How Churches Together are organised

The Sponsoring Body & The Ecumenical Council

FAITH representative - Swindon Strategic Partnership

The Churches in Swindon have a history of ecumenical work dating abck to the 1960's. the Old Town Partnership of Churches is one of the oldest partnerships in the country. work on providing a church presence in the new build areas of swindon are planned ecumenically.

Most of the borough's churches belong to Swindon Churches Together. They are listed in the Church Directory section of this website. Recent work in ecumencial devleopment is outlined in a section below. The work of specific groups and organisations can be found in the MORE ABOUT US section.

Some names

There are two Swindon-wide Churches Together organisations, and details appear below.

Swindon Churches Together Sponsoring Body

Chair Rev. Dick Gray, dick643@yahoo.co.uk. 01666 860643

Swindon Churches Together Ecumenical Council

Chair; Rev. Derek Collins revdjc@fish.co.uk . 01793 523810
Secretary; Mrs Barbara Aftelak barbaraaftelak@ntlworld.com. 01793 536815
Treasurer: Rev. Dick Gray dick643@yahoo.co.uk. 01666 860643

The BISHOP OF SWINDON (Church of England) is Rt. Rev. Lee Rayfield. bishop.swindon@bristoldiocese.org 01793 538654 (office)

The FAITH representative on Swindon Strategic Partnership is Rev'd Stephen Henderson,

Swindon Churches Together has two organising groups, the Sponsoring Body and the Ecumenical Council . The papers below describe these bodies and work associated with them, including the role of Ecumenical Supporters.

The Churches in Swindon have been working together ecumencially for a long time.In the different areas of the borough, there are local Churches Together and similar groups. There are also many networks and other organisations, which are listed in the MORE ABOUIT US section.

There are printable copies of the papers at the end of this section. Back to top

The Sponsoring Body & The Ecumenical Council

The Sponsoring Body and Local Ecumenical Partnerships

Swindon Churches Together works in two ways.

The Sponsoring Body is composed of regional Church Leaders and local representatives who have the responsibility for the maintenance and support of local ecumenical partnerships. This is a body with legal responsibilities. Members are senior church leaders or their delegates, or are ex-officio advisers. The Chair is Rev'd Dick Grey. The Sponsoring Body meets quarterly, to discuss matters of ecumenical interest, to provide support and guidance and to ensure regular reviews take place. These involve a team with relevant experience spending time with the local church and other local people, to look at successes, difficulties and changing pattern of work and worship; and to make recommendations for future development.

The Ecumenical Council is the body responsible for the wider work of the Church in Swindon, for the strengthening of ecumenical links, and for the Church's joint work and representation to the wider community. The Chair is Rev'd Derek Collins.

Swindon has high level of ecumenical activity within the churches, and good relations with other bodies. There are various models of ecumenical partnerships at present. Where new areas of Swindon are being built, the churches seek to work closely together to ensure that there is a Christian presence, often expressed in new ways, to suit the needs of new areas of population.

In some places Christian churches have joined together to worship and to do other work, such as social outreach, pastoral care, mission and administration. These are called Local Ecumenical Partnerships. More loosely associated local groups of Christian churches with a formal commitment to work together, are usually known as Churches Together groups.

Local Ecumenical Partnerships
Chaplaincy
Great Western Hospital. At present an inter-denominational chaplaincy, ensuring that the needs of people of other faiths are met. It provides pastoral care, and space for worship and silence, to patients and staff. There is one full-time and one 80% time chaplain, together with a number of volunteers, and an on-call system to ensure coverage at all times.
New College. Church of England, Methodist and Youth for Christ LEP, with other Free Church and Catholic support, and an associate Muslim chaplain.
Swindon College. A chaplaincy team consisting of Free Church and Catholic voluntary staff, with college recognition. These provide pastoral care, events and place for prayer and quiet.
University chaplaincy at the Oakfield campus is provided through the University of Bath and the University of the West of England.

Congregation partnerships
In some churches, different denominations have joined and worship together as a single congregation, with the minister coming from each denomination in turn. In others, there are several distinct congregations, bound together by a covenant and often a constitution, meeting in different places, and each church may have a denominational flavour. Ministers share work, exchange between their ?home? and other churches, and ensure that most work is undertaken jointly where possible.

Central Church. Pilgrim Centre, Regent Street, Swindon. (Baptist, United Reformed Church, Methodist). The Dorcan Church. In the Lawns area of Swindon. (Anglican and Methodist.) Served by an Anglican and a Methodist minister. Two church buildings.
North Swindon LEP (Catholic, Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed Church). Served by a Catholic priest as part of a wider parish, n Anglican priest, and a Free Church minister of the Methodist, Baptist or United Reformed Church.). Formed 1999. Parts of the area still being built. Two churches, one new, one historic, and a school are used for worship.
Old Town LEP (Church of England, United Reformed Church, Methodist). Three churches. Served by three ministers. Started in 1969, it is one of the oldest in the country.
The Church in Parks and Walcot (Anglican, Catholic and Methodist.) Served by an Anglican priest, a Catholic priest as part of a wider parish, and a Methodist minister as part of a wider call. Two churches.
Purton Churches Together (Anglican and Methodist). Served by an Anglican priest (part-time) and a non-stipendiary Methodist minister. Two churches.
West Swindon LEP (Baptist, Church of England, Methodist, United Reformed Church). Four churches. Served by two Anglican ministers and a Free Church Minister on rotation. A number of non-stipendiary (unpaid) ministers also work here.

