Churches Together in Malden

Amanda Dickie   |   11th February 2011

This report by journalist and parishioner Amanda C Dickie was printed in The Universe on 4th February and a shortened version in the Catholic Herald on 11th February. Amanda is also the Churches Together in Malden rep for St Joseph's. Click here to find out more about Churches Together in Malden.

Archbishop of Canterbury's ecumenical advisor at New Malden Unity Service

St Joseph's Catholic Church, New Malden, hosted a unity service to mark the close of the week of prayer for Christian Unity. Organised by Churches Together in Malden, lay representatives from Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and Roman Catholic churches took part in reading Scripture and prayers. The United Reformed Minister, Rev Bruce Stuart, read the Gospel and Fr Peter Edwards, parish priest of St Joseph's, led the service.

Rev Dr Roger Paul, Church of England representative for Churches Together in England Enabling Group, and an ecumenical advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury was guest preacher. Each year a different country prepared the annual unity service for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. This year is was the churches in Jerusalem; Dr Paul pointed out that the churches there maintain a precarious position as a marginalised minority as did all the Palestinian communities, both Christian and Muslim. At a local level in this country he said that there was a vigorous growing trust. He referred to the extraordinary abandonment of the first Christians in holding all things in common and the need to be wirnesses to the whole world. Churches do need each other, he said, we need the help of Christians of other traditions ... to turn perspectives on their head and be open to change. He stressed the importance of listening to each other - only in listening can we learn and understand each other better and echoing the words of Cardinal Newman that were the theme of the Pap[al visit last year, Heart speaks to heart, he said, turning to Fr Edwards with a smile.

An ecumenical choir led the singing with St Joseph's organist and choirmaster Antony Matthews, who studied music at Exeter and Bristol. I don't think that I've heard any congregation singing as loud as they did! he remarked.

The service concluded with Fr Edwards, Rev Dr Paul and Rev. Stuart reading the blessing together. Afterwards, Fr Edwards said that he had been delighted to welcome Dr Paul to preach and that the turnout had been the largest for a unity service that he had seen in New Malden, with good representation from all the churches.

The same evening an ecumenically organised night shelter opened for the homeless in St Joseph's Pastoral Centre.