Proposal for full communion between TEC and UMC unveiled
by
from the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs
The Episcopal Church – United Methodist Dialogue group have prepared A Gift to the World: Co-Laborers for the Healing of Brokenness; The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church – A Proposal for Full Communion, the result of dialogue for a formal full-communion relationship.
In a recent letter, Bishop Frank Brookhart of Montana, Episcopal Church co-chair of the committee, with Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, the United Methodist Church, Ohio West Episcopal Area, offered, “The relationships formed over these years of dialogue, and the recognition that there are presently no theological impediments to unity, paved the way for this current draft proposal.” The entire letter is available here.
A Gift to the World: Co-Laborers for the Healing of Brokenness; The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church – A Proposal for Full Communion, is located here.
In the coming months, opportunities for feedback, regional gatherings, and discussions will be slated.
Additional related information, including historical documents, is available here.
The work of the Episcopal-United Methodist Dialogue is enabled by two General Convention resolutions here and here.
For more information contact the Rev. Margaret Rose, Episcopal Church Deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations at mrose@episcopalchurch.org.
Members
Members of the Episcopal-United Methodist Dialogue are:
Episcopal
Bishop C. Franklin Brookhart
Bishop David Rice
The Rev. Dr. Thomas Ferguson
The Rev. Dr. Deirdre Good
The Rev. Jordan M. Haynie Ware
The Rev. Margaret R. Rose – Staff
United Methodist
Bishop Gregory Palmer
Reverend Patricia Farris
Reverend Dr. James Howell
Reverend Dr. Pamela Lightsey
Bishop Michael Watson
Reverend Dr. Robert J. Williams
Kyle Tau, PhD, MTS – staff
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How does this square with the Quadralateral?
It's in the document, go read it. But basically it parses the difference between the "historic episcopate" (the Quadrilateral's term) and "apostolic succession."
Paul Woodrum, the proposal addresses this matter specifically in section 8 of the document "A Gift to the World" lines 266-298.
How is apostolic succession of bishops going to be reconciled with the Methodist idea of superintencency? Wesley considered the top brass to be superintendents. Asbury came up with calling them bishops, something of which Wesley, a priest of the Church of England, never approved or accepted. Other than that, I would say, "Welcome Home."
Looking forward to full communion with our brothers and sisters.
Having been raised in a Methodist family, as my husband had also; we chose the Episcopal Church as our family church. I would be very glad to see this happen. We have so much in common. we are now in communion with the Lutheran Church, so this would just bring 3 like minded churches into Communion with each other.