Records and Papers relating to Anglican-Presbyterian Relations, 1961-1966

The collection is composed of: Anglican-Presbyterian Conversations, the Church, Community and State Group, 1963-1964; documents presented to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, including Reports of the Inter-Church Relations Committee, 1957-1966; minutes of meetings, the General Assembly's Special Committee on Anglican-Presbyterian relations, 1960-1966; minutes of meetings, the Convener's Committee, Special Committee on Anglican-Presbyterian relations, 1960-1965; minutes of meetings, the Joint Standing Committee, Anglican-Presbyterian Conversations, 1962-1965; miscellaneous material from the Church of England, the Presbyterian Church of England, sources of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and papers from the Anglican-Presbyterian Conference, Durham, July 1962.

The material also includes address lists, and lists of members of committees, 1962-1966, and general correspondence, 1960-1967.

There are papers read at meetings, arranged alphabetically by author, and material from Regional Groups of the Anglican-Presbyterian Conversations (Glasgow, London, North of England, Scottish Group, Edinburgh Group), material from Subcommittees of the Anglican-Presbyterian Conversations (Apostolic Succession, Ministerial Order, Open Communion, Doctrine of Holy Communion, and Unity and Uniformity), and miscellaneous newspaper cuttings.

The collection includes papers, theses, and addresses, on various topics within ecumenism including work by Ian Henderson, Roy Sanderson, T. F. Torrance, and H. E. W. Turner, given between 1960 and 1963, on the meaning of unity, apostolic succession, non-theological factors in relations between the churches, lay difficulties about union, survey of the task, the recognition of ministries, reconciliation, and Holy Communion.

There are also reports from Church of Scotland presbyteries regarding the Special Committee on Anglican-Presbyterian relations statements, Viewpoint of the Church of Scotland and Unity and uniformity 1964-1965, and a file belonging to Sir Randall Philip Q.C., including reports, correspondence etc., 1954-1957.

In addition there is a thesis submitted at Heidelberg, 1969, by Guenther Overlach, Die Unionsgespraeche der kirche von Schottland mit der kirche von England .. seit 1930, author's files of additional material in German and in English, papers on inter-church relations, 1947-1951, Professor William Manson, and an annotated typescript of the English translation of Overlach's thesis by Harold Knight.

Today, within the Church of Scotland, the Ecumenical Relations Committee is responsible for (according to Church of Scotland Online) encouraging and enabling an ecumenical vision in Scotland. Working in teams, through liaison, local involvement, communication and resources, members of the Ecumenical Relations Committee seek to encourage ecumenical engagement through the boards, committees, presbyteries and congregations of the Church of Scotland. They promote understanding through ecumenical engagement at international and European levels. There has been a long history of this work, and the reports and special meetings of the Inter-Church Relations Committee of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in the 1950s and 1960s, and participation in the Anglican-Presbyterian Conversations in the 1960s has been an early component of this engagement.

Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance.

The biographical/administrative history was compiled using the following material: (1) Church of Scotland. Boards and Committees. Contacts and information. Full-text [online].  Ecumenical relations [Accessed 14 January 2004].

Compiled by Graeme D Eddie, Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections Division.

Local lists.

Check the local Indexes for details of any additions.