COORDINATING LINKS BETWEEN CHURCHES TOGETHER IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND (CTBI) AND BLACK-MAJORITY CHURCHES

Abstract

National councils of churches in Britain have been for many years concerned to foster and develop closer relationships between black-majority and white-majority churches. The first such attempt was the founding in 1977 of the Joint Working Party Between Black-led and White-led churches (JWP) at the British Council of Churches (BCC), which consisted of fifteen representatives from each side, including all major British and newly-founded independent African and African-Caribbean Christian organizations. Among its early members were Father Olu O. Abiola of the Aladura International Church, Bishop Malachi Ramsay of the Shiloh United Church of Christ Apostolic Worldwide, the Revd Alvin Blake of the Calvary Church of God in Christ, the Revd Jerisdan Jehu-Appiah of the Musama Disco Christo Church, and Dr Martin Conway, secretary of the Division of Ecumenical Affairs at the BCC. The Revd Roswith Gerloff acted as researcher and consultant to the group. It began to work out plans for closer cooperation in the sharing o f church buildings, sharing in worship, and partnership in education. The Conference for Christian Partnership (CCP) under the Revd Io Smith and the Revd Victor Watson followed in the eighties. In 1990, when the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland (CCBI) superseded the BCC, a number of churches and association of churches became full members of this 'new instrument'. This raised the question, Should the CCP continue or change? In fact a new body was formed called Black Christian Concerns. From the outset, it was meant to include both the Christian minority bodies and Christians in the mainline denominations. It consisted of representation from a) the black-majority churches; b) Christian concerns and racial justice groups within the established churches (including Roman Catholics); c) the CCBI, and Churches Together in England (CTE) groups where the majority of Christians live (although now some are also found in Ireland, Wales and Scotland). From 1997, Black Christian Concerns was able to employ a part-time liaison officer. His tasks are: * to establish and develop relationships with organizations of similar concern such as the African Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (ACEA) and the Centre for Black and White Christian Partnership (CBWCP); * to encourage and develop greater and more effective participation in the movement; * to identify priority issues, such as: sharing of church buildings; representation on synods and assemblies of white majority churches; monitoring the work of bodies, ensuring Christian concerns are priorities on church and agendas; working for equality among all, including the African Indigenous Churches; and representing the group at Caribbean and African-Caribbean church meetings. All this demands great sensitivity for the diversity of church life in Britain. The work of the liaison officer takes him to many parts of the United Kingdom to meet people and organizations. He has to attend conferences, run workshops on issues, preach at various church services, and help to prepare Racial Justice Sunday each September. At this point, we must also thank the Revd Dr Colin Davey, secretary for church life at CTBI, for all his coordinating work between the different Christian bodies. Dialogue and the understanding of As James Cone, the theologian of liberation, has put it, black ecumenism is significant because some churches have traditionally resisted the limitation of the term ecumenical to unity among churches only. …