The following article is written by the County Ecumenical Development Officer (CEDO), who is the 'co-ordinator' of Churches Together in Hertfordshire (CT Herts), in response to the question 'What does CT Herts actually do?'

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN HERTFORDSHIRE

The Churches Together organisation is basically on three levels, the most important is of course at grass roots level with the local groups such as Churches Together in Harpenden might be. This is where the practical application of ecumenical principles should be best seen.

Then there is the umbrella at what is sometimes called the intermediate or county level such as Churches Together in Hertfordshire(CTHerts). More of its role in a minute.

Churches Together in England with its General Secretary, two Field Officers serving north and south and a small admin staff form the basic paid national administration with four unpaid Presidents representing the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Free and Orthodox Churches as the Spiritual head.

In regard to the Intermediate Body, we have two main areas of work, first to service, support and encourage the local Churches Together groups of which there are 35 in the county and to similarly look after the Local Ecumenical Partnerships (LEPs) in Hertfordshire of which there are 23.

As the County Ecumenical Development Officer (CEDO), I am employed officially for 20 hours a week to do this work, although I often exceed the contracted number of hours in common with many others in ministry.
Servicing consists mostly of the paper work, keeping in contact with the elected officials, maintaining records and of course our various methods of communication - predominately the publishing and circulation of our newsletter and the web site.

Support often includes verbal contacts, attendance at the various local committee meetings, running seminars or meetings that teach ecumenism and helping the churches understand their biblical challenges. This can also take the form of being a source of advice and resources when groups have queries of one kind and another.

Encouragement takes many forms including the sharing of best practices and showing how groups are functioning and working, so that others can copy them. The preaching invitations that I receive together with the speaking ones, also give me an opportunity to encourage those I meet this way.

The subscriptions go towards the expenses of the intermediate organisation (although we have to operate on a deficit budget), and all services provided, including attendance and travel of the CEDO come freely as part of that contribution.

One CT group e-mailed me recently to emphatically state that they needed to belong to CTHerts, as it gave them strength and validity.
Our work with the LEPs is similar to the above but in addition we have an important review role which has to be carried out periodically.

For more information about CT Herts, visit our website at www.ctherts.org.uk

Gerald Peacock
County Ecumenical Development Officer