The CTE All Representatives Conference 2025 took the theme of Ecumenism: Journeying Together and considered our own and our shared ecumenical pilgrimages and journeys of faith.
The annual conference was attended by more than a hundred ecumenical representatives from across the full range of CTE national Member Churches and is especially tailored to meet the needs of those working within intermediate or regional ecumenism. This included National Ecumenical Officers, County Ecumenical Officers, Denominational Ecumenical Officers, and those with other titles too!
Expanding on the focus of Ecumenism: Journeying Together, the rich and busy programme offered an opportunity to network, share and reflect together, and we were delighted to be joined by number of exciting speakers. These included Dr Peter Colwell from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, Fr Dragos Herescu of The Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies and Melvina Brown a Community Chaplain working in Northamptonshire.
Download Fr Dragos’ presentation
Download Rev Dr Peter Colwell’s presentation.
Participants also shared stories of pilgrimage from different parts of England, including the West Midlands and Cornwall, and there was an opportunity to reflect on the journeys of the CTE Working Groups on Racial Justice and Living with Diversity on Human Sexuality. The conference also included time for participants to meet in denominational groups and for the County Ecumenical Officers to meet together with CTE staff.
One participant commented on “the mutual spirit of oneness. Each session added to the previous one. There was something for everyone, and everyone felt included.”
With such a busy programme there was of course the need for some free time, and a number of the conference participants chose to use this to join an optional guided mini pilgrimage together using the Try Pilgrimage resources from the Methodist Church and Hope Together. They were blessed by the sunshine as they walked and prayed together in the nearby countryside.
The conference was also sustained with food, fellowship and worship together across a range of traditions which included Orthodox night prayer, Taizé worship, a Quaker meeting and a Pentecostal service.
Leaving refreshed, if tired, for the journey ahead one participant reflected that there was “Plenty of time and opportunity to network but also fascinating case studies on what ecumenism means to different people in different settings. Thank you!”
The All Ecumenical Representatives Conference 2026 will be from 29 September to 1 October 2026 atThe Hayes Conference Centre, Hayes Lane, Swanwick, Derbyshire DE55 1AU.
Read more about previous Ecumenical Officers/Representatives conferences.