wfn.org | German Protestants, Methodists assess 10 years of pulpit and altar

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

fellowship

GENEVA/HANOVER, Germany, 26 March 1998 (lwi) - The first ten years of
pulpit and altar fellowship between the Evangelical Methodist Church in
Germany (EMK), United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD) and
Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) have been assessed as positive. Good,
constructive cooperation at congregational level and in the context of the
Council of Christian Churches, among other things, was commended at a
meeting between the VELKD church leadership, EMK representatives and board
of the Arnoldshain Conference (AKf) held mid-March in Hanover.

A survey conducted in the member churches and EMK congregations also showed
encouraging results. Ecumenical worship services, regional joint
initiatives and events take place in many locations. Exchanges at church
leadership level, pulpit exchange and substitution in performing pastoral
acts also occurs.

Dialogue and doctrinal conversations began almost 20 years ago within
Germany on the basis of the worldwide dialogue between the World Methodist
Council and Lutheran World Federation (LWF). In 1987, under VELKD
leadership, these doctrinal conversations led to church fellowship, made
manifest in pulpit and altar fellowship. The AKf also participated in the
conversations. The EKD agreed to the results reached at the time. In
addition, the results of the doctrinal conversations were the basis for
receiving the EMK into membership of the Leuenberg Church Fellowship at
European level.

The Hanover meeting aimed at further theological deepening of the churches'
common interests. The relationship between the basis of faith and its
practical expression was discussed under the theme "Baptism - Faith -
Church Membership". In this way, differences between the confessions became
clearer. The meeting also discussed the modalities of conversion and
reflected on mutual eucharistic hospitality. In addition, reflections were
made on the status of the EMK in terms of cooperation in the EKD. The EMK,
as a free church, is seeking a greater degree of integration into the EKD.
Together with the EMK, the VELKD, AKf and EKD agreed that the dialogue be
continued. Ecumenical worship services will be conducted at congregational
level to deepen existing relations, not least upon the occasion of ten
years of pulpit and altar fellowship.

The EKD has about 70,000 members in Germany, and some 60 million worldwide.

The VELKD is composed of eight churches: in Bavaria, Brunswick, Hanover,
Mecklenburg, North Elbia, Saxony, Schaumburg-Lippe and Thuringia with a
total of some 11 million members. The AKf includes the church leaderships
of 16 member churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany; the church
leadership of Wurttemberg and the governing board of the Reformed Alliance
are represented as guests. The EKD has 24 member churches.

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