CTB45 – Churches Together in B45

The Beacon Church Centre has been part of CTB45 since its formation on 20th September 1992. There are now seven churches covenanted together. The Covenant is regularly reviewed at was last re-signed in March 2016.

About CTB45

We are a group of churches with different ethos, worship styles and theological perspectives who are covenanted together to serve God in this community. We work together because we believe that it is God’s will for Christians to worship and work together.

Each church has its own programme of activities and events as well as opening up its premises to community groups. For further information about a particular church please use the contact the person listed.

Together we participate in a number of activities as indicated on our Calendar:

The Churches

Beacon Church Centre

Whetty Lane, Rubery, B45 9DL

Worship: Sunday 11am & 6pm

Minister: Rev Ian Ring

Grace Community Church

Holly Hill, Frankley, B45 0EU

Worship: Sunday 11am

Minister: Rev Tom Barlow

St Stephen The Martyr Church of England

Edgewood Road, Rednal B45 8SG

Sunday 8.30am & 10.30am

Minister: Rev Bamidele Sotan

Longbridge Methodist Church

Bristol Road South, Rednal B45 9TY

Worship: Sunday 11am

Minister: Rev Cleopas Sibanda

Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Church

Leach Green Lane, Rednal, B45 9BQ

Mass: Saturday 6.45pm, Sunday 11am

Priest: Canon David Evans

St Chad Church of England

New Road, Rubery, B45 9JA

Worship:
Sunday 10am
Tuesday 9am Morning Prayer, 11am Holy Communion
Friday 9am Morning Prayer

Priest-in-Charge: Rev Claire Turner

St Leonard Church of England

Church Hill, Frankley B32 4BL

Worship: Sunday 11.15am

Minister: Rev Jane Platt

The Covenant

We, the People and Clergy of
the Beacon Church Centre (United Reformed Church),
Grace Community Church (Evangelical),
Longbridge Methodist Church (Methodist),
the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (Catholic),
the Parish of St Chad (Church of England),
the Parish of St Christopher (Church of England and Methodist Local Ecumenical Partnership) and
the Parish of St Stephen the Martyr (Church of England),
unite in proclaiming our faith in One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe that Jesus Christ the Son is Lord and Saviour according to the Scriptures.

Whilst this Covenant shall in no way weaken our ties and responsibilities to our individual Churches, we acknowledge that our divisions are damaging to all of us and hinder the work of Christ in the World. We repent of all that is sinful in these divisions.

We give thanks for the fellowship and unity that is growing between our Congregations and rejoice in the rich variety of our Christian traditions. We welcome the developing links with other Churches in our area, and the possibility of a wider membership of this Covenant.

We re-commit ourselves to praying andworking together in the Spirit of love, openness and mutual respect, being led to the fullness of that unity which is Christ’s prayer for His people in order that we may be able effectively to preach the Gospel in Rubery, Rednal, Longbridge and Frankley,

 So that we may share, hold in common and offer to the World those gifts which we have received, yet still hold in separation, we shall do together all that we can, in so far as the official discipline of our Churches will allow. In trust we will encourage others to undertake work we cannot do ourselves.

For the greater glory of God and in love for our neighbour, we commit ourselves to Worship, Study and Service by continuing:

–  to use the unique gifts of each Church to equip ourselves in our primary goal of fulfilling the Great Commission to preach the Gospel and to live the Great Commandment to love God and our neighbour;

–  to worship together at regular intervals, including sharing annually in the worldwide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity;

–  to seek ways of celebrating and studying together our common Christian faith and of sharing our traditional liturgical seasons;

–  to work together for peace and justice, sharing in the service of our area, and the World, which includes our support of Christian Aid and  special projects;

–  to encourage the Clergy to continue to pray and meet;

– to commit ourselves to develop such other activities amongst this group of Churches, and others in our area,or between two or three of them, which makes Christ’s living presence recognised in our community.

The existence of this Covenant has involved the good will of all the Churches at local and regional level. While recognising that future appointments of Clergy remain the sole prerogative of each Church Authority, they affirm that such appointments will be made in the spirit of the Covenant.

To these ends, we covenant together for another period of five years from this 30^th  day of May, 2010.

Signatories:
– the appointed Members of CT in B45 (two representatives from each Congregation plus the Clergy);
– the Ecumenical Development Officer of Birmingham Churches Together.