The Churches Together in England logo portrays the Church as a ship afloat on the sea of the world with the mast in the form of a cross, itself the key symbol of the Christian faith. The symbol of a boat is common throughout the ecumenical movement, having been used by the World Council of Churches since 1948. Its origin is in the Gospel stories, where Jesus called the Galilean fishermen and later stilled the storm on the lake of Galilee.
Although refreshed in 2019, and earlier in 2014, this has been the logo of Churches Together in England since 1997. It was preceded by a similar boat and cross, within the pilgrim shell of St James of Compostela. The current logo retains the shell in stylised form, now often interpreted as rays flowing from the cross of Jesus, who draws all people to himself. The images are used extensively throughout England for ecumenical groupings, such as ‘Churches Together in Cumbria’ etc.
Logos for local groups
The images, but not the words ‘Churches Together in England’, can be used without copyright permission by groups which subscribe to the Basis and Objects of Churches Together in England. This permission does not imply that Churches Together in England accepts any liability for the actions of any local grouping.
We can also provide a personalised version of the main Churches Together logo for local Churches Together groups upon request (although some notice is required).
If you represent a Churches Together group and would like further information and access to the logos, please do contact us at website[at]cte.org.uk