In our blog, Rev Matthew Ross, General Secretary of ACTS, describes the work of the organisation.
The quest for Christian unity (not to be confused with uniformity) is based on the prayer of Jesus in John 17:21, making ecumenical relations an indispensible part of ecclesiology. Founded in 1990, Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) is Scotland’s “national ecumenical instrument” – a joint initiative of the Church of Scotland, Congregational Federation, Methodist Church, Religious Society of Friends, Roman Catholic Church, Salvation Army, Scottish Episcopal Church, United Free Church of Scotland and United Reformed Church.
In its work, ACTS seeks to enable the Scottish churches in their common life. It encourages and resources encounters between them in which each participant learns from the other, where difference is explored and respected and where division is healed.
The overall policy is set at the thrice-yearly ACTS’ Members Meeting, with representatives from each of the nine member churches. In compliance with charity law, ACTS is governed by a board of seven Trustees appointed by the member churches.
The ACTS office is based in Stirling. It was originally based at the former Scottish Churches House in Dunblane, which closed in 2011. The sale of the building has created the Scottish Churches House Legacy Reserve – a fund that aims to facilitate imaginative new forms of ecumenical work in Scotland.
ACTS aims to be the visible expression of Scotland’s churches commitment to work together. ACTS is very much centred on the churches – allowing institutions and individuals to get to know one another and work together. ACTS also works closely with sister ecumenical organisations, such as Churches Together in Britain & Ireland (CTBI) and international ecumenical organisations.
With the rapid increase in secularisation in Scotland and across the western world, the Church has increasingly moved from the centre to the margins of society. Ecumenical relations must not be about merely coming together in the face of adversity; they are about living out the Gospel. If we cannot work honestly towards reconciliation between denominations and traditions, how are we supposed to show God’s love to a sceptical world? Closer ecumenical relations have undoubtedly played a part in addressing sectarianism, but there is still much work to be done.
All of what ACTS does is within one of three areas:
• Church and Society / Justice
• Faith and Order
• Local ecumenism
ACTS aims to support local ecumenical groups and initiatives through the ACTS Ecumenical Development Group (EDG). It can be as simple as helping put people in touch to learn from each other or even helping to set up a new group, including technical requirements such as advice on charity registration. The EDG also assists with formal reviews of Local Ecumenical Partnerships across Scotland. If you are interested in forming a local ecumenical group the ACTS office is happy to offer help.
A major part of ACTS work is through its Programme and Partner Groups. Member churches nominate people to serve on them and they are supported by the ACTS Programme Officer. Examples include the Scottish Churches Education Group, Scottish Churches Anti-Human Trafficking Group, Scottish Churches Rural Group and Scottish Churches Disabilities Group.
ACTS organises events, conferences, publications, worship materials and brings people together to learn, share and pray. In April 2016, ACTS organised a study trip for church leaders to visit Brussels – with meetings at the European Commission, European Parliament, Scottish Government EU office and the Conference of European Churches. In April 2017, ACTS organised a conference in Edinburgh on the implications of Brexit for the churches.
ACTS is currently undergoing a major external review (by the consultancy Theos, who have also reviewed the sister body Churches Together in England). Whatever changes result from this, the prayer of Jesus in John 17:21 means that the quest for Christian unity through better ecumenical relations must remain a priority for the Church.
Website: www.acts-scotland.org