“[E]xplore the possibilities, challenges and rewards of ecumenical shared ministry. Over the past 30 years such ministries have become an exciting option in Canada, for a variety of reasons.”
Ecumenical Shared Ministries Handbook
Ecumenical shared ministries are Christians of different traditions worshipping and serving God in a unified way while still maintaining their denominational identities and connections. Dozens of Anglican congregations in every part of Canada are involved in ecumenical shared ministries.
There are varieties of different ecumenical shared ministries. Some congregations share only a building and otherwise maintain their own denominational ministry and services. Sometimes several denominations share a single ordained minister and alternate the forms of worship of the participating denominations. Sometimes several denominations have one ordained minister and one common service that meet the needs and requirements of each denomination. Sometimes several denominations share and maintain church buildings in a number of locations and rotate services.
The Shared Ministries Bureau of the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism helps support and monitor ecumenical shared ministries across Canada.
Ecumenical shared ministry resources
- Ecumenical Shared Ministries Handbook – Updated in 2019, these guidelines prepared jointly by the Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and United churches in Canada help establish and support ecumenical shared ministries at the congregational level.