One of the least convincing, even cynical arguments from unionists in Northern Ireland who favoured a No vote in the referendums on the Belfast Agreement was that the agreement would not deliver peace. Few people seriously believed that, by itself, it could. In the free flow of sound bites that was such a feature of the period prior to the vote, some, of course, claimed that it would, but few would have taken the claims at face value.

What was believed, in overwhelming numbers as it transpired, was that at least the agreement provided an open door that could lead to peace, an opportunity for which there was no real alternative. Having gone through the door, much hard work remains to be done to enable healthy relationships to be developed and peace and justice to be established.

The essential role of Christians and the churches is to combat spiritual diseases such as enmity, mistrust, alienation and sectarianism. Christian agencies which have much to contribute include Corrymeela, the Faith and Politics Group, and Evangelical Contribution on Northern Ireland (ECONI).

ECONI celebrates its 10th birthday this year, and I would like to highlight its contribution. My copy of For God and His Glory Alone, ECONI's initial publication in 1988, shows evidence of much use.

Within months of its appearance, the booklet formed a basis for study within a small group of Protestant and Roman Catholic priests and ministers in north Belfast where I was serving at the time. During four years' ministry in Sri Lanka, scene of a much bloodier conflict than in Northern Ireland, I turned again to the booklet and found it no less relevant in a divided society which was predominantly Buddhist and Hindu.

By its own admission, ECONI has been a single-issue movement. Firmly rooted within the evangelical tradition (in which the Scriptures and personal faith in Christ are seen as crucial) its primary aim has been to explore and command roles for evangelical Christians in our divided society. It has given evangelicals credibility in crossing a veritable minefield of hidden dangers.

It has never approached its daunting task in a narrow or sectarian manner, but has welcomed opportunities to engage with people and groups whose base and values are different. In the view of ECONI, all ideologies, whether Christian or not, need to be subjected to the searching tests of Scripture.

Wide ranging co-operation is necessary for progress to be made in four key areas in Northern Ireland: making peace; bringing healing; doing justice, and creating hope.

ECONI also recognises that all Christians, whether evangelical or not, need to order their lives in accordance with Biblical values and principles. Not surprisingly, ECONI's stance on such points has been too open for some people. The conservative Evangelical Protestant Society has accused it of being soft on "the errors and subtlety of the Church of Rome". ECONI's contact with Sinn Fein has also been criticised by the Rev Ian Paisley.

The publication of A Future with Hope in 1995 was a serious attempt to provide Biblical frameworks for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland following the Downing Street Declaration and the IRA and loyalist ceasefires. It was a contribution to the debate about the political future of Northern Ireland from a Christian perspective, for community and political leaders as well as people in general.

After the Belfast Agreement, ECONI published A Time to Decide, in which it drew attention to the Biblical guidelines which first appeared in A Future with Hope, and made suggestions to encourage responsible Christian participation in the referendums.

What of the future? We need a much less confrontational style of politics within Northern Ireland. It is, for example, unhelpful when politicians are arrogant, fail to listen to the views of others, ridicule opponents, threaten to pull out of negotiations or working arrangements when things go contrary to their liking, or so overreact in words or actions that they contribute to the climate of fear and uncertainty in the community.

Such behaviour has a destabilising effect and may have repercussions far beyond what was intended. It may even be used as an excuse by extremists to engage in wanton violence.

Above all, we need to recognise that the overwhelming Yes vote in the referendums by the people of Ireland, North and South, potentially establishes a new basis for relationships and politics in Ireland. In a divided society it is unsatisfactory and unproductive when separate nationalist and unionist, Northern and Southern, solutions are sought for common problems.

The way ahead should always be through inclusive dialogue, negotiation and accommodation. Agreement on the principle of consent, the denial of legitimacy to violence and the proposals to remove the Republic's territorial claims to Northern Ireland have all been significant gains in the current process.

When politicians and others accuse Christians and the churches of failure in these same areas, we do well to admit our guilt. Attitudes within and between the churches, and between the churches and the wider community, frequently fall far below acceptable Christian standards. Much remains to be done as we celebrate diversity, affirm the value of people, broaden views of peace, keep hope alive, prepare people for change, and share a vision of what Northern Ireland and the whole of Ireland can become.

We must not claim too much for ourselves and the Bible. The Scriptures do not contain blueprints for detailed policies. In applying Biblical imperatives we may be over-influenced by our own culture, politics, history and experiences. Christians will not agree on every issue as they seek to apply their faith to the social, political and economic realities of our society.

That said, we must not claim too little for Christ, Christians and the scriptures. The healing of divisions, hurts, hostility and bitterness, and the creation of healthy community life, are essentially spiritual tasks. Healing for individuals, and healing within and between nations, are available from God in Christ.

The Rev Dr Norman Taggart ended his one-year term as president of the Methodist Church in Ireland last Friday.