wfn.org | ELCA's Presiding Bishop Prepares Ecumenical Next Steps

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 19, 1997

ELCA'S PRESIDING BISHOP PREPARES ECUMENICAL NEXT STEPS
97-27-078-AH

        CHICAGO ELCA -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, said the ELCA is beginning to "live into" full communion with the
churches of the Reformed tradition.  He hopes to meet soon with the bishop-elect of the Episcopal
Church, Bishop Frank Griswold.
        At its churchwide assembly in August the ELCA voted to approve "full communion" with
the the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ,
and narrowly defeated a similar action for full communion with the Episcopal Church.
        The ELCA is "already hard at work addressing implications of full communion with the
Presbyterian, Reformed and UCC churches," Anderson said in an interview.   The next steps, he
said, include "beginning to develop guidelines for clergy exchange," with input from the ELCA's
Conference of Bishops.
        Anderson expressed hope that ELCA synods will include in next spring's assemblies
"elements by which this new era in Christian unity is celebrated and new possibilities for shared
ministry are envisioned."  He said a national celebratory worship event is being planned for Oct. 4,
1998.
        "Together with heads of the other churches, I am exploring other steps that may be taken
as we begin to `live into' full communion," Anderson said.  He will meet with the other leaders in a
retreat setting in December.
        Full communion is not a plan to merge; it commits the churches to sharing in their mission
work locally and internationally and to developing procedures whereby clergy in one church body
may serve as pastor in a congrefation of another church body.
        "The situation with the Episcopal Church is both more urgent and less settled," Anderson
said.  The first move has to be a meeting with Griswold, he said.  "It is crucial to see what
possibilities he is willing to entertain as we proceed to develop the `revised text' called for in
ELCA assembly action," Anderson said.
        The assembly rededicated the church to work toward bringing "to the 1999 churchwide
assembly a revised proposal for full communion" with the Episcopal Church.
        "That text could be a commentary on the 'Concordat of Agreement,' a clarified
Concordat, a substantially revised Concordat, or a totally new proposal," Anderson explained.
"Another strategy would be the adoption of measures on our own that would eliminate the need
for handling them through the Concordat."
        Anderson said, "We need to know what a particular choice will entail for the Episcopal
Church as well as our own."
        "The decision about the nature of the 'revised text'" will be made in consultation with the
ELCA Church Council and Conference of Bishiops, Anderson said.  "I hope to include people who
voted against the Concordat in whatever drafting process is devised," he said.  "I hope to have a
text ready to share with the ELCA synod assemblies next spring, and I have set Dec. 1 as the
deadline for deciding on a process and a timeline," Anderson said.
        In his column for the October issue of "The Lutheran" magazine, Anderson tells readers,
"By the time the 1997 churchwide assembly came to an end I knew the ELCA was a church with a
future."  Anderson's "moment of revelation" came when the voting members decided not to reopen
the question of full communion with the Episcopal Church.
        He wrote, "That was when I realized that this church has a future.  Many were pained and
disappointed by the earlier decision.  But rather than try to push for a positive vote by brute force,
they decided to accept the results of that first vote, listen to voices on both sides of the question
and consult with all parties before looking at a new proposal in 1999.
        "That decision to wait for each other and work together assured me that the ELCA is
growing up," Anderson said.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html