History of our organization

Founded in the 1950s by Ernest Tapp, a Methodist, the Order of Christian Unity was a small group of Christians from different denominations who met to pray together. They had a small badge – a cross with a handshake across it – to emphasise their hopes for Christians of different backgrounds to work together in friendship.

In the early 1970s, the group expanded substantially when Lady Lothian – wife of the Marquis of Lothian and a prominent Roman Catholic who was active in the media – became Chairman, offices were acquired in London, and a programme of publications and conferences was launched. Issues tackled included religious education in schools, Christian-based sex education, marriage preparation, and medical ethics.

The Schools Bible Project was launched with a pilot project in 1989 and became an annual event for secondary schools in 1991.  Over the years, prizegiving ceremonies have been held at Lambeth Palace – with the then Archbishop of Canterbury Dr George Carey, Archbishop’s House Westminster with Cardinal Basil Hume, and the headquarters of the Salvation Army.

The Project now involves schools across Britain, with pupils studying the New Testament and writing essays which are sent to a central address and assessed by a panel of judges at the end of the summer term. Pupils can win substantial prizes for their schools, plus personal book prizes. In recent years the annual prizegiving has been held at the House of Lords, with our Trustee Baroness Cox distributing the prizes at a ceremony attended by the young people, their parents, teachers, and friends.

Our current Chairman is Joanna Bogle, a writer and journalist (Catholic), and the vice-chairman Lady Benyon (Anglican).