Churches Together Groups
These are groups of churches which have come together under a written agreement, and undertake certain activities together, including worship, social activities and service to the community.
Highworth Inter-Church Council ( Anglican, Catholic and Community Church). Served by the priest of the (larger) Catholic parish, with a Mass Centre in the Parish Church; and by an Anglican and a Community Church minister. Joint worship, prayer and social activities.
Churches Together in Swindon Centre. Led by lay people, this organises an annual carol service, vigil for Christian unity and social events.
Wanborough Churches Together (Anglican and Community Church).
Wroughton Churches Together. Anglican, Catholic Methodist). Joint worship, prayer and social activities.

Other areas
Ecumenical activities take place in the other areas of the town, though not necessarily formally constituted. The churches of Penhill jointly employ a community worker.
In many areas of town the local ministers and church workers gather regularly for prayer and for planning with regard to matters that affect their area.
The churches are jointly planning, through the Sponsoring Body and the Ecumenical Council, the provision of Christian worship, pastoral care and social activity in areas of new development. At present work is progressing with regard to the ?Front Garden?, the Southern Development Area.

Inter-Faith relations
The churches work to support provision for people of other faiths in the chaplaincies, and to foster good relations in the community. Some work, such as the Faith contribution to the borough's emergency planning, takes all faiths into planning. Rev'd Stephen Henderson is the Faith representative on Swindon Strategic Partnership.
There is a lively Inter-Faith group in the borough, and through this and through other means, relations are maintained and developed with members of other faiths. Back to top

FAITH representative - Swindon Strategic Partnership

The Strategic Partnership is a Government initiative to ensure the different sectors of the community work together for the benefit of the whole community. Swindon, like other areas of the country has had a Partnership for the last few years. The Borough Council, the community and voluntary sectors, health, learning, business, equalities, and faith are all represented.

Recent work of the Partnership has included the overall Community Strategy for Swindon (which is currently being refreshed as a Sustainable Community Strategy); Neighbourhood Renewal; the development of Local Area Agreements; the Climate Change Action Plan; and input into consultation on new areas of building as Swindon expands. A Rural Strategy is expected to be developed.

The Faith Communities have a significant part to play in the future of the borough.

Rev. Tony Attwood was the representative on the Shadow Board and was then elected to represent the Faith Communities when the Partnership was established in 2002. The current representative, Rev'd Stephen Henderson, was elected in May 2007. Back to top

Ecumenical Supporters

Local Ecumenical Partnerships are new ways of working together as Church to improve and increase our worship, to encourage others to worship with us, to act justly in the world and to spread the Kingdom through our prayer, love and action. Churches Together groups are groups of churches that unite, often to undertake joint ventures, either in matters of social concern or in matters of joint worship or social activity in their locality. We all need support sometimes. When we are working with structures and about the beliefs of other people, it is easy to get things wrong. This is all part of the process of learning and is outweighed by the richness of working together. However, if your LEP or Churches Together group wants a listening ear, or more prolonged assistance, we suggest you contact our LEP supporters. They may be able to help you or to point you to someone who can.

This leaflet outlines the support that is available for Local Ecumenical Projects and Churches Together groups.

The Sponsoring Body of Swindon Churches Together consists of the regional Church Leaders from the major denominations (Bishops, Regional Chairs) and their local representatives. Its purpose is to care for, maintain and review Local Ecumenical Partnerships and Churches Together groups. Traditionally, there have been individuals designated as supporters for these ways of being Church. The new method of support is through consultants, who may work with the LEP (or Churches Together groups) for a certain length of time. They may also be available for one-off advice in their specialist areas, or for crisis support. They can also help after a review to find new ways of working.

The following are available to help:

Rev. Derek Collins, Methodist Ecumenical Officer, also chair of the Sponsoring Body. Tel. 01793 523810. Email: revdjc@fish.co.uk
Rev. Dick Gray, URC Ecumenical Officer.
Tel. 01666 860643 Email: dick643@yahoo.co.uk
There are also people who are specialists in a particular area of work and may be able to help.

How to use your supporters
You may contact any of the people named above to discuss your needs with them, and to see if they are available to assist with a particular issue involving your LEP or Churches Together group. You may want to consider how much time might be needed, or whether this is a one-off query. There are a number of specialists whose names are not given out publicly, but who may be able to help. Contact SCT, for further details.

New LEP supporters
If you have been working on the Ecumenical scene for some time or have some specialist skill, such as personnel expertise, you may wish to offer yourself as an LEP Consultant. This will mean assisting a group other than the one in which you worship. We are always looking for new people, so please give your details to Dick Gray.

Having a Review
Local Ecumenical Partnerships and Churches Together groups are reviewed every five to seven years. We have a special leaflet explaining what happens, how and why. Please contact SCT for further details.

Working across the churches brings new joys and new challenges. Please contact us for further information on the support available. Back to top