Churches Together in England was delighted that three generations of former General Secretary Bill Snelson’s family were able to join the ‘ceremonial’ launch of the fund that carries his name.
The Bill Snelson Young Ecumenists Fund will enable those aged 18 to 35 to experience ecumenism outside England. Their experience can be study, pilgrimage, volunteering or any activity that promotes church unity.
During a special session of the Enabling Group, the Chair of CTE Trustees, Rowena Loverance, explained how she had received inspiration for the idea for the fund. Rowena shared that, following Bill’s death in 2020, she was reflecting on conversations with her former colleague about how he had never really had an opportunity to ‘do’ ecumenism abroad until his latter years.
Bill’s widow, Beryl, shared memories of her husband’s time at the Anglican Centre in Rome, which followed his retirement from CTE. Before that Bill gave long service to the ecumenical movement in Yorkshire and England.
During the evening, CTE Presidents Archbishop Nikitas and Dr Anna Krauss endorsed the launch of the fund and explained how the ecumenical ministry of each of them had been greatly influenced by the time they had spent abroad with Christians from other church traditions.
Tell me more about the fund…
There is £6,000 available each year, across two rounds of applications closing on 31 March and 31 October. There are no minimum or maximum amounts for which one can apply. However, the decision-making panel are keen to fund as wide a range of opportunities as possible with the budget available.
Key application criteria
- Applicants should be affiliated with a CTE national Member Church
- Applicants should be between the ages of 18 and 35 at the time of their ecumenical experience
Applications for the current round of The Bill Snelson Young Ecumenists Fund need to be submitted by 31 October 2023.
The fund will then open for the next round of applications in early 2024.
Find out more about The Bill Snelson Young Ecumenists Fund and make an application.