Constitution of Churches Together in England / Code of Good Pratice

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CONSTITUTION of CHURCHES TOGETHER IN KENT

This page was last updated on 10 August 2004

Churches Together in Kent covers the civic areas of the County of Kent and the London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley. Membership includes the Anglican Dioceses of Canterbury and Rochester, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, the London S.E. District of the Methodist Church, the Southern Province of the United Reformed Church, the Kent and London Baptist Associations, the Canterbury and South London Divisions of the Salvation Army and the East and West Kent Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends.

1. Membership

     Churches Together in Kent members are appointed by the eight constituent Churches in the area from
     their own membership. Each Church may appoint up to five members who should include church leaders,
    administrative officers, and representatives of clergy/ministers and lay members. Other denominations in the
     area can be invited to join the Council or send observers with the agreement of the existing member
     Churches. Members of Churches Together in England representing Kent shall be elected from the members
     of Churches Together in Kent.

2. Officers

     Churches Together in Kent shall elect from its members, for a three-year period, a Chairman,
     Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The officers, with additional representatives from the member
     Churches not thus elected, will constitute a Standing Committee. Churches Together in Kent will be served
     by a County Ecumenical Officer whose terms and conditions of service shall be decided by the member
     churches.

3. Finance

The financing of the work shall be by contributions from the Churches concerned as determined by
Churches Together in Kent.

4. Aims and Objectives

a. To encourage local mission together.

b. To promote and seek by prayer and other appropriate ways the fullness of unity in the Church founded
by Jesus Christ, and to promote co-operation and dialogue between the churches in Kent.

c. To act as a regular forum for study and debate on all matters of Christian unity and common concern,
including the deployment of Ministry (lay and ordained) and the sharing of resources.

d. To act as the Sponsoring Body for all existing Local Ecumenical Partnerships.

e. To encourage and further the creation of Local Ecumenical Partnerships in the area.

f. To encourage and further Local Covenants among churches and to advise Congregations who wish to
enter into such Covenants.

g. To maintain communication and information with the Councils of Churches in the area.

h. To facilitate the relationships between the member Churches and the media.

i. To respond as may be thought appropriate to matters of social concern.

5. The above Constitution may be changed with the unanimous agreement of the members of the Full Council.

Code of Good Practice.

Churches Together in Kent has drawn up this 'Code of Good Practice' and commends it to the member churches and their appropriate Boards and Committees.

1. Implementing the principles of the Inter-Church Process at all levels.

2. Co-ordinating activities in all areas of work wherever possible.

3. Creating a network of officers undertaking similar work.

4. Sharing their own visions and programmes with each other.

5. Considering the ecumenical dimension when embarking on new items of work.

6. Informing each other when planning for new buildings or developing important areas of work.

7. Looking for opportunities to share resources and increasing ecumenical co-operation.

8. Encouraging local churches to reflect these principles in their own decision-making and planning.