Working with others

Given Scottish demographics, we are most likely to be engaged in worship, mission and service with Presbyterian and Catholic congregations, and where possible with Methodist and United Reformed, with whom we have a partnership agreement.

In places, United Free, Congregational Federation, Quakers or Salvation Army will join the mix, as they do nationally through Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS), our national ecumenical body. Through ACTS we encourage and support local ecumenical partnerships.

We play a significant and active part in the life of the Anglican Communion across the four nations of the British Isles and of course internationally.

As part of this international involvement, we also work with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and the Conference of European Churches.

As a founder member of the Porvoo Communion of Churches we have strong ties with Nordic and Baltic Lutheran Churches and, through other agreements, German and French protestant churches.

Another international focus of our ecumenical life is through our membership of and contribution to the life work of the World Council of Churches. This allows us to reach out to many denominations across many nations in ways that are mutually enriching.

Prospects for the future include finding ways of enhancing our fellowship with the growing Pentecostal and Independent churches that to date tend not to seek membership of local or national ecumenical bodies, and enlarging the number of Lutheran churches throughout the world with whom we share communion.

Interchurch Relations Committee

The Interchurch Relations Committee is responsible for promoting inter-church working locally and nationally with Local Ecumenical Partnerships, Action of Churches Together in Scotland and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

The committee also has wider relationships with the Anglican Communion, the Porvoo Communion, the Reuilly Agreement, the Meissen Commission and the World Council of Churches.

Related Publications which are available from the General Synod Office:

• Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry
• The Nature of Baptism and its Place in the Life of the Church

The Scottish Episcopal Church has a proud record of engagement in interfaith relations in Scotland. Principally this is carried out through involvement in the national body, Interfaith Scotland, and local interfaith groups (see Interfaith Scotland website for details of groups local to you). Interfaith Scotland works ‘to help ensure good relations between the diverse religion and belief communities of Scotland and also to share good practice in interfaith dialogue, education, engagement and training nationally and internationally’.

Interfaith Scotland also acts as secretariat for the Scottish Religious Leaders Forum ‘dedicated to improving relationships between Scotland’s religious communities.’ In September 2022 the Forum held its 20th anniversary at the Abbey on the Island of Iona. While there, they signed a Declaration of Commitment.