A new cross-Europe faith organisation has been formed out of two British organisations involved in the promotion of ecumenical Christian cooperation across Europe.

CAFE (Christians and the Future of Europe) has merged with CEWERN (a Christian organisation focussed on East-West issues) to form Faith in Europe: the Churches’ European Relations Network.

Faith in Europe is a body-in-association with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), who said it was ‘delighted’ at the new formation.

CTBI said, “The aim is to promote contact and visits from Central and Eastern Europe through encouraging informed discussion and debate through regular briefings, and publicising and encouraging active support of believers in Central and Eastern Europe.”

Faith in Europe will also work closely with other bodies also involved in this line of ecumenical work, as well as government and non-government bodies, in cooperation with CTBI.

In particular the organisation expressed its particular keenness to work for “understanding and reconciliation between the Churches of Eastern and Western Europe.”

Professor Grace Davie, the prominent sociologist of religion from the University of Exeter, was elected as Faith in Europe’s first president, with Dean John Arnold, previously of the Conference of European Churches, and the Rt Rev Stephen Sykes, Anglican Bishop of Ely and well-known theologian, as Vice Presidents.

Philip Walters, director of research from the Keston Institute, specialising in the attitude of state communism toward religion in general and Christianity in general, will assume the position of general secretary, with Canon David Thomas and research director Ken Medhurst taking on the chair.