AN HISTORIC agreement was signed today in York between the Church of England and the Methodist Church.

The first-ever covenant between a Church of England Diocese and a Methodist District was signed in a special service at York Minster.

The Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, said: "This is a significant step towards full unity."

It will bond the Anglican Diocese of York and the Methodist Districts of York and Hull and Darlington.

Dr Hope said: "The diocese and the districts have been working together in close partnership for three years and through the covenant we will work together more and look at the issues which continue to separate us.

"This is in step with national picture, where a similar covenant is this summer to be put before the Methodist Conference and the Church of England General Synod."

The church leaders said the agreement will have an impact on people in the region.

"It will have impact on pastoral arrangements helping us to share things together more effectively and fully, help us to make plans together where we have previously made them apart," said Dr Hope.

"We are led here by a school which is jointly Anglican and Methodist, the Forest of Galtres School from Shipton.

"We wish to improve the ways we are of service to the community together, to worship together, there are all kinds of ways this will take us forward.

"This is an important step towards full unity, but we are not there yet."

Chairman of the Methodist District of York and Hull, the Rev Dr Stuart Burgess, said: "This is an incredibly historic day.

"This sends the right signal in this divided world that Christian people can work together.

"We are doing this to send out a green light for unity for all our brothers and sisters.

"We are doing it for our mission for God, not for ourselves, we want to overcome our divisions and help us all to move forward through this historic agreement."

Updated: 12:12 Saturday, May 24, 2003