Town centre churches sign historic covenant

Three Chelmsford town centre churches - Trinity Methodist; the Church of the Ascension in Maltese Road and the Cathedral have signed an historic covenant - working together agreement  - the first of its kind in Essex.

The special service at the Cathedral involved all three congregations, their representatives having worked together for three years to seal the formal pattern of church unity.  The worshippers were welcomed by the Dean, the Very Revd Peter Judd and his colleagues, the Revd Bernard Arnold, Methodist minister and the Revd Fr Ivor Morris, Parish Priest of the Ascension, a traditional Anglican church.

In his address, Mr Arnold said: ”A church is not something we attend but something that we are as Christians.” 

Though there were some local difficulties, he believed all three churches would work together to spread the gospel to the town and beyond. 

The signing of the covenant involved three lay people from the churches, Dr John  Utting from the Ascension, Mervyn Marshall of the Cathedral and Brian Webber, Church secretary of Trinity Methodist. The three church choirs sang two anthems together and the citation of the covenant was read by Dan Glading. Lessons were read by Elizabeth Marshall of the Cathedral; Chris Race of the Ascension and Ken Rolf, Trinity Methodist. A reception was held in the Cathedral afterwards.

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