ELCA NEWS SERVICE
April 30, 2008
United Methodist Church Adopts Full Communion Proposal with ELCA
08-054-JB
FORT WORTH, Texas (ELCA) -- By a vote of 864-19, the General
Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) adopted an
implementing resolution April 28 that will establish full
communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Full communion will be fully realized by both churches should the
same proposal be adopted at the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly,
which meets Aug. 17-23, 2009, in Minneapolis.
The UMC General Conference, meeting here April 23-May 2, is
the Methodist's chief legislative body and meets every four
years. The ELCA Churchwide Assembly is the ELCA's chief
legislative authority, meeting every two years.
The ELCA and UMC have been in formal theological dialogue
since 1977, which led to beginning a relationship of "Interim
Eucharistic Sharing" in 2005. That relationship called for
members to pray for and support each other, to study Scripture
together and to learn about each other's traditions in
anticipation of achieving full communion.
Full communion means the churches will work for visible
unity in Jesus Christ, recognize each other's ministries, work
together on a variety of ministry initiatives, and, under certain
circumstances, provide for the interchangeability of ordained
clergy.
April 28 was "a banner day" because of the UMC General
Conference vote on full communion, said the Rev. William Oden,
ecumenical officer, UMC Council of Bishops, at an April 29 news
conference. "This has been a long time coming. A lot of careful
work has been done," he said. Oden emphasized that the proposal
is a relationship between the two church bodies and not a "church
union."
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, Chicago,
said he eagerly awaits the ELCA Churchwide Assembly vote in 2009
and hopes that it, too, will be a strong affirmation of full
communion with the UMC. Hanson also preached at an April 29
worship service at the UMC General Conference.
"This is about revival of two church bodies that are deeply
committed to re-presenting themselves in a pluralistic, dynamic
changing culture for the sake of mission," Hanson said.
The two church bodies must consider what they can do
together as full communion partners that was not possible before,
Hanson said. He suggested possible cooperative ministries in
campus ministry, global mission, advocacy for justice and peace,
to name only a few. He also agreed with Oden's assertion that
full communion cannot be successful if it is considered to be a
"top down" action. Full communion should be a relationship in
which mission initiatives should "bubble up" in the two churches,
Hanson said.
"I always think of full communion as merely a step along the
way toward a new, possible future because of the relationship,"
Hanson said. "That new, possible future is the for the sake of
the world. It's for the sake of mission. Full communion calls
for ecumenical, missional imagination."
Full communion also gives "formal expression" to what is
happening in both churches already, said the Rev. Greg Palmer,
president, UMC Council of Bishops. "In one way we're leading, and
in another way, we're following. We are catching up with people
on the ground who are doing things in partnership, in mission and
in ministry," he said.
Christians "must find meaningful, significant and
substantive ways of honoring the presence of the Lord Jesus
Christ in one another and together, living that before the world.
We must live before the world what God intends for the world,"
Palmer added.
Assuming the full communion proposal is adopted by the ELCA
Churchwide Assembly in 2009, a coordinating council with
representatives of both churches will be appointed, said the Rev.
Donald J. McCoid, executive, ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious
Relations, Chicago. That council will coordinate how the two
churches will plan for mission together and consider practical
matters such as interchangeability of ordained ministers, he
said.
The ELCA's five full communion partners are the Episcopal
Church, the Moravian Church in America, Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of
Christ.
While the ELCA has successful cooperative ministries with
its full communion partners, it must improve how it receives and
implements full communion agreements, McCoid said. "We need to do
better with how we are able to be intentional (in) sharing
ministry. Grassroots sharing is really very critical, and I'll
just echo that again and again and again. The best way we can do
that is by giving people permission and encouragement."
If adopted by both churches, this will be the UMC's first
full communion agreement outside of the Methodist tradition.
The ELCA is one of 140 churches in the Lutheran World
Federation and is the third-largest Lutheran church in the world
with 4.8 million members. The United Methodist Church is a
worldwide church with nearly 8 million members in the United
States.
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Audio of comments made at the April 29 news conference in
Fort Worth:
The Rev. William Oden http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/080429a.mp3
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/080429b.mp3
The Rev. Greg Palmer http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/080429c.mp3
The Rev. Donald J. McCoid
http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/080429d.mp3
Information about the Lutheran-United Methodist Dialogue is
at http://tinyurl.com/5wrzdh on the ELCA Web site.
Information about the UMC General Conference is at
http://tinyurl.com/2z73h3 on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
