Communications Manager, Council of Lutheran Churches and CTE Forum media assistant, Rev Dr Wendy Sherer writes…
“Unity starts with U ‘n’ I.”
These words from award-winning spoken word artist Poetess Jess aptly sum up the ecumenical extravaganza spanning three days that was CTE Forum 2025. And what does—what can—Christian unity look like? It looks like around 300 believers representing national Member Churches and regional and local Churches Together groups from every corner of the country, worshipping, praying, learning, and connecting with each other around the theme: One But Not the Same: Celebrating diversity, Living with difference.
In the idyllic early springtime setting of The Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, that diversity was evident everywhere one looked—in faces older, younger, and in-between; in the variety of cultures, traditions and expressions; in worship styles and practices; in opinions and convictions held and shared; and certainly in the continuous feast of presentations and experiences on offer throughout the programme.
Workshops spanned everything from ‘forest church’ to the Middle East conflict. The Marketplace showcased Charities and Networks in Association with CTE, sharing information and opportunities for advocacy, education, and ministry. Participants were offered a variety of worship experiences from different traditions and encouraged to choose something unfamiliar and new to them.
Young ecumenists, those under the age of 35, were everywhere. Leading worship, workshops, taking part in Forum’s first ‘Theology Slam’, playing music, sharing their perspectives from the front. Who says ecumenism is something you do when you retire?
On the main stage, an engaging succession of speakers fleshed out a vision of unity from their unique perspectives. Participants were presented with concepts to unpack—like the ‘priesthood of all believers’ and ‘synodality’ (the notion of journeying together), based both in Biblical narratives and real-world examples.
Representing the Quakers in Britain, Elaine Green reminded the gathering that “Unity is not consensus,” but that through the process of spending time together and listening to one another, we may find our minds and hearts transformed.
Apostolic Pastoral Congress Archbishop Doyé Agama and Rev Professor David Wilkinson issued a transformative challenge to the church to consider Artificial Intelligence as a creative gift from a creative God, but one which, like all tools, must be carefully considered and wisely employed.
Dr Deborah Lewer helped train the eye to see diversity in new and unexpected ways, using several fascinating (and sometimes humourous) examples from the world of visual art.
Weaving together the Forum theme with a similar lyric from a U2 song, Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson reminded participants that on the journey toward reparative justice, “We get to carry each other…and find our deepest identity as people formed by love, by witness, by truth.”
In a presentation about embodying difference in the household of God, Rt Rev Professor Anderson Jeremiah issued a reminder that Jesus practised redemptive, unconditional inclusion, and so should we also, as his followers.
Whilst every presenter did not share the same view and perspective as every other—a characteristic surely reflected in the diverse gathered participants as well—CTE General Secretary Mike Royal issued a prayer that “when we do disagree, [we might] disagree well and uphold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
As participants take everything they experienced at this year’s Forum back to their own communities, they do so with new energy, vision, and perspective. Three days spent in the rich, diverse company of fellow believers truly demonstrated that ‘Unity starts with “U ‘n’ I”.
It starts—but doesn’t end—with us.
Find all the resources to help you share and catch up on CTE Forum 2025.
Watch the keynote presentations from CTE Forum 2025 on YouTube.
Photo credits: Paul Seymour / © Churches Together in England cte.org.uk