Church Leaders, in Sussex as elsewhere, are men or women of distinction and experience who have been appointed to a position of responsibility by their denomination to exercise a role of leadership in Sussex.
In the Roman Catholic and Anglican Church they are normally bishops or their representatives. In traditional nonconformity they are Regional Ministers (Baptist), District Chairmen (Methodists) or Moderator (URC). From the Salvation Army, the Society of Friends, Independent Evangelical or the newer community churches, they are usually someone responsible for the oversight of their work in Sussex, a representative from an alliance of similar churches or possibly a lay person of distinction who can represent others. They meet twice a year to review Christian work in the county and are committed to closer working together between the churches.
Ecumenical Officers, appointed by the local church structures, meet three times a year (once with the Church Leaders) to share information, explore ideas and to report to the Leaders.
The following summaries are from the edition of Together
in which they were introduced
No 64 Winter 2007
Douglas McKittrick was trained in Oxford, ordained in Southwark Cathedral and began his ministry in 1976 in the multi-racial area of Deptford. In 1980 he moved to Liverpool, and in 1997 to St Peter’s Brighton with the Chapel Royal. He is presently Archdeacon of Chichester, responsible for pastoral care for the clergy, diocesan policy and pastoral re-organisation. He represents the Bishop of Chichester at meetings of Sussex Church Leaders.
John Helyer was trained at Wesley College, Bristol and has ministered in urban areas, first in Bradford and for the last seventeen years in Birmingham, nine of them in Saltley, a church with a majority black congregation in a predominantly Muslim community, followed by eight as Superintendent Minister. Recently appointed Chair of the South-East District of the Methodist Church.
Sheila Forman is a Methodist minister. After training at the Canterbury School of Ministry she served in Bromley, Canterbury and Thamesmead prior to her present appointment as Superintendent of the Eastbourne Circuit and an Assistant Chair of the South East District. She is committed to ecumenical working wherever possible and is presently involved in the creation of a Methodist/United Reformed United Area in Central Sussex.
No 68 Summer 2007
Stuart Davison was the minister of Rye Baptist Church 1981-95, and served as Youth Officer, Missioner, Baptist Ecumenical Officer Association President. Trained at Spurgeon’s College, London, he has a wide experience of Christian ministry, including broadcasting on radio and television. As Mission Enabler he sees his current role in Sussex as ‘resourcing and enabling member churches in ministry. Jesus has only one church and we are to be inter-dependent within it’.
No 72 Autumn 2009
Mark Sowerby, Bishop of Horsham, was trained at King's College, London and Mirfield. He grew up in Yorkshire and ecumenism was central to his life from an early age. Christmas events seemed to be designed to give Christians of different denominations a better understanding of each other but it was a sharp experience in the sixth form at a shared eucharist which led him to feel the force of a divided church and he has been committed to working for unity ever since.