Press Statement
8 October 2013
For Immediate Release
History was made on Monday 7 October 2013 at the Annual National Church Leaders Meeting, held at Lambeth Palace, when Jamaican-born Bishop Eric Brown was installed as the first Pentecostal President of Churches Together in England (CTE). Rev Brown is the Presiding Bishop of the New Testament Church of God, a black majority Pentecostal church celebrating its 60th anniversary in the UK since being planted here by Caribbean migrants during the 1950s.
CTE Presidents provide spiritual leadership to the national ecumenical movement that facilitates closer working together by the churches in England. Bishop Brown’s appointment brings the total number of CTE presidents to six. He joins existing presidents – (see below l-r) Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Archbishop Justin Welby, Bishop Jana Jeruma-Grinberga and the Revd Michael Heaney. (Unfortunately HE Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain could not be in attendance).
At the annual meeting the presidents signed a covenant committing them to ‘pray to God to lead us, with all our sisters and brothers in Christ, towards communion in faith, life and witness; so that, united in one body by the one Spirit, we may together witness to the perfect unity of his love’.
Commenting on his appointment Bishop Brown said, ‘Service in the Kingdom of God at any level is the greatest privilege. I am delighted that I have been elected to serve as a CTE President and take this opportunity to say thanks for this expression of confidence. With the help of Almighty God, and the knowledge and experience gained from over 40 years of service in the Church, I am committed to give my very best and to work with my colleagues in the presidency to ensure that the spiritual welfare of the nation is our priority. I believe that it is the spiritual wellbeing of the nation that determines its economic and social progress and we will work together to ensure that, in so doing, the name of Christ is exalted’.
The installation of the new joint President, took place during an annual meeting of national church leaders at Lambeth Palace on Monday 7th October 2013.
ENDS
Notes to editors
1) Press enquiries: Joe Aldred 07775 632288 or [email protected]
2) Churches Together is established by the 42 national member churches in England to facilitate and encourage multi denominational collaboration in mission and unity. It exists at the national, intermediate and local level
3) The Presidents of Churches Together in England provide spiritual leadership for the churches together movement in England
4) The Presidents of Churches Together in England are now: The Archbishop of Canterbury (Archbishop Justin Welby); The Archbishop of Westminster (Archbishop Vincent Nichols); The Free Churches Moderator (Rev Michael Heaney); The Fourth President nominated by the other churches in England including Black Majority, Lutheran and the Religious Society of Friends (Bishop Jana Jeruma-Grinberga); The elected representative of the Orthodox churches in England (HE Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain) and the newly elected President for the Pentecostal churches in England (Bishop Eric Brown)
5) Further information is available on ‘About Us’ www.cte.org.uk