English church leaders support inquiry into collaboration for social justice

The leaders of the Anglican, Catholic and Methodist churches in England have united in support for an ecumenical initiative to explore how faiths can work better together for social justice amidst unprecedented economic crisis and inequality.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justine Welby, Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols and the Revd Ruth Gee, who takes over as President of the Methodist Conference from 6 July, today spoke of their hopes for a major national inquiry designed to reinvigorate the social mission of faiths in the UK by showing how churches can unite for the ‘common good’.

The Together for the Common Good initiative will draw on the Anglican, Catholic and Free Church traditions of social justice to highlight effective strategies for faith-led social collaboration and take inspiration both from current examples of joint working and from the legacy of bishops David Sheppard and Derek Worlock. During the 1980s they, with Free Church leaders, acted as advocates for the communities in Liverpool and as ‘honest brokers’ between those communities and government.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols said: “Together for the Common Good holds great promise not only for those who will take part in the enterprise but also for many who carry the burden of hardship today”, while Archbishop Justin Welby said he hoped it would “renew courage and commitment amongst Christians, working together with many others for the transformation of society and in the service of the common good."

The Revd Ruth Gee, said she had been personally inspired by the partnership of John Newton, David Sheppard and Derek Worlock in Liverpool and added: "This is a great opportunity to discern a way forward for this time, in the same spirit, to address the challenges facing our communities today.”

Together for the Common Good will: Deliver a landmark conference on September 6-8th that will draw together church leaders, practitioners, policy makers and faith-based agencies involved in social action from across the country; Closely examine the role played by faith groups in working for social justice by commissioning and presenting research on past and present collaborations; and Show how faith groups can work better together, side by side with communities, to engage with some of the biggest social issues facing us today.

The Bishop of Wakefield, chair of the steering group behind the inquiry, said: “Together for the Common Good is an urgently needed prompt for people across the Christian faiths to remember the broader mission of the church and unite to support communities suffering in the face of unprecedented economic crisis and inequality.

“The support of the two archbishops and the Revd Gee underlines the common ground that exists at the highest level and the genuine will to find the best possible ways of coming together for the common good.”

The conference, which takes place in Liverpool, features Lord Glasman, Phillip Blond, the Revd Ruth Gee, Bishop Rupert Hoare, Dr Anna Rowlands and Archbishop Bernard Longley among its speakers. The intensive weekend will explore how faith groups can work better together for social justice, bringing together leading figures involved in faith-based social justice activity. Together they will examine past and present-day case studies and exchange examples of good practice from their diverse experiences.