Churches Together in Gillingham unites in pilgrimage those Churches in Gillingham which, acknowledging God's revelation in Christ, confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures, and, in obedience to God's will and in the power of the Holy Spirit commit themselves

to seek a deepening of their communion with Christ and with one another in the Church, which is his body,

and

to fulfil their mission to proclaim the Gospel by common witness and service in the world to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The aims of Churches Together in Gillingham shall be:

1. to enable the churches, as pilgrims together, to explore the Christian faith, to develop mutual relationships and to seek a common mind;
2. to encourage churches to worship, pray and reflect together on the nature and purpose of the church - each church sharing with others the treasures of its tradition;
3. to encourage the churches to share their mission to
   1. proclaim the good news of the kingdom
   2. teach, baptise and nurture new believers
   3. respond to human need by loving service
   4. seek to transform unjust structures of society
   5. strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

Churches Together in Gillingham aims to serve the neighbourhood of Gillingham.

Churches Together in Gillingham is in association with Churches Together in Dorset.

Membership of Churches Together in Gillingham shall be open to -

1. any local church in the neighbourhood which is affiliated to a church or association of churches which is a full member of Churches Together in England
2. any other local church in the neighbourhood which affirms the Basis and commits itself to promote the aims of Churches Together in Gillingham.

The affairs of Churches Together in Gillingham shall be managed by a Forum comprising up to four representatives from each of the member churches.

These will normally be appointed annually by the individual member churches but may be changed or substituted at their discretion.

Co-options, not exceeding 25% of the total number of appointed representatives, may be made by the Forum.

The Forum shall appoint, annually, four officers (chairperson, deputy chairperson, treasurer and secretary). The chairperson and deputy chairperson shall be appointed from amongst the Forum's members and shall not serve more than two consecutive terms. The treasurer and secretary (who need not be members of the Forum) may serve up to five consecutive terms.

The officers, acting as an executive group, will ensure that the decisions of the Forum are carried out.

Decisions shall be arrived at by consensus; where this is not possible the matter shall be referred to the member churches for approval through their normal decision making process.

An Annual Meeting of the Forum will be held at which:-

1. Independently Examined accounts will be presented
2. officers will be appointed
3. annual reports will be submitted
4. policy and initiatives for the year will be decided
5. an annual budget will be proposed

Other meetings of the Forum [at least two each year] will be held as deemed necessary by the officers or at the written request of at least five representatives.

At least two weeks written notice of any meeting of the Forum shall be given.

The attendance of at least one representative of each of the member churches shall constitute a quorum.

Following the Annual Meeting of the Forum approval of the proposed annual budget shall be sought from the member churches; on approval each member church shall pay an equal share of the annual budget into the bank account of Churches Together in Gillingham.

Cheques [or withdrawals] shall require the signatures of two of the four officers.

This constitution has been approved by the normal decision making process of each of the member churches.

Any amendment must have the approval of at least 75% of the member churches as decided by their normal decision making process.

Churches Together in Gillingham is engaged in a common pilgrimage and after each three year period a Review Group shall be appointed by the Forum [in association with Churches Together in Dorset] to report on the progress of the pilgrimage and to make proposals for desirable changes.

This constitution came into force having been approved and endorsed by the appropriate decision making bodies of

1. St. Mary's Anglican Church, Gillingham
2. Gillingham Methodist Church
3. Gillingham New Covenant Church
4. St. Benedict's Roman Catholic Church, Gillingham

March 1999

Amended, amendments been approved and endorsed by the appropriate decision making bodies of the above Churches and St. Simon and St. Jude's Anglican Church, Milton-on-Stour.

April 2008