UNITED we stand! That's the message this Christmas from Chorley churches which have joined forces following an historic meeting.

Attended by almost every mainstream denomination church in the town - C of E, RC, Methodist and URC - it was agreed at the meeting that in future they would co-operate as 'Churches Together in Chorley.'

A constitution was also accepted setting out their aims - including making decisions together, more joint services, making a united effort to explain Christianity to those who do not attend church and helping each other respond to the needs of local people.

Working groups will now be set up to put the theory into practice.

The first three will focus on plans for the Millennium celebrations in Chorley, the organisations on a series of meetings for Lent 1998 and the possibility of launching a new Ecumenical Church School.

The Rev Dr John Fenwick, rector of St Laurence's and newly-appointed moderator of the movement, said: "Of course the church in this area have been working together in different ways for many years and there have been some terrific joint ventures in the past.

"However, the new national 'Churches Together' movement has nudged us into making all this ad hoc activity 'official.'

"It now seems from the very first meeting that there is a new opportunity here to take some really exciting projects forward and to send the message to everyone that our common belief in Christ overcomes any differences which may have set us apart years ago."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.