NEWS for the Free Churches
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110710
NEW SECRETARY FOR PRISON CHAPLAINCY
The Free Churches Group have appointed Revd Bob Wilson to serve as Secretary for Prison Chaplaincy, with responsibility for the authorisation and pastoral support of Prison Chaplains around the country. Bob is a Baptist minister serving at Wayland Prison in Norfolk, where he will continue to 'keep his hand in' for one day per week.
This post has hitherto been funded and supported by the Methodist Church but now moves to the Free Churches Group in recognition of the fact that a wider range of churches are now engaged in this specialist ministry. Bob will also be seeking to assist the churches engage in community 'outside the gate' chaplaincy work in co-ordination with others.
Bob succeeds the Revd Alan Ogier who is retiring and to whom a huge debt of gratitude is owed.
110526
COTSWOLD MEETING GIVES THE FCG FRESH CONFIDENCE
The first residential meeting of the Free Churches Group to take place for some time has given the churches a fresh confidence for their relationship and common witness. Time was given to reflect on the common identity the members of FCG hold, how this is forged through closer fellowship and relationships and what common work and activity might arise from the relationship. The meeting considered where churches are already working together in common witness through Churches Together in England and various agencies, in order to highlight what might be specific tasks for FCG.
The central theme is that all that the Free Churches Group undertake is to be aimed at enhancing the mission of the member churches.
A statement outlining the key outcomes from the meeting can be read here
110414
Revd Michael Heaney, General Secretary of the Congregational Federation was inducted as Free Churches Moderator on 13th April 2011 at Bunyan Meeting, in Bedford, by his predecessor, Commissioner Elizabeth Matear of the Salvation Army.
Read the full press release here
MODERATOR MEETS THE SPEAKER'S CHAPLAIN
As part of a series of meetings with significant women in church leadership the Moderator has met with the Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkins.
The Moderator met on an earlier date with the President of the Methodist Conference and the Co-Moderator of the United Reformed Church.
(click for more...)
1010
DEDICATED WEBSITE ADDRESS
As of Wednesday 13th October 2010 the Free Churches Group has a dedicated website address that takes you to the Free Church pages of the CTE Website.
You will note that, although these pages are within the CTE site, they are formatted differently. The banner heading is clear and all the tabs lead to pages for the Free Churches. All these pages can also be accessed from within the CTE pages, using the appropriate tabs. CTE pages can be accessed from the Free Churches home page using the top-left link.
Methodist-URC Joint Meeting
The governing councils of the Methodist and United Reformed Churches have met (13th - 15th October) together for the first time. This was not a merger (!) rather an exploration of ways of joint working.
Next Moderator is elected
At its Annual General Meeting held on 28th September the Free Churches Group elected its Moderator for the period 2011 - 2015.
He is Revd Michael Heaney, who serves as the General Secretary of the Congregational Federation.
A service of Induction is to be held in the Spring of 2011. Michael will succeed Commissioner Betty Matear in the role of Moderator, serving also as a President of Churches Together in England, alongside Archbishops Rowan Williams and Vincent Nichols.
A Free Church Voice on Education
The Free Church Education Committee has published (October 2010) a paper outlining the position of the Free Churches in relation to Education, both historically and in the current situation.
A pdf version can be downloaded here.
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