Church leaders from five Christian traditions gathered in Cardiff on 7 June to mark the 50th anniversary of the Welsh Covenant, an ecumenical agreement that continues to shape Christian unity in Wales.
Representatives of the United Reformed, Methodist, Presbyterian and certain Baptist churches gathered alongside those from the Church in Wales in worship, reflection, and recommitment ahead of Covenant Sunday to celebrate half a century of shared mission.
Formed in 1975, the Welsh Covenant was established to pursue the goal of forming a “Church Uniting in Wales”. One of the key issues has been full mutual recognition of ordained ministry across traditions which would allow unrestricted exchange of ordained ministry across the traditions and strengthen Christian witness in Wales. The Covenanted Churches are also members of Cytûn – Churches Together in Wales.
“The signing of the Covenant of Unity between five of the Christian denominations in Wales 50 years ago was a bold step forward in church co-operation,” said the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St Asaph and former Chair of the Commission of the Covenanted Churches. “It has yielded many fruits, which we can celebrate with passion and hope.”
The service on the 7th highlighted many of these fruits and provided a moment to rekindle the vision of the covenant’s founders.
Communion was shared, and the Revd Dr Susan Durber, URC minister and President for Europe of the World Council of Churches, preached a sermon which reflected on her ordination and focused on the radical hope for unity that fuelled Council of Nicaea — now marking its 1700th anniversary.
“I am impatient for more than a vague ‘spirit of ecumenism’,” she said, calling for a visible, transformative unity. “One that mends wounds, that creates something new and restored from broken fragments of church history; ambitious, visionary, recklessly enthusiastic… strong enough to answer with an ‘Amen’ the prayer of Christ that ‘they may be one’.”
The 1975 Covenant, a landmark in ecumenical commitment, still inspires. Its concluding words remain a powerful call to action:
“Accordingly, we enter now into this solemn Covenant before God and with one another, to work and pray in common obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ… that we may be brought into one visible church to serve together in mission to the glory of God the Father.”
Image: Church In Wales