Church of England
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Non- Governmental and Other Organisations
- Christianity (Anglican)
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Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ, UK
- churchofengland
English- Show
Aim
Carry forward the work that Jesus Christ began in all aspects of the life of people in society; oversee how the calling 'As the Father has sent me, so do I send you' is carried out at the national level of the Church of England in evangelism, development of parish congregations, internationally through the work of the world mission agencies - and in rural and urban situations.
History
At the Reformation the Western Church became divided between those who continued to accept Papal authority and the various Protestant churches that repudiated it. The Church of England was among the churches that broke with Rome. The catalyst for this decision was the refusal of the Pope to annul the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, but underlying this was a Tudor nationalist belief that authority over the English Church properly belonged to the English monarchy. In the reign of Henry's son Edward VI the Church of England underwent further reformation, driven by the conviction that the theology being developed by the theologians of the Protestant Reformation was more faithful to the teaching of the Bible and the Early Church than the teaching of those who continued to support the Pope. In the reign of Mary Tudor. the Church of England once again submitted to Papal authority. However, this policy was reversed when Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558.
IRD Activities
- Presence and Engagement Programme
Presence and Engagement is the Church of England's national programme equipping Christians for mission and ministry in the wonderful diversity of our multi faith society. The programme has developed a new language for this work, focusing on the importance of the Church both remaining present in multi religious areas and engaging positively with communities of other faiths. Presence and Engagement is different from inter faith dialogue, although complementary to it. The programme focuses on the task of resourcing the Church for work which will include, but is not limited to, dialogue with people of different faiths
- Diocesan Inter Faith Relations Advisers
A network of Inter Faith Relations Advisers and contacts in each diocese provide specialist advice and encouragement for church leaders and members seeking to develop good relations with members of different faiths. Bishops often have a particularly important role to play alongside other religious leaders and ecumenical colleagues in speaking for the faith communities. Some of the ways in which local churches are involved in inter faith work include: joining or helping to establish councils of faiths or inter faith groups, practical partnerships (e.g. caring for homeless people or asylum seekers, urban regeneration schemes, young people's projects, groups to fight racism), building up links with nearby mosques, synagogues, temples, or gurdwaras (arranging visits, exchanging seasonal greetings, etc.), combating misinformation, prejudice and bigotry about other faiths, responding courteously to requests to use church halls and other premises, studying inter faith issues and reflecting theologically on them, forming small groups where people of different faiths can meet to share experiences in trust, friendship and prayer
- Ecumenical Relations
The Church of England sees itself as part of the whole Church of God, which includes many different Churches in this country and around the world. The Council for Christian Unity oversees and resources the Church of England's work with other Churches locally, nationally and internationally. The Faith and Order Commission advises the Church of England in ecumenical dialogues and also has a wider role in advising the Church of England on theological questions.
Main Focus Countries of Activities
UK - UK - Morocco - Portugal - Spain - Gibraltar - Andorra - France - Monaco - Malta - Italy - Switzerland - Luxembourg - Belgium - Netherlands - Germany - Denmark - Sweden - Norway - Finland - Russian Federation - Estonia - Latvia - Iceland - Poland - Slovakia - Czechia - Austria - Hungary - Slovenia - Croatia - Serbia - Greece - Bulgaria - Romania - Ukraine - Turkey - Georgia - Azerbaijan - Armenia - Turkmenistan - Uzbekistan - Mongolia - UK - Morocco - Portugal - Spain - Gibraltar - Andorra - France - Monaco - Malta - Italy - Switzerland - Luxembourg - Belgium - Netherlands - Germany - Denmark - Sweden - Norway - Finland - Russian Federation - Estonia - Latvia - Iceland - Poland - Slovakia - Czechia - Austria - Hungary - Slovenia - Croatia - Serbia - Greece - Bulgaria - Romania - Ukraine - Turkey - Georgia - Azerbaijan - Armenia - Turkmenistan - Uzbekistan - Mongolia