Particpants listening to Bishop Joe Aldred of the Church of God of Prophecy & Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham Bernard Longley opening the conference with a plenary on 'Sharing our Stories' Nearly 100 Christians (and one Sikh) poured into Mount Zion Community Church in Aston on Saturday for the Faith Hope & Love - Christian Witness in a Multi Faith Society Conference. Pentecostals, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists and Anglicans provided a real ecumenical flaviour to the conference ; which was also diverse in its theological representation with charismatics and evangelicals sitting alongside liberals and radicals as we explored together the meaning of living faithfully, hopefully and lovingly as Christians in todays multi faith world.
A workshop on Evangelicals and Inter faith Dialogue Celia Blackden Inter faith Officer for Churches Together in England described the conference as 'a real milestone on the ecumenical and inter faith journey'. Whilst visiting workshop leader Richard Reddie said 'I really enjoyed the conference which was stimulating, educational and challenging'.
Natasha Griffith of The Feast leading a workshop on inter faith work with young people
The organising team will be meeting in early May and looking in detail at feedback from participants and where we may go forward from this initial success. Meanwhile Christians in Birmingham and elsewhere in the country who came to the conference will be considering how to engage in fresh and creative ways within their own multi faith contexts, encouraged by a conference that has resourced and inspired them to more faithfully, hopefully and lovingly walk as people of the way of Christ in a multi faith society.
A group from Aston churches action planning in the final session of the day 