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Ecumenical Relations: International

Issues of mutuality face the Anglican Communion

In a post-Lambeth letter to Anglican bishops, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said that almost everyone who attended the Lambeth Conference wants the Anglican Communion to stay together. Nevertheless, he recognized that it remains to be seen how far "an intensified sense of belonging together" can help "mutual restraint." This will be tested by the proposals for an Anglican Covenant that Williams supports. The hope is to achieve identity and cohesion without being legalistic. He wrote, "A strong majority of bishops present agreed that moratoria on same-sex blessings and on cross-provincial interventions were necessary," though they were aware of conscientious difficulties and the need to clarify what can be realistically implemented.

Williams touched on the demands of restraint when a reporter earlier inquired about the grounds for asking gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people to "sacrifice . . . for the unity of the Anglican Communion." His reply pointed to"the preservation of the global fellowship" calling it "larger than any of us."

The Anglican archbishop of Kenya, who boycotted this year's Lambeth conference but wants them to continue, said the issue is not about some staying and some going from the Anglican Communion but about "compliance to the word of God." If all the churches of the Communion obey scripture, inner oneness will bring the outer form that is wanted, he believes. Nonetheless, he sees the Communion's handling of the polygamy issue as being a complication, though he sees both polygamy and homosexuality as sinful.

Williams' post-Lambeth letter acknowledged the bishops who attended a recent conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem but were not present at Lambeth. Many at Lambeth felt a sense of "affinity" with the Jerusalem meet's document, he said, and he expressed determination to do the work needed to bring everyone closer together.

Small group conversations were a key element in the 2008 Lambeth Conference agenda. The final document captures the reflections from these. See also the description of how Lambeth attempted to take scripture seriously.

Does a focus on the issues of the Anglican Communion divert attention?

An Anglican bishop in Botswana has pled with the media to be more balanced in reporting on issues facing Christians, particularly in the Anglican Communion. The gay issue does not preoccupy the poor, he said, and debate on it at the expensive of oncerns such as poverty, malnutrition, drought, and AIDS, is demeaning. "Our agenda is about basic survival . . . and we cannot focus on other agendas." (ENI #08-0686)

Worldwide bilateral and multilateral relationships

Catholic relations with other churches slowly move forward

Catholics in relationship and dialogue

The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released its brief "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church" on July 10, 2007, thereby touching an ecumenical sore spot. MORE See a paper on The Catholic Church and Ecumenism During the Century Since the Edinburgh World Mission Conference 1910 by John Radano of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. See links to a wide variety of dialogue reports.

The Joint working group

A joint working group advises the Vatican and the World Council of Churches (WCC) on their mutual relations. It will next meet on November 17-22 in Geneva.

Catholics and Anglicans: Unity and Mission

The International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission published Growing Together in Unity and Mission: Building on 40 Years of Anglican and Roman Catholic Dialogue, in early 2007, which calls for action on practical matters as well as fostering discussion. At that time a common declaration of the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury listed areas for cooperation: pursuit of peace, promotion of the respect for life and of the family, outreach to the poor and vulnerable, care of the creation, interreligious dialogue. The two spoke privately recently on a number of ecumenical issues and Christian-Muslim dialogue. (see item 6)

Catholics, Lutherans, and United Methodists: Justification

In July 2006 the World Methodist’s (WMC) governing body associated itself with the April 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Catholic Church. WMC made its affirmation in a theological statement that was received by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Lutheran World Federation. LWF general secretary Ishmael Noko called the WMC acceptance an ecumenical landmark since JDDJ can no longer be an ecumenical specialty of only Lutherans and Roman Catholics.

The Lutheran World Federation has named Michael Root of the U.S. (pictured) to its team for the next round of Catholic-Lutheran dialogue.

Catholics and Baptists: the sacraments and more

December 2007 talks between the World Baptist Alliance (BWA) and the Catholic Church centered on "Baptism and Lord's Supper/Eucharist as Visible Word of God in the Koinonia of the Church." Pope Benedict XVI told the group that other "historically controverted issues" to be faced together include Scripture and tradition, the place of Mary, and oversight in the church's ministerial structure. The dialogue's Catholic co-chair is Arthur Serratelli, bishop in Patterson, N.J. (pictured).

Catholics and Disciples: the presence of Christ in the ministry of the church

The International Commission for Dialogue between the Disciples of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church met in late June 2008 to discuss the "priesthood of Christ in church and ministry." This was the final session in a dialogue on the "presence of Christ in the church, with special reference to the eucharist," for which an agreed statement will now be prepared. American William Tabbernee is co-chair of the dialogue.

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Orthodox dialogues yield common statements

Orthodox and Lutherans: the Eucharist

Donald McCoid (pictured), ecumenical officer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is co-president of the International Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission. In a 2006 common statement, The Mystery of the Church: The Holy Eucharist in the Life of the Church, it stated, “Orthodox and Lutherans both confess that Christ’s body and blood are united with bread and wine, to be consumed by communicants, uniting them with Christ and with each other.” In North America, possible Lutheran-Orthodox understandings are threatened by ELCA's full communion agreements made on the basis of "agreement on a few points of theology."

