Anglican-Lutheran International Commission meeting proceeds despite air travel ban
Episcopal News Service. April 19, 2010 [041910-04]
Clouds of ash from Iceland's erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano may have grounded planes across Europe, but it won't stop members of the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission (ALIC) meeting this week.
Only half of commission members -- most from non-European countries -- could fly to the gathering at the Procter Conference Center, west of Columbus, Ohio. Undeterred, many of those unable to attend in person will still be taking part via online communications tool Skype, and via e-mail.
"The commission is tasked with making sure that two families of Christians are perfectly at home in each other's houses," said the Rev. Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, ALIC co-secretary and director for Unity, Faith and Order at the Anglican Communion Office. "This meeting is a crucial next step in our efforts to promote co-operation, to ensure mutual recognition of ministry and to moving our churches to greater communion. We're doing everything we can to ensure the volcano doesn't get in the way of that."
ALIC's ultimate vision is of a time when all Lutherans and Anglicans are able to worship and serve in one another's churches.
Barnett-Cowan explained that she and the other members were busy reviewing all the current agreements between Lutherans and Anglicans to ensure consistency worldwide. They were also preparing recommendations to the churches on how to enhance their relationships, and were preparing advice on specific issues that need to be addressed, including the ability of clergy to serve in each other's churches.
This is the fifth meeting of ALIC; the first was held in Tanzania, the second in Nova Scotia, the third in India and last one in Sweden. Each meeting has helped to bring fresh insight into the commission's efforts. In Africa, members witnessed co-operation between Lutherans and Anglicans in their development work -- particularly in assisting those living with HIV and AIDS and in preventing the virus from spreading.
In India, commission members were very impressed at the way the two churches had worked together to overcome the caste systems to show those outside the church that all are welcome in God's house regardless of their social status.
"During this latest visit the commission members were due to visit the National Underground Railway Freedom Museum in Cincinnati," explained Barnett-Cowan, "to help us consider the impact of slavery on the human family and on church division, and what our churches can do to address it."
Barnett-Cowan's assistant, Neil Vigers, left the U.K. before for the volcano erupted. While Barnett-Cowan is glad still to be able to contribute to the ALIC meetings via technology and Vigers' input, she does have other reasons for wanting to fly to North America soon. She is due to accept an honorary doctorate -- her third -- from Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Canada, in recognition of her work to advance Lutheran-Anglican relations. Also, her daughter is due to get married in a few weeks' time in Canada.