The Inter-Church Relations Committee is responsible for promoting inter-church working locally and nationally with Local Ecumenical Partnerships, Action of Churches together in Scotland (ACTS) and Churches together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).
The committee also has wider relationships with the Anglican Communion, the Porvoo Communion, the Reuilly Agreement, the Meissen Commission and the World Council of Churches.
Guidelines on Implementing Ecumenical Agreements
The Scottish Episcopal Church has relationships with many other churches, within Scotland, in the UK, across Europe and globally. Some of those relationships are governed by formal agreements. Following on from the signing of the Saint Andrew Declaration in 2021, the Inter-Church Relations Committee has prepared a single document of Ecumenical Guidelines which sets out these various agreements and the churches included within.
The Guidelines document is intended to be a resource to SEC clergy, to make it easy to access the implications of the agreements for how members and clergy of the partner church may participate in the worship of the SEC, and vice versa. The Guidelines separate the agreements into two broad categories: those of full communion, and those allowing limited exchange, and clarifies what the different agreements mean for ministry on the ground for lay people, clergy, presidency at the Eucharist, and participation in other liturgical services. The Guidelines will be updated as required.
Guidelines on Implementing Ecumenical Agreements PDF
God’s Gift and Call to Unity
Each Assembly of the World Council of Churches produces a Unity Statement – a short reflection on the unity of the Church as both God’s gift and God’s calling. It is an opportunity for the member churches of the World Council to reflect on progress made on the ecumenical journey to reaffirm our commitment to one another as we travel on towards that goal.
Study Document – God’s Gift and Call to Unity
Porvoo Information Pack
An information pack is available which provides guidance on the Porvoo Agreement between the Anglican Churches of Great Britain and Ireland and the Nordic/Baltic Lutheran Churches, its members, the work of the Porvoo Communion of Churches Contact Group. The pack also includes ideas for setting up a partnership, sample agreements, the lists of current partnerships and contact details.
Porvoo Information Pack 17 02 2014 (3)for SEC website