Orthodox and Anglicans: the ordained ministry

The Church of the Triune God: the Cyprus Agreed Statement, a document released by the International Commission for Anglican–Orthodox Theological Dialogue, examines the ordained ministry and the question of who may be ordained. The Lambeth Conference will have the report available.

Orthodox and Reformed: the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed

Since its inception in 1988, the Orthodox-Reformed dialogue has studied the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, resulting in agreed statements on the doctrine of the Trinity (1992) and on the doctrine of Christ (1994). Convergences on the doctrine of the Church (dialogue of 1996-2005) were published in The Reformed World, March 2007, pp. 86ff.

Orthodox-Catholic dialogue yields a document on ecclesiology

Ecclesiology and Canonical Consequences of the Sacramental Nature of the Church: Ecclesial Communion, Conciliarity and Authority (the "Ravenna document") from the international commission for theological dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church has a footnote that lists the limiting perspectives of each partner when the document speaks of "the Church." The Vatican has pointed out it is not "an official declaration of the Church’s teaching," and in Ravenna it was also difficult to get Orthodox agreement for

a statement on authority exercised at the "universal" level.

Obstacles in the Orthodox-Catholic relationship include papal primacy, Orthodox national ecclesiastical organization, Catholic presence in traditional Orthodox territory, and even intra-Orthodox tensions.

Another international commission for the dialogue of the Catholic and Oriental Orthodox churches met in 2007 and 2008.

Inter-Orthodox presence in ecumenical settings

Inter-Orthodox affairs affect ecumenical relationships outside the Orthodox community. These include questions about the church in the Ukraine and Estonia. At the recent celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the conversion of Russia to Christianity, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Alexi II of Moscow met to resolve past tensions. Now it has been announced that Alexi will participate in a synod of Orthodox patriarchs in Istanbul in October. Ecumenically, the Russian Orthodox Church's Metropolitan Kirill has said, "Due to its principal stand in its dialogue with unorthodoxy, the Russian Orthodox Church is becoming now the major witness and voice of traditional Christian values which are increasingly marginalized by the Western liberalization." He therefore believes it important to remain in ecumenical settings.
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Lutheran dialogue addresses problematic statements in confessions

Lutherans and Mennonites: condemnations of Anabaptists in confessional writings
The Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission, meeting in mid-2007, considered what it means for Lutherans to have, within their confessional writings, condemnations that contributed to persecutions and killing of Anabaptists during the Reformation. Little is known of this in Lutheran circles, but its memory still causes impediments among Anabaptist descendants. In July 2008 the Lutheran World Federation voted to prepare a statement asking for forgiveness.

Lutherans and other Protestants: divergent views of the church

Lutherans have a growing understanding that the main obstacle to church unity is divergent views of the church. Protestants often show this by emphasizing their differences. An international group of Lutherans, joined by an ecumenical group of other Christians, looked at the Protestant understanding of the church recently.

Anglicans and others review progress in their relationship

Anglicans and Lutherans: episcopal ministry and the Anglican Covenant

The Anglican-Lutheran International Commission looked at work before each communion in May 2007: the implications of the LWF-adopted Lund statement on Episcopal Ministry within the Apostolicity of the Church for a dialogue on episcopé and the ecumenical implications of the draft Anglican Covenant. The group will meet in Norway in 2008.

Anglicans and Methodists: sharing in the apostolic communion

The Anglican-Methodist International Commission is a resource for continuing conversations and relationships. A London consultation in late 2007 reviewed the progress made since its report on "Sharing in the Apostolic Communion." Interim eucharistic sharing between American Episcopalians and United Methodists is one of its outcomes. Commission membership when the report was prepared included, from the U.S., United Methodist William Oden (pictured) as co-chair, AME Frederick Talbot, Episcopalians Patricia Wilson-Kastner and Guy Lytle III.

Anglicans and Catholics, Orthodox, and Lutherans: ordination of women as bishops

A Vatican statement after the July 7 decision by the Church of England (CoE) to move ahead with allowing women as bishops says it "signifies a break with the apostolic tradition maintained by all of the churches since the first millennium and is, therefore, a further obstacle to reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England." (see also ENI #08-0617) Bishop Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church also reacted negatively to the CoE decision. Reacting positively, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) welcomed the CoE decision "for its immediate consequences in ecumenical relations" between Lutherans and Anglicans. And Martin Marty, writing on recent public discussion about Catholic views toward women's ordination, notes that change has indeed happened in the history of the Catholic Church on some highly significant issues. Within the Anglican Communion, there are already women bishops in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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Seventh-day Adventists explore possible areas of cooperation

Seventh-day Adventists and the World Evangelical Alliance

The Seventh-day Adventist Church and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) see the possibility of cooperating together, they say in a joint statement issued after August 2007 theological conversations. Adventists can subscribe to the WEA statement of faith, though the two bodies disagree on the authority of Ellen White, pre-Advent judgment, and the day of Sabbath observance. Areas of cooperation could include prayer, Bible study, Bible society work, religious liberty, and meeting needs of society.

