Scotland’s first ever Local Ecumenical Partnerships (LEPs) gathering held at the end of last month has been deemed a success by Action of Churches Together in Scotland.

|TOP|More than 115 delegates from across Scotland gathered for the event held on 26 November.

The event, organised by the Scottish Churches National Sponsoring Body for LEPs, brought together member churches of the ACTS and the Baptist Union of Scotland to offer support and guidance to churches involved in or working towards becoming LEPs.

Key note speaker, the Ecumenical Moderator in Milton Keynes, Rev. Dr. Mary Cotes, challenged participants gathered at the event to “learn from the ways that others see us and share in the ecumenical dance even if we are not always sure where the dance will lead us”, read the ACTS statement.

The gathering also included workshops on Worshipping together, Acting together for social justice, Learning together through the work of the local ecumenical audit that ACTS has commissioned this year and Being churches together which explored the work of ACTS.

|AD|Rev. Lindsey Sanderson, Secretary to the National Sponsoring Body, said: “What has clearly emerged is the value of people from different situations coming together to share stories and experiences.

“The task for the Sponsoring Body is to ensure that this continues and that the people who are involved in denominational structures also share in such gatherings so that they are fully aware of the hopes and concerns of people in LEPs.”

A groundbreaking Local Ecumenical Partnership was established in October this year between an English Anglican parish and a German Lutheran parish.

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 groundbreaking LEP agreement at a special ceremony held at St James’ Church, Stretham, one of the churches belonging to the Ely Team Ministry.

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.