wfn.org | United Methodists, Episcopalians begin dialogue

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

July 31, 2002      News media contact: Linda Bloom7(212) 870-38037New York
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By United Methodist News Service

For the first time, the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Church are
conducting a formal dialogue with each other.

The first meeting occurred July 25-26 in Atlanta, co-chaired by United
Methodist Bishop William B. Oden of Dallas and the Rt. Rev. John B.
Lipscomb, Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. The United Methodist
Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns is a sponsoring
agency for the talks.

"This is really kind of a historic beginning for both bodies," Oden
explained, noting that a brief attempt at a dialogue between the Methodist
Episcopal Church and Episcopalians in the 1930s had failed after one or two
meetings.

On an international level, Anglicans and Methodists have a history of
bilateral dialogue, resulting in a 1996 document, "Sharing in the Apostolic
Communion." Oden served as co-chairman of the commission that produced the
document, which was adopted by both the World Methodist Council and Lambeth
Conference of Anglican Bishops.

Neither of those bodies, however, has legislative authority, the bishop
pointed out. But the establishment of regional dialogues, as in the United
States, follows the pattern of Anglican relations with other Christian
communions. The Church of England and British Methodists also have decided
to explore the possibility of a covenant relationship.

In Atlanta, the dialogue teams considered "our common history, our
similarities and our differences," and set a goal of "full communion in
ministry, witness and mission," Oden said.

"It is our hope that the two denominations will have closer partnerships at
the local level to reach a point of reconciliation of ministries, working
together in common mission," he added.

Thomas Ferguson, Episcopal associate deputy for ecumenical and interfaith
relations, said his denomination was "delighted" to enter the dialogue. "In
many ways, the United Methodist Church is the church closest to Anglicanism
in terms of history and liturgy," he noted.

The teams plan to take a statement to the Episcopal General Convention in
2003 and United Methodist General Conference in 2004, "which will hopefully
ratify the conclusions of the international dialogue and move us a step
toward interim Eucharist sharing," the bishop said.

Both denominations were founding members of the Consultation on Church Union
and so share "a common agreement on doctrine, including the creeds and unity
and baptism," Oden said. But that organization discouraged bilateral
dialogues, he noted, adding that its successor body, Churches Uniting in
Christ, is more open to those dialogues.

United Methodists also are engaged in dialogue with the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of America, which already has a covenant with the Episcopalians.
"We're hoping to keep these two dialogues in concert," Oden said.

The next United Methodist-Episcopalian dialogue meeting will take place next
winter. The bishop expects that a final report, with suggestions for action,
will be taken to the Episcopal General Convention in 2006 and the United
Methodist General Conference in 2008.

Besides Oden, United Methodist members of the dialogue team are the Rev.
Trey Hall of Glenview, Ill.; the Rev. Lucia Guzman of Denver; the Rev.
Diedre Kriewald of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington; the Rev.
Russell Richey of Candler School of Theology in Atlanta; and the Rev. Erica
Jenkins of St. Martinville, La. The Rev. Bruce Robbins, the commission's
chief executive, of New York, serves as staff.

Episcopal team members are the Rev. David Bird of Washington; the Rev. Lois
Boxill of Philadelphia; the Rev. Theodora Brooks of New Rochelle, N.Y.; the
Rt. Rev. Robert Ihloff of Baltimore; the Rev. Bruce Mullin of General
Theological Seminary in New York; Patricia Page of Durham, N.C.; and the
Rev. Ephraim Radner of Pueblo, Colo. The church's ecumenical officer is the
Rt. Rev. C. Christopher Epting of New York.

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United Methodist News Service
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