Seventh-day Adventists and the Salvation Army

Both rooted in the theology of John Wesley and dating from the 1860s, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Salvation Army have had formal dialogue with one another since 2002, most recently in February 2008. In spite of significant differences, the two see that they could cooperate in selected efforts "to meet humanity’s crying spiritual and material needs."

Pentecostals and World Council of Churches meet around faith testimony

A joint consultative group enables links between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and those Pentecostal churches not traditionally part of the ecumenical movement. It aims to extend dialogue to the regional and national level, enable practical cooperation, and get new studies into academic institutions. In October 2008 it will discuss the marks of the church -- oneness, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity. The co-moderators are Americans Jennifer Leach (AME, pictured left) and Cecil Robeck (Assemblies of God).

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The Reformed dialogue with widely different partners

Reformed and Pentecostals: experience, justice, and koinonia

The international Pentecostal-WARC dialogue discussed "Experience in Christian Faith and Life" through looking at justice in May 2007. The co-chairs are David Daniels (Pentecostal, pictured) of McCormick Seminary and Joe Small (WARC) of the PC(USA) staff. See a report of the dialogue's 2006 session on the ways Pentecostal and Reformed Christians experience koinonia in the local congregation and between churches. See also Spirits Gifts -- God's Reign (PDS # 70-420-99-008).

Reformed and Lutherans: confessions, ecclesiology

The international Lutheran-Reformed Joint Commission will investigate ecclesiology further when it next meets in October 2008. In August 2007 it received papers on the meaning and authority of confessions in the two traditions. Presbyterian Anna Case-Winters (pictured) of McCormick Seminary is its Reformed co-chair. The LWF and WARC have met to dialogue since the early 1980s. In July, LWF affirmed the continuation of common efforts between the LWF and its Reformed partners during the time of transition to the World Communion of Reformed Churches which will unite WARC and the Reformed Ecumenical Council.

Reformed and Catholics: the Church

“The Church as Community of Common Witness to the Kingdom of God” was the theme of the third phase of conversations between the Catholic Church and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, in 1998-2005. See the final report, completed in 2007. See also a history of the conversations dating back to 1970 and a general review, Catholic and Reformed (PDS #70-420-96-200). PC(USA) scholars David Willis and Lewis Mudge have served as co-chairs at earlier stages. Heidi Hadsell (pictured) was a consultant for the third phase.

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Regional councils/conferences around the globe

The general secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches says climate change needs to be its top issue, with its 25 churches addressing questions about resettlement in the face of rising sea levels. The Church is the largest non-governmental institution in the world's smallest island nation, Tuvalu. (ENI #08-0712) The Pacific is the focus for 2008 for the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence and will be featured in the September 21 International Day of Prayer.

In a surprise move, the Latin American Churches (CLAI) general secretary resigned in February with six other staff. At CLAI's last assembly, participants had heard him speak about service and evangelization, a combination of emphases that broke stereotypes of the council. Some in the region expressed concern about his advocacy for closer ties with Pentecostals and others.

A Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC) project to run a masters of theology program in collaboration with a Canadian academic institution has been postponed to 2009 until new legal requirements in Trinidad and Tobago are met. CCC is concerned about continuing education, dialogue, and contextualized scholarship.

The general secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), together with three others, has visited Armenia to experience the life and witness of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, a CEC member, and will also visit Georgia and Ossetia. CEC and the World Council of Churches together issued a statement on Georgia.

The general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), Prawate Khid-arn, is also the chairperson of the Asian Interfaith Network on HIV/AIDS. He addressed the largest gathering of Hindu religious leaders to date to discuss the pandemic. He told them, "HIV/AIDS continues to be a critical test of religious faith practice." (ENI #08-0431)

A meeting of African churches and international faith-based organizations in Accra told governments that, to end the "scandal of poverty," their aid must advance development. The general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Mvume Dandala, said aid must be judged accordingly. (ENI #08-0710) See a Presbyterian news story on AACC.

A Middle East Council of Churches-sponsored seminar in August for leaders of church-related schools highlighted their special role in teaching non-violence, peacemaking, and respectful co-existence in society. Speakers particularly referred to the role of love in overcoming violence.

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MORE on Ecumenical Relations: U.S. on the following page

On the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) web site

The permanent General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical Relations: information on its membership and responsibilities
The Department of Ecumenical and Agency Relationships, Office of the General Assembly: resources of the office

On this web site

General Assembly: ecumenical and interfaith business

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Ecumenical & Interfaith Network - PCUSA

Ecumenical & Interfaith
Network - PCUSA