wfn.org | Norwegian Churches Have Agreement

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3404 notes).

Note 3404 by UMNS on Jan. 30, 1997 at 15:29 Eastern (2715 characters).

SEARCH: Norway, Lutheran, United Methodist, agreement, celebration
 Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency
of the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn.,
New York, and Washington.

CONTACT:  Linda Bloom                             50(10-71B){3404}
          New York (212) 870-3803                    Jan. 30, 1997

Celebrations mark agreement
between churches in Norway

               by United Methodist News Service

     An agreement between the United Methodist Church in Norway
and the Church of Norway, the official state body, was celebrated
Jan. 25-26 in Frederikstad with worship and festivities.
     The Rev. Bruce Robbins of New York, who attended on behalf of
the United Methodist Church outside Norway and the World Methodist
Council, said the importance of the agreement to both parties "was
very obvious."
     Robbins is general secretary of the United Methodist
Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.
     A commission member, the Rev. Lars Erik Nordby, pastor of the
United Methodist church in Frederikstad, was chairman of the
Methodist committee that helped develop the document of agreement.
     The agreement between the Lutheran state church and the
United Methodists recognizes each others' baptism, administration
of the sacrament of communion and ordained ministries. It makes a
commitment to expanded church fellowship through worship and
communion together and mission and service to Norway.
     Robbins called the agreement between the large Church of
Norway and small United Methodist body a covenant, not a merger.
"It was apparent to me the distinctiveness of the communities was
protected," he said.
     The agreement was signed formally during Sunday morning
worship at the Church of Norway's cathedral. Presiding were United
Methodist Bishop Hans Vaxby, bishop of Northern Europe, and Church
of Norway Bishop Andreas Aarflot. Other participants included the
president of Norway's Parliament and the local mayor.
     Another celebratory service took place at the United
Methodist Church in Sarpsborg, where a statue of O.P. Peterson,
the man who brought Methodism to Norway, was dedicated. 
     Robbins said he intended to write to the president of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), inquiring why
United Methodists were welcome to share communion with Lutherans
in Norway but not in the United States.
     The 1996 United Methodist General Conference, the
denomination's legislative body, has called for bilateral dialogue
with the Lutherans in an effort to reach an accord on the
sacrament of communion.
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