Greater Manchester reflects the diversity of the wider world. It is home to the UK’s second-largest Jewish community, over a quarter of a million Muslims, and thriving Hindu and Sikh communities. What happens here matters not only locally, but globally too.

We build frank and open relationships that help people from our churches connect with other faith communities, encouraging friendly and honest exploration of our beliefs. We do this through local forums, programmes and dialogue events run by organisations including the Council of Christians and Jews.

We also work with leaders of other faith communities on matters of common concern, such as hate incidents, response to terrorist attacks, the effects of poverty and climate change, and local neighbourhood emergencies, to name a few.

Presence and Engagement

Presence and Engagement (P&E) is the Church of England’s interfaith programme. It is about equipping Christians for today’s multi-faith world, helping us engage positively with other faiths and ensuring the Church is present in diverse areas.

P&E helps local churches respond confidently to the questions, challenges and opportunities that arise in communities where people of different faiths live side by side, for example:

• being invited to mark a birth, marriage, or death that involves someone from another faith community
• responding to requests from groups hoping to use church-owned premises
• helping people access the support and services they need.

Resources

P&E resources are available to support church leaders in engaging with people of different faiths. These include an interactive map, guidance for church leaders, publications that can be applied in local contexts, and information about P&E hubs.

Interactive Map

This interactive map is a useful tool for identifying the faith communities represented in your parish, based on the 2021 Census.

Resources for Church Leaders

Find guidance on:

• Baptism
• Marriage
• Actions in Times of Tension
• Civic and Interfaith Services
• Engaging with the Asylum Process
• Schools – Hospitality
• Schools – Practical Issues
• Shared Prayer Spaces
• Use of Church Halls
• Hosting Iftars

Online publications to help you get started

Not sure where to begin? These practical online publications explore why Christians are called to engage with people of different faiths and offer ideas for building positive relationships in your local community.

Presence and Engagement Hubs

There are hubs in three areas of the country. They each have their own staff and run different projects, each reflecting the ethos of P&E.

• St Philip’s Centre, Leicester
• Faithful Neighbourhood Centre, Birmingham
• Kings Centre Southall

Resources for Theological Educators

Explore a list of interfaith organisations which can assist Theological Education Institutions, including:

• The Woolf Institute, Cambridge
• Touchstone, Bradford
• The Council of Christians and Jews
• St Philip’s Centre, Leicester
• Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies, Oxford
• Manchester Centre for the Study of Christianity and Islam
• Grassroots, Luton

Find further information and contact details here:

Contact

If you would like to contact the Presence and Engagement team or have an enquiry about interfaith engagement, please contact Revd Canon Steve Williams.

Alternatively, you can contact the Presence and Engagement team directly using the form on this webpage.