views I hold a strong ecumenical commitment as a Bossey Graduate from the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches, Geneva, and having studied in Brimingham, Rome and Toulouse since my theological training in Oxford.
Ordained in 2010, I have been Team Vicar at Church of the Cross (Thamesmead) since 2014, a Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP) in a Low Income (LInC) area.
I am serving as the Anglican ecumenical representative to the Methodist Conference until 2028.
As a student, I worked in ecumenical chaplaincy in Manchester.
Ecumenical Outlook
General Synod needs to use its oversight to embrace the changing landscape of local ecumenical relations and speak up for their value, to help parishes and deaneries nurture or rekindle these relationships in a spirit of shared Christian faith and mission.
I am a member of the management committee of Faith in Europe, an ecumenical charity which is part of CTBI, and regularly write for The Tablet’s ‘Church in the World’ and the Church Times.
I worship at New Cross Community Church, a Church of England and Methodist local ecumenical partnership, where I have served on the ecumenical council for the past two years.
Being part of an ecumenical church has taught me that good Christian leadership starts with listening.
I now serve on my church's ecumenical council and regularly support events aimed at encouraging more people to come into church.
I describe myself as middle of the road, neither evangelical nor high church but ecumenical and liberal.
For my own part, I have developed close links with the Orthodox, whose representatives kindly supplied a fraternal message from the Ecumenical Patriarch to be read out at my episcopal ordination.
I have served in a voluntary capacity as a trustee of both church and secular charities, including Benchill Ecumenical Service Scheme (a charity that provided youth work and counselling) and Independent Choices (a Domestic Abuse charity).
Although a lifelong Anglican, I have had the privilege of studying at a Roman Catholic sixth form college, working in two Ecumenical charities, leading the Northwest Christian Fellowship at Barnardo’s and working for Methodist Homes.
As a representative on our local Churches Together, I appreciate the opportunities to learn from members of other denominations and consider that ecumenical working wherever possible enables more effective witness and mission both locally and nationally.
I have experience of the wider Anglican Communion from my time as a teenager living in Kenya as a missionary family with MAF, and I have represented Anglicanism at a Roman Catholic seminary as an ordinand on an ecumenical placement.