The Revd Andrew Clements writes:

The Ecumenical Officers are Canon Stella Vernon (East Riding Archdeaconry) and myself (York Archdeaconry).

We continue our work of encouraging co-operation and partnership among denominations. I attend meetings of the Sponsoring Body for York (The Ecumenical Network for the Vale of York - ENVOY) and Stella and I attend meetings of the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Sub Committee.

I also attend meetings of the Archbishop's Council as an ecumenical officer in attendance.

We also attend other ecumenical meetings further afield to gain a wider perspective. In May Stella and I attended a day in Leeds Diocesan Office to meet the Church of England's new National Ecumenical Officer, the Revd Dr Callan Slipper. He was very informative about the ecumenical situation in the country as a whole, as well as being of great encouragement to us in our own fields of ministry.

We are always happy to advise enquirers.

Generally speaking, much is likely to change over the next few years in the way churches organise their work together in England, following a report last year entitled 'A New Framework for Mission and Ministry'. One of the issues under discussion is whether sponsoring bodies continue to be of value and how local ecumenical partnerships may be more easily and efficiently reviewed. New and simpler ways of working are likely to be developed in the course of time.

Most ecumenical work proceeds locally and quietly, bearing fruit in the daily life of churches. Wherever Christians of different traditions work together willingly, the mission of the Church is strengthened and the Kingdom advanced. The basis of it all is the renewal of discipleship; the closer we grow to Christ the more we come together.

We may use different descriptions, but Christlikeness, Commitment, Partnership, Influence and Numbers are all enhanced when we work together; we cannot 'go it alone'.

A generous church is generous to its neighbours, sharing the treasures and charisms of its own tradition and being equally ready to receive and learn from others. This is Receptive Ecumenism. The diocese demonstrates its commitment by regular, generous financial support to ecumenical bodies and activities.