CTE’s three National Agencies are:
- CAFOD (Roman Catholic aid agency)
- Christian Aid (ecumenical aid agency)
- The Christian Enquiry Agency (creators of Christianity.org.uk – a web-based enquiry platform for the Christian faith)
CAFOD and Christian Aid are organisations that have their origins in the predecessor of CTE, the British Council of Churches, and are ways that Member Churches of CTE have responded to the call to address the challenges of poverty and development in the wider world. CTE has a role in the governing body of Christian Aid.
The Christian Enquiry Agency is another National Agency of CTE, providing an online encyclopaedia of what Christians believe at Christianity.org.uk. They also encourage web visitors to email questions to them, offering a considered, personal response to people’s questions about Christianity (read more here). The Christian Enquiry Agency reflects the breadth of belief of the CTE Member Churches, and reports to CTE’s Group for Evangelisation. CTE also has a role in their governing body.
More about National Agencies
CTE’s Enabling Group may receive reports from the Agencies, and Agencies may ask for items to go on the Enabling Group agenda. CTE is also sometimes asked to put a representative on the Board/Management of an Agency (usually a CTE member of staff).
Agencies use CTE’s Forum (taking place every 3-4 years) as an opportunity to communicate with the wider Church in England.
Churches Together in England can commend the work of Agencies to County/Intermediate Bodies (and, through them, to local ecumenical groups) and can help them to communicate with County Ecumenical Officers.