Posted Thursday 1 November 2007
On the afternoon of Sunday 30 September 2007 a Covenant was signed in St John’s Scottish Episcopal Church, Dumfries, between the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway and the Glasgow Circuit of the Methodist Church in Scotland, writes Ecumenical Relations Coordinator Rev Sandy Montgomerie.
The words of the Covenant include the following: ‘We shall seek to widen our Ecumenical Partnership to invite and include all other Churches in Dumfries, wherever possible, so that our working together may be as wide as possible and our diversity not hindered by ongoing dis-union and rivalry.’
In this spirit it was signed during a ‘Big Sing’ of Charles Wesley’s hymns (to celebrate his tercentenary) to which singers from all the Christian churches in the Dumfries area were invited. Over 400 people witnessed the covenant signing and I certainly thought the roof would be lifted off as the first hymn ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing’ resounded through the church.
The Covenant commits each tradition to developing the already shared ministry at St John’s and to continue to provide a place of worship for those seeking not only to witness in the Episcopal but also in the Methodist tradition and to forge stronger ties between them. As part of the arrangement the Rector of St John’s will become an Associate Methodist Minister and St John’s will be listed in both the Methodist and Scottish Episcopal directories.
Part of the celebrations included the dedication of St John’s new porch windows and glass doors engraved by David Gulland, a glass artist and member of St John’s congregation. The doors display engraved logos of the respective churches below traditional symbols of the Christian faith.
It was great to be part of this celebration in Dumfries where such a model of local ecumenical partnership can show the way forward to other churches in Scotland who are seeking closer links.”
Category: Ecumenical Relations Action Network, Thought for the Month
