Aims and Management of CIGB
The Patron of CIGB
The Lord Mayor of Birmingham
Joint-Presidents of CIGB
The Rev Dave Ellis – President of the Birmingham Free Church Federal Council
The Most Revd Bernard Longley – Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham
The Reverend Dr Michael Volland – Anglican Bishop Designate for Birmingham
The Management Council of CIGB
The Revd Dave Ellis- Interim Chair – Birmingham Baptist Representative
Dave Ellis is one of the Regional Ministers with the Heart of England Baptist Association and provides a link between CIGB and the Baptist Churches of the city and the region.
Mr Patrick Bryan, Honorary Treasurer – Black-led Churches Representative
Patrick has been part of the Management Council for several years. He is an accountant by profession and works in social housing.
Robert Mountford – Birmingham Churches Together
Robert is the Ecumenical Development Officer for Birmingham Churches Together and Secretary to the West Midlands Region Churches Forum and helps CIGB connect with the wider church networks across the city and West Midlands.
Ms Ann Smith – Roman Catholic Church Representative
Ann is a Director of an engineering business based in Digbeth.
Mr David Pinwell – Birmingham Methodist District Representative
Dave is CEO of Colebridge Trust Ltd in Solihull, a community development enterprise. He is actively involved in a number of initiatives to encourage economic growth, community enterprise and capacity building in the regeneration area of North Solihull as well as the support and development of Solihull’s Third Sector.
The Revd David Butterworth – Methodist Minister
David is the Interfaith Workplace Chaplain at the NEC Group, and part of the CIGB Chaplaincy team.
In Attendance at the Management Council
Tanya Arroba – Chaplaincy Team Leader Birmingham Airport
John Bradley – Chaplaincy Team Leader National Express Buses
Elaine Hutchinson – Chaplaincy Team Leader Retail Birmingham City Centre
Aims and Activities
General Activities
Industrial Mission is undertaken by the Christian churches in order to understand, respond to and influence the world or work. At the heart of Industrial Mission is the connection Christians make between Christian faith, work and economic life. Our task it to discern the activity of God and to foster appropriate responses in these aspects of God’s creation. Industrial Mission is, therefore, part of God’s creative work. Industrial Mission is ecumenical in order not to add to those divisions which already exist in economic life.
The Aims of the Churches’ Industrial Group
- to establish and develop Industrial Mission in the Birmingham area through industrial chaplains and others
- to promote the understanding and interpretation of the Christian faith in economic life, in conjunction with industrial and commercial undertakings, trades unions and organisations dealing with the training or employment
- to be a resource to the church in relation to work and economic life, affirming work as part of God’s creative purpose for all people
These formal aims provide the focus of the work and are included in the Constitution.
Core Activities and Purpose
To learn about industry and commerce and how it affects people
- through chaplaincy
- through links with the Chamber of Commerce, Unions and others
To care for people at work
- through chaplaincy
- resourcing local churches
- networking with helping agencies
To act with others in promoting a more humane and just society by offering the insights of the Christian faith
- researching and acting on key economic issues
- encouraging good working practice and positive cultures
To share with the wider church the knowledge gained in order to stimulate a greater awareness of the impact of industry and commerce on society
- providing briefings and other material
- providing training and education on chaplaincy and ‘faith and work’