The Episcopal and United Methodist bishops who oversee the ecumenical dialogue between their churches have jointly released A Gift to the World: Co-Laborers for the Healing of Brokenness, a draft document that proposes full communion.
“A Gift to the World is the product of a long and mutually enriching dialogue that took on new life with the formation of a bi-lateral dialogue committee in 2002,” says a letter from United Methodist Bishop Gregory V. Palmer of Ohio and Episcopal Bishop C. Franklin Brookhart, Jr., of Montana. “The initial years of this dialogue produced the interim Eucharistic Sharing Agreement that defines our current official relationship. In 2006, a study guide entitled Make Us One with Christ was issued for congregational use. A Theological Foundation for Full Communion between The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church was published in 2010 establishing the theological basis for full communion and clarifying perceived church-dividing issues.”
The bishops’ letter, a summary document from the United Methodists’ Council of Bishops, and the draft proposal all follow in full.
Image: Members of the Episcopal Church-United Methodist Dialogue Committee met in Charlotte in April 2016.
Cover Letter for a Gift to the World by TheLivingChurchdocs on Scribd
Full Communion Proposal Summary Presentation May 2017 by TheLivingChurchdocs on Scribd
A Gift to the World-6th Draft by TheLivingChurchdocs on Scribd
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
