Reverend Beverley Jameson is the Vicar at St Mary's, Lymm. She also has a secondary role as the Ecumenical Officer for the Diocese of Chester, but what does that involve?
In brief, an Ecumenical Officer acts as a liaison between Christian denominations, in a particular region or network. The denominations that Beverley works with include, but aren't limited to, Roman Catholics, the United Reformed Church, Methodists, and the Salvation Army. Each denomination will also have their own respective Ecumenical Officer, seeking ways to work together for the mutual benefit of all.
A good example of how collaboration between faiths works well can be in establishing a food bank. Each faith might jointly recognise the need for a food bank, perhaps in an area of low employment, but might not have the budget or resources to set up a food bank independently, and this is where working collaboratively between faiths comes to the fore. A food bank requires a lot of resources and time to function properly. In addition, they are often only able to exist through the help of volunteers. Sharing the workload among faiths can make a food bank viable, not just in the short term, when energies are high, but more importantly in the long term, at a pace and work rate that doesn't make too many demands of too few people.
When Christian denominations work together, it can often be possible to accomplish goals and deliver benefits for the community that might otherwise not have been possible. In addition, it creates a mutual respect and understanding of the differences between us, that instead of driving us apart, actually brings us closer together.
In the video below Beverley explains more about her role as Ecumenical Officer and also how she engages with others on a national level.