Report to the Episcopal Church on the XII Plenary Session of the Consultation on Church Union
Diocesan Press Service. November 8, 1974 [74314]
John M. Krumm, Chairman, Episcopal Delegation
St. Paul, in Romans 6:3-5, refers to baptism as a dying and a rising to newness of life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those who have viewed the Consultation on Church Union as dead, the twelfth Plenary session of COCU must seem like a baptismal rebirth.
The Consultation has asked its participating Churches to join in affirming that the baptized members of the nine Churches, as well as those who belong to other Christian fellowships, are indeed members of one Church -- that Church which the Prayer Book Offices of Instruction define as "the Body of which Jesus Christ is the head and all baptized people are the members. "
This is a truism in Anglican thought. Its authoritative statement in the Episcopal Church goes as far back as the Chicago Quadrilateral of 1886; similarly, Vatican II in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church recognized that baptized Christians of other communions are "consecrated by baptism, through which they are united with Christ." (C.II, N. 15).
In Cincinnati, the Consultation on Church Union asked its member Churches to take this Catholic and Anglican principle seriously. A common membership in Christ has implications for relations among Churches and their members who confess one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptism.
The Consultation did not propose that the membership lists and rules of the separate Churches be amalgamated or confused. Nor, of course, did it seek to suggest that acting upon this baptismal unity should be confined to the membership of the nine Churches. It did ask the Episcopal Church, presumably at the next General Convention, to join in the affirmation entitled "Toward the Mutual Recognition of Membership, " a copy of which is attached. It also asks our Church as a constituent member of the Consultation on Church Union "to undertake a serious inquiry into the implications of its own affirmation and to share its findings with the other Churches in the Consultation," and posed a long series of questions about such implications (also attached). For the Episcopal Church this request comes at a time when we are engaged in debate about the meaning of baptism and confirmation and the appropriateness of our present canons on membership in our parishes in the light of new theological insights. This COCU action will add a new dimension to our internal discussion, and our delegation pledges itself to cooperate in furthering this inquiry.
We Episcopalians are mindful of our Church's lively concern for unity with the Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, and the Lutherans, as well as other Churches with which we are not at present in organized dialogue. Our role in the Consultation on Church Union is a part of a single enterprise: Unity in the body of which Jesus Christ is the head and all baptized people are the members.
When this proposal comes before General Convention, we shall undoubtedly have to dot some I's and cross some t's -- the form and matter of baptism and other matters of doctrine and discipline "as this Church has received the same. " But in COCU's "rebirth" -- if it was as dead as some may have thought -- we Episcopalian participants rejoice to see a new emphasis on the fact that it is God, through the sacraments ordained by Christ, who unites His Church and will require from us an account of our stewardship of His gift of unity.
The proposal for mutual recognition of members originated in the Commission for the Revision of the Theological Basis in A Plan of Union. Comprising the first seven chapters of the plan, but not the structural proposals of the following chapters, this material deals with Faith, Worship, Sacraments, and Ministry. The assignment of the Commission is to present to the next Plenary in 1976 a draft to test the degree of consensus on these subjects. If the timetable is successfully maintained, the 1976 General Convention will have answers to some important questions involved in the present proposal.
Episcopalians present at all or part of the meeting:
Delegates: Assoc. Delegates Continued:
The Rt. Rev. John M. Krumm The Rt. Rev. David B. Reed
The Rt. Rev. John T. Walker Dr. George Shipman
The Very Rev. W. Roland Foster The Rev. Walter H. Taylor
The Rev. Warner R. Traynham Present in other capacities:
Dr. Peter Day The Rev. Charles H. Long
Dr. Charles R. Lawrence The Rev. James P. Metzger
Miss Babett Reed The Rev. LeRoy D. Hall
Mrs. Theodore O. Wedel Mr. John C. Cosby
Mrs. Phebe Hoff Mrs. Bonnie MacCauley
Associate Delegates:
The Most Rev. John M. Allin
The Rev. Christopher Fitzsimons Allison
Mr. J. Stuart Cosby
The Rev. James E. Griffiss
Dr. Howard L. Meredith
I. TOWARD THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF MEMBERS: AN AFFIRMATION
(1) As a witness to the faith that animates our participation in the Consultation on Church Union, we, the Church, confess that all who are baptized into Christ are members of His universal Church and belong to and share in His ministry through the People of the One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(2) At this time, when we are living our way toward church union, we affirm that membership in a particular church is membership in the whole People of God. As a participating church in the Consultation we intend to work toward removing any impediments in our life which prevent us from receiving into full membership all members so recognized.
