Moravian's vote moves toward full communion
The Northern Province of the Moravian Church, which represents the northern half of the full body of Moravians in the United States voted last night to approve the full communion agreement that the Episcopal Church approved last summer in Anaheim.
The Southern Province will take up the matter at their Synod in September. The Southern Province and the Northern Province make such decisions in an independent manner. Both decisions will ultimately need to be affirmed by the international body of the Unitas Fratrum which will meet next in 2012.
The Episcopal News Service includes this reflection by the Rev. Thomas Ferguson, the interim deputy to the Presiding Bishop for Ecumenical affairs:
"The Moravian vote ended a day that began with the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, telling the Episcopal Church's Executive Council that the communion's ecumenical dialogues 'are at the point of collapse' because of the church's decision to ordain as bishop an openly gay and partnered priest for the second time.Ferguson said 'this dialogue with the Moravian Church shows that we can continue to move forward when our focus is on mission and ministry together, and agreeing to disagree on things that we don't believe are church-dividing.'
He noted that the Moravian Church does not allow service by openly gay and lesbian members but that the church's international body, the Unitas Fratrum, has said the issue is not a doctrinal matter.
'In this dialogue we have just agreed to disagree on that and we have further said that we do not believe this is an obstacle to full communion between our two churches,' Ferguson said. 'We can have different polity on this matter and still move forward because of the opportunities for joint mission and ministry that we see.'"
Read the full story here.
Thanks for posting this. I was baptized in the Moravian Church, and my faith in Christ was nurtured there. So I'm delighted that the relationship between our two traditions has come to this point. I'll be thinking about this next week while driving past the Moravian churches of Door County, Wisconsin, on my way to the Washington Island Forum. Perhaps I'll be singing the words of this Moravian chorale:
What brought us together, what join-ed our hearts?
The pardon which Jesus, our High Priest, imparts;
'Tis this which cements the disciples of Christ,
who are into one by the Spirit baptized.
The Rev. Neil Alan Willard
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
Edina, Minnesota
Posted by Neil Willard![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 19, 2010 10:15 AM
The ELCA, which TEC is also in full communion with, has been in full communion with both the Northern and Southern provinces of the Moravian Church for a decade. The web of relationships continues to grow!
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Ecumenical-and-Inter-Religious-Relations/Full-Communion/Moravian-Church.aspx
David Carter
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June 19, 2010 1:51 PM
The vote taken last evening to enter into a relationship of full communion with The Episcopal Church is not contingent on action by the Moravian Church-Southern Province and need not be ratified by any higher international authority in the Unitas Fratrum. Indeed, it comes with the blessing and affirmation of a significant number of Unity provinces. The decision stands on its own, and has filled our synod with great joy, even as we move on to much more contentous matters. [And, for what it may be worth, the video greeting from the Presiding Bishop is viewed by some as a factor in our electing our first woman head of communion!]
Posted by Gary L. Harke, member of the dialogue team from the Moravian side (and parliamentarian for the 41st Quadrennial Synod of the Moravian Church-Northern Province)
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June 19, 2010 9:59 PM