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Cytûn: Churches Together in Wales (, "In agreement"; ) is a national
ecumenical Ecumenism ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...
organisation of churches in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, formed in 1990. It is the successor to the former Council of Churches for Wales. Cytûn's offices are located Hastings House in the centre of the city of
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
. It is a registered charity and a membership body governed by its trustees and its work is guided by the diverse membership within its Enabling Group.


Members

The full members of Cytûn are: * Baptist Union of Wales *
Church in Wales The Church in Wales () is an Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The position is currently held b ...
* Congregational Federation *South Wales Baptist Association *German-speaking
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
Church in South Wales *
Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
* Presbyterian Church of Wales * The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) *
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
*
The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
*
Union of Welsh Independents The Union of Welsh Independents () is a Reformed church, Reformed Congregationalist denomination in Wales. History Welsh Congregational churches or Independent (religion), Independents stand in the Puritan tradition. The first Congregational ...
*
United Reformed Church The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2024 it had approximately 44,000 members in around 1,250 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers. The URC is a Trinitarian church whose theolog ...
* Assemblies of God


General Secretary

The General Secretary of Cytûn is Dr Cynan Llwyd. Cynan is a native of Aberystwyth but now lives in Grangetown in Cardiff. He is a deacon at Ebeneser Welsh Congregational Church in Cardiff and one of the leaders of Angor Grangetown, one of the pioneer initiatives of the Union of Welsh Independents. He studied Welsh at Cardiff University and has an MPhil from Aberystwyth University and a PhD from Cardiff University where he researched ''The Doctrine of the Second Coming and the Millennium in the work of some of the Welsh Puritans and their social implications in Wales''. He has extensive experience of working with churches and charities in Wales. He worked as a pastoral assistant at St Michael’s and St Mary’s churches, Aberystwyth, before being appointed Children and Young People’s Officer for Literature Wales. He has worked for Christian Aid as South Wales Regional Coordinator and then Acting Head and is currently the Head of Tearfund in Wales. He is also an author, Gwasg Y Lolfa having published two of his novels for young people and his third novel, a historical fiction novel based on the Baptist Minister Morgan John Rhys, is about to be published by Gwasg y Lolfa. Cynan succeeded Rev Sion Brynach and previous General Secretaries have included the Rev Aled Edwards and Rev Gethin Abraham-Williams.


Work and Mission

The work of Cytûn and its support to members is based on three core services.


Promoting Ecumenism

The priority for Cytûn is developing closer working relationships between Christian leaders in denominations and organisations in Wales. Cytûn supports national leaders to gather not only for pilgrimage, prayer, shared discernment, and mutual support.


Public Policy

A key aspect of the work of Cytûn is providing advice and guidance to its members in the field of public policy and public affairs. It also seeks to provide an ecumenical response in the key areas of Education, Heath and Wellbeing, the Economy, International Affairs and Climate Changs, and the role of the church and individual believers as citizens. The charity works closely with other denominational and organisational representatives to shape and share an understanding of a Christian Faith response to political life.


Local Ecumenism

Cytûn encourages local churches in their community mission as they provide services such FoodBanks, shared Christian service and in collaborating on youth work and holiday clubs, or as they address local crises. At key points of the year such as the Urdd and National Eisteddfod or the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, Cytûn facilities a shared presence at these events and partners with th
Cyngor Ysgolion Sul
to promote a range of practical resources for use in churches.


Ecumenism in Wales

Ecumenism in Wales has deep roots in the country’s strong Christian traditions and nonconformist heritage. The movement gained momentum in the 20th century, particularly following the 1910 World Missionary Conference and the 1948 formation of the World Council of Churches. In Wales, the ecumenical spirit was formalised through Cytûn: Churches Together in Wales, established in 1990, building on earlier cooperation among denominations during the 1950s and 60s and gaining a clear role in Wales at the arrival of devolution in 1999. Cytûn includes mainstream Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox churches, and promotes unity in worship, witness, and social justice. The movement reflects Wales’s evolving interdenominational dialogue and shared public voice.


Key Individuals in 20th Century Welsh Ecumenism

Throughout the 20th century, several key figures advanced the ecumenical movement in Wales. Archbishop Glyn Simon of the Church in Wales was instrumental in fostering Anglican cooperation with Nonconformist traditions. Revd Gwilym O. Griffith, a Congregationalist, worked through the Council of Churches for Wales (founded 1948) to encourage interdenominational dialogue. Presbyterian leader Rev. J. Gwynfor Jones promoted theological unity through education and public ministry. Revd Dr R. Tudur Jones also played a pivotal role, shaping Welsh ecumenical thought within a nationalist framework. Other key individuals include Noel A. Davies and John Morgans. These individuals laid the groundwork for Cytûn, Churches Together in Wales, formed in 1990.


21st Century Ecumenism in Wales

From 2000 to 2026, ecumenism in Wales has navigated both challenges and opportunities. The decline in church attendance and the closure of chapels has posed difficulties for maintaining visible Christian witness . However, increased collaboration between denominations through bodies such as ''Cytûn: Churches Together in Wales'' has enabled joint responses to social justice, education, and climate issues along with Mission and Evangelism. The COVID-19 pandemic fostered new digital forms of worship and cooperation. Political devolution has created a distinct context for ecumenical advocacy in Welsh public life. These trends highlight both the fragility and adaptability of Welsh ecumenism in the 21st century.


See also

* Action of Churches Together in Scotland * Churches Together in Britain and Ireland * Churches Together in England * Conference of European Churches * Covenanted Churches in Wales * Irish Council of Churches *
Religion in Wales Religion in Wales has become increasingly diverse over the years. Christianity in Wales, Christianity was the religion of virtually all of the Welsh population until the late 20th century, but it rapidly declined throughout the early 21st cent ...
*
World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, most jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodo ...


References


External links


Cytûn website
Christianity in Wales National councils of churches Religious organisations based in Wales {{Christian-org-stub