(3) In the divided state of our churches the word "membership" is used to refer to enrollment in a particular church. Affirming our oneness in baptism does not abolish membership in a particular church and substitute a common membership in all particular churches, nor does it mean plural simultaneous membership in several, nor does it refer merely to the practice of transferring membership from one particular church to another.
(4) Therefore, we covenant with the other participating churches in the Consultation on Church Union to do everything possible to hasten the day when, together with other churches to whom through the Spirit's leading we may yet be joined, we all shall be one in a visible fellowship truly catholic, truly evangelical, and truly reformed.
II. AN INQUIRY ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS AFFIRMATION
(5) The Consultation on Church Union believes that the commitment to seek mutual recognition of membership can be a new and creative ecumenical step if each affirming church undertakes an inquiry into the implications of the affirmation, and shares its findings with the other churches in the Consultation. To help open this inquiry, the Consultation asks the following questions:
(6) 1. Does not mutual recognition of membership imply recognition that the baptism of each church, whatever its mode or time of life, is an expression of and witness to our one baptism into the body of the one Lord?
(7) 2. Does not mutual recognition of membership imply a new appreciation of the importance of confirming, nurturing and instructing each member in the understanding and practice of a church membership which is recognizable to all as new life in Christ?
(8) 3. Does not mutual recognition of membership imply recognition that at each celebration of His eucharistic supper, our Lord's invitation and hospitality are extended to all who, baptized and repentant, draw near with faith?
(9) 4. Does not mutual recognition of membership imply the acknowledgment that each member is called to ministry, and has been endowed by the Spirit of Christ with gifts for that ministry which the whole Church requires for the building up of the body of believers and for their total ministry in the world?
(10) 5. Does not mutual recognition of membership imply an obligation to explore the new possibilities for mutual recognition of the ordained and licensed ministries of both men and women?
(11) 6. Does not mutual recognition of membership imply that our practices of congregational and denominational membership need re-examination? Does it not imply that membership in one communion is valid and acceptable in another communion? Does it not also imply a repudiation of the practice of one Church intentionally increasing its membership at the expense of another?
(12) 7. Does not mutual recognition of membership imply the importance of developing a richer ethnic, cultural and other diversity in our congregations and traditions?
(13) 8. Does not mutual recognition of membership imply a deeper commitment than we have yet made to racial and social justice in all our churches and communities, and to joint ministry to overcome racism, sexism and other injustices?
(14) 9. Does not mutual recognition of membership imply a readiness on the part of each member to accept responsibility for the discipline of the church in which his or her membership is exercised, and likewise a readiness on the part of each church to develop its understanding and practice of discipline so as to prepare for the day when the churches can share a common understanding of discipline?
III. RESOLUTIONS
A. Participating Church Actions
(15) 1. Resolved, that "toward the mutual recognition of members: an affirmation" be referred to each participating church in the Consultation with the request that it be affirmed by its competent body as a commitment of that church with and to the other participating churches in the Consultation on Church Union.
(16) 2. Resolved, that each affirming church be asked to undertake a serious inquiry into the implications of its own affirmation, and to share its findings with the other churches in the Consultation.
B. The Consultation's Supporting Action
(17) 1. Resolved, that the Consultation undertake a common inquiry concerning the implications of mutual recognition of members, which aims both to stimulate and to bring together the fruits of the several inquiries by the declaring churches.
(18) 2. Resolved, that the Consultation actively and steadily seek to interest other churches in affirming this mutual recognition of members.
OTHER ACTIONS
The Consultation enthusiastically welcomed its new General Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Gerald F. Moede, United Methodist, who came to this post from the Faith and Order Department of the World Council of Churches. He received a standing ovation at the end of a keynote address in which he emphasized the meaning of unity for the local church and its members.
Dr. Moede and his new associate, Dr. John Satterwhite of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church were installed in office at a Eucharist concelebrated by ministers of the nine participating Churches.
Other actions during the five-day meeting, November 3-8, included a renewed emphasis on building relationships at the local and regional level, a continuing drive for elimination of racism in the churches, and a new concern for the role of women.
In the continuing struggle to eliminate racism in the churches, the Consultation said that the "issue of concