Churches Together in Bungay (CTB)
A COVENANT FOR THE CHURCHES OF BUNGAY
1. We, the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist and United Reformed Churches of Bungay re-affirm our belief that visible unity in the life and mission of all Christ's people is his will (cf. John, 17, 20-21), and in this Covenant we therefore commit ourselves actively to seek that visible unity.
2. We confess our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour according to the Scriptures, and acknowledge our calling to serve his mission in the world.
3. We agree that the accepted pattern of initiation into the Christian Church is by the use of water in the name of the Holy Trinity. Today this is administered in our Churches to both infants and adults. We give thanks for all that we have in common, but we recognise that our divisions are a hindrance to that mission.
4. Since we recognise one another as within the one Church of Jesus Christ, dedicated to serve his Kingdom, and sharing in the unity of the Spirit, we pledge ourselves to seek the visible unity of Christ's Church in this town, not knowing what form that unity may eventually take, but believing that by taking this step we shall be led towards a fuller understanding of that unity, which is Christ's will for all his people.
5. Within the covenanting fellowship, we respect the rights of conscience of the individual members of our Churches as well as the limits imposed by the discipline and teaching of each of our Churches.
6. We pledge ourselves to continue to seek opportunities to pray and worship together, so that together we may give glory to God, build up the unity of Christ's people, and learn to understand the history, and to appreciate the liturgical, spiritual and theological traditions, of each of our Churches.
7. We undertake to support each other in deepening and renewing our traditions, in exploring our Christian beliefs, and in fostering Christian education and training.
8. We commit ourselves to work together in the mission of the Church, by proclaiming the Gospel and caring for the community.
9. We, the Anglican, Methodist and United Reformed Churches of Bungay make this further commitment.
10. We agree to recognise, from the date of the acceptance of this Covenant, the communicant members in good standing of the covenanting Churches as members of the Body of Christ and admit them to Holy Communion without condition.
11. We agree to recognise the ordained ministries of the Covenanting Churches within our area as true ministries of Word and Sacraments in the Holy Catholic Church. Within the constraints laid upon us by the discipline of our Churches, we wish to make possible that the Ministers of the Methodist/United Reformed Church will be welcomed to the Anglican churches to celebrate a rite of their own choice, acceptable to the local congregation and authorised by the Bishop. Care will be taken by the Anglican Church to advertise such celebrations to their membership, to accept and show respect to non-episcopally ordained ministers. In their turn, Anglican Ministers will be free to celebrate an authorised rite at the invitation of the Methodist/United Reformed Church ministers and their congregations.
12. This Covenant shall be reviewed at any time, and shall in any case be reviewed after three years. It may be modified with the consent of all the covenanting Churches.
13. We agree that this Covenant shall be offered to God in a service establishing a Local Ecumenical Project for the civil parish of Bungay.
Signed by the Ministers and authorised lay representatives of the covenanting Churches.