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Communiqué: The Anglican - Methodist International Commission for Unity in Mission

Posted On : January 19, 2009 12:00 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
Related Categories: ACO - Ecumenical

ACNS: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2009/1/19/ACNS4561

The Anglican - Methodist International Commission for Unity in Mission
held its first meeting in the Centro Anglicano de la Diócesis de México
in Mexico City, as guests of the Anglican Consultative Council. The
Commission was co-chaired by the Right Revd Harold Miller, the Bishop of
Down and Dromore (Church of Ireland), for the Anglican Communion, and
the Revd Professor Robert Gribben (Uniting Church in Australia),
Chairman of the Standing Committee on Ecumenics and Dialogue, on behalf
of the World Methodist Council.

The Commission has been given a mandate by its sponsoring bodies as set
out in the London Document, the Report of the Anglican - Methodist
International Consultation, which took place in London, UK, in November
2007. Building on our common confession of the apostolic faith and our
participation in God's mission, the purpose of the Commission is to
advance the full visible communion of Anglicans and Methodists at every
level as a contribution to the full visible unity of the Church of
Christ. It has been asked to monitor and resource relations between
Anglicans and Methodists, and to propose ways to achieve this goal.

The Commission began its work by reviewing the reports and agreements
produced by Anglican and Methodist dialogues both at the international
and the regional levels. It also identified the main strands of work
which it wishes to address at future meetings. The meeting took place in
the context of daily prayer, worship, and the celebration of Holy
Communion in both traditions. The members of the Commission left the
meeting with enthusiasm about the work to be done, and the possibility
of the reconciliation of our two traditions.

The Commission is grateful for the warm welcome given to it by the
Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico, by the Most Revd Carlos Touché-Porter, the
Anglican Archbishop of Mexico, and the staff of the Diocese of Mexico
and the Anglican Centre. The Commission were also pleased to receive a
joint visit from Archbishop Carlos, the local Methodist bishop, Bishop
Moisés Valderrama Gomez, and the principals of their respective
seminaries, the Very Revd Pablo Ramos and the Revd Andrés Hernández. The
Commission also enjoyed the hospitality of Christ Church, Mexico City,
where they worshipped on Sunday, 11th January.

The Commission will meet next in February 2010 in the United Kingdom.

> The members of the Commission are:

> Anglicans

The Rt Revd Harold Miller (Church of Ireland), Co-Chair
Canon Paul Avis (Church of England)
The Rt Revd Franklin Brookhart (The Episcopal Church, USA)
The Venerable Flavio Irala (Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil) (not
present at this meeting)
Canon Lulama Mtanjiswa Ntshingwa (Anglican Church of Southern Africa)
The Rt Revd Dr. Surya Prakash (Church of South India)
Canon Gregory K Cameron, Anglican Communion Office, Co-Secretary

> Methodists

The Revd Professor Robert Gribben (Uniting Church in Australia),
Co-Chair
Dr Elizabeth Amoah (Methodist Church Ghana) (not present at this
meeting)
Bishop Thomas L Hoyt Jr (Christian Methodist Episcopal Church) (not
present at this meeting)
The Revd Dr Lorna Khoo (Methodist Church in Singapore) (not present at
this meeting)
The Revd Gareth Powell (Methodist Church of Great Britain)
The Revd Dr George Freeman, World Methodist Council, Co-Secretary
Methodist Consultants (for this meeting only)
The Revd Dr Douglas Mills (United Methodist Church)
The Revd Peter Sulston (Methodist Church of Great Britain)

> Observer

Bishop Walter Jagucki (Lutheran Church in Great Britain) on behalf of
the Lutheran World Federation.

> Ends

Photograph available here:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2009/1/19/ACNS4561

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