Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS)
Formed in 1990 as Scotland’s national ecumenical instrument, Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) brings together nine denominations in Scotland who share a desire for:
- Greater oneness between churches, as Jesus prayed, 'that they all may be one'
- A growth of understanding and common life between churches
- Unified action in proclaiming and responding to the gospel in the whole of life.
In its work ACTS seeks to enable the Scottish churches in their common life. It encourages and resources encounters between them in which each participant learns from the other, where difference is explored and respected and where division is healed.
Member Churches:
There are nine member churches of ACTS:
- Church of Scotland
- Congregational Federation
- Methodist Church
- Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
- Roman Catholic Church
- Salvation Army
- Scottish Episcopal Church
- United Free Church of Scotland
- United Reformed Church
Each of our member churches is also a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Five of our member churches are present in the three nations of Scotland, England and Wales and therefore bring to ACTS not only the perspective of being churches in Scotland but also in the wider United Kingdom.
ACTS welcomes opportunities to work with churches which are not in membership of the organisation. For example the Baptist Union of Scotland shares in the work of the Scottish Churches’ National Sponsoring Body for Local Ecumenical Partnerships which ACTS facilitates on behalf of the churches and the Scottish Unitarian Association has membership of two of ACTS Associated Ecumenical Bodies. We are in currently in very preliminary discussions about how ACTS may strengthen its relationship with the Orthodox Community in Scotland.
