Churches urged to work together

A letter to all Church Leaders from the Presidents of Churches Together in All Lincolnshire
6th October 2022

Dear Church Leaders,

We are writing directly to you in a way that we have never done before: all the Presidents of Churches Together in All Lincolnshire united, contacting every single church leader, Ordained or Lay, in the area we cover with one single request.

In order for the Church to be as effective as possible in both urban and rural contexts we strongly urge you to work together, as never before, with ecumenical partners.

We may be facing the possibility of an economic crisis not known for decades, rising energy bills, inflation, increasing poverty, no one can be sure how serious this may become. We all know that there is much anxiety and fear as to what may lie ahead, for our communities, for the churches in which we serve, and indeed for ourselves, as none of us will be immune should the situation develop in the way that is being reported.

There is much talk of creating warm places in church buildings, providing soup and hot drinks but this may be beyond some of our communities, and indeed costs money.

It is a truism to state that we can be far more effective together than we can apart. In the coming months we will need to overcome any obstacles that have prevented us from working collaboratively in the communities we seek to serve. The cold and hungry are not interested whether those who care for them are of a particular denomination; therefore, as disciples of Jesus, we need to come together as one.

Only you and your neighbouring colleagues will know what is possible in your context; so, we invite you to meet together as soon as possible to consider what might be done. It may be that you heat a single space for mission, projects (ie luncheon clubs and coffee mornings), or even worship. This does not necessarily mean worshiping together at the same time but in relay, one after another, so that we may maintain our distinct doctrines, practices, and characteristics, yet whilst saving costs and building unity through the act of sharing space collaboratively.

We will endeavour to post on the CTAL website and Social Media channels stories of simple/creative/collaborative initiatives that may be helpful in considering what your communities might also do – Please do share your stories with us to build others up.

One thing is for sure, whenever the world has been in crisis, God has found new and creative ways of responding and redeeming a situation. This is a time when as one, the churches of Lincolnshire, can rise to the challenge, make a huge difference and witness for Christ in a truly effective and meaningful way.

Every Blessing,

The Presidents of Churches Together in All Lincolnshire

The Revd Bruce Thompson, Chair Lincolnshire Methodist District
The Rev'd Geoffrey S Clarke, B.A.,Moderator, The United Reformed Church, East Midlands Synod
Peter Allen-Williams, Lincolnshire Area Quaker Meeting
Rt Rev Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham
Rev Dr Nick Ashton – Regional Minister, East Midland Baptist Association (EMBA)
The Rt Revd Dr David Court, The Suffragan Bishop of Grimsby, Diocese of Lincoln
Peter Atkins, Groundlevel Network
Major Mark Rose, The Salvation Army, East Midlands Divisional Headquarters