A GROUND-BREAKING covenant between the Church of England and the Methodist Church will be signed at York Minster later this month.

The covenant of friendship and co-operation involves the York Diocese and the Methodist's York and Hull districts, along with Darlington.

It will be signed during a service at 11am on Saturday, May 24 - the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley, the Church of England priest who became the founder of Methodism.

The cathedral is set to be packed for the service, with all tickets already distributed through deaneries and Methodist circuits.

The document will be signed by the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, the Reverend Dr Stuart Burgess, chairman of the Methodist District of York & Hull, and the Revd David Vonberg, Deputy Chairman of the Methodist District of Darlington.

The Anglican diocesan spokesman, Martin Sheppard, said the agreement reflected growing co-operation on the ground between the two Christian traditions.

This included sharing buildings and personnel, and increasingly working together for the communities served by local churches.

He said the two national churches were approaching the point of agreeing a national Covenant. "But this regional Covenant is without precedent."

He said the document stressed that it would not discourage or hinder the development of relations with other Churches or other Christian communities.

Mr Sheppard said a web site had been launched with information about the Covenant, on www.yorkshirecovenant.org

The Minster service will also include the signing of a Partnership between the Methodist District of York & Hull with the Methodist District of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

Updated: 08:58 Friday, May 16, 2003