‘Enable’ is the current name for a growing collaboration between some mission groups and church leaders with a passionate about training in and for independent evangelical churches, who often lack the resources to effectively equip new generations of key workers for ongoing church growth.
In the late 1990’s a collaboration started between Counties, GLO and Partnership based on a shared concern to provide effective training for those entering into local church ministry in UK. This had a particular focus on the spectrum of local churches which today would be described as independent evangelical churches, though historically speaking are part of the heritage of the Open Christian Brethren movement which began in the 1800’s. Whilst celebrating our part within the world-wide ‘body of Christ’, we retain a desire to stimulate and serve those churches which are part of our heritage, as well as those who are committed to practicing church with a similar ethos. From 2001 the name ‘Nable’ was used, and a good start was made to a more cohesive way of providing training help to local churches.
The Nable group grew into a National Training Network (NTN) which was formed in 2011 when Counties, GLO and Partnership sponsored the Coventry Consultation. This event brought together leaders and trainers from churches and groups with a desire to strengthen and coordinate training possibilities. The Coventry Consultation aimed to:
- Celebrate: Recognise the value of current training at local church level and in various regional areas and in differing avenues of service.
- Connect: Share information which can facilitate fellowship, networking and mutual encouragement between leaders of local churches and service groups.
- Explore: Identify more precisely the educational and training needs; understand how the existing “systems” are working, and consider unmet needs and opportunities.
- Plan: Develop an action plan for greater cooperation in the development and provision of training for all local churches embracing a similar ethos.
In 2015 it was agreed to use the name Enable – a training network for local churches in order to provide:
- A central Hub for training information: via the Enable website,
- A training Network: through ongoing relationships and consultations,
- Events: for training and development.