|PIC1|An English Anglican parish and a German Lutheran parish have established a groundbreaking Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP) allowing the exchange of both ministry and ministers within two entirely separate denominations and countries, reports The Good News.

Ely Team Ministry in the Diocese of Ely and the Lutheran parishes of Braderup and Klixbuell in the German Lutheran Diocese of North Elbe signed the LEP agreement last month at a special ceremony held at St James’ Church, Stretham, one of the churches belonging to the Ely Team Ministry.

The partnership was granted the approval of the Bishop of Ely, Dr Anthony Russell, and the Lutheran Bishop of the Schleswig Region in North Elbe, Dr Hans Christian Knuth, and follows a nine-year relationship between the two parishes.

“It is wonderful to welcome our German friends and colleagues and to have this further development of our close relationship with the Church of the North Elbe,” said the Bishop of Ely, Dr Anthony Russell.

“These relationships need to grow on the basis of firm roots, and over the years there have been many visits in both directions of parish clergy, ordinands, farmers, and educationalists. We have been deeply enriched by this relationship,” said Dr Russell.|TOP|

Canon Fred Kilner, team rector of the Ely Team Ministry, said: “This new agreement recognises that the boundaries of our faith are very wide indeed and run right across the North Sea. These links will go beyond church tourism to real dialogue in searching questions.”

LEPs are agreements between a bishop and the competent authority of another church which allow them to engage in a more extensive shared ministry and mission than is usually possible.

LEPs until now have only been set up between UK-based churches, with the latest agreement between the Ely and Schleswig parishes the first LEP to cross the water.

Rev Dr Charles Hill, European Secretary for the Council of Church Unity, said: “We hope this will be a model of many to come. All the things that have happened ecumenically in Ely are a great inspiration to us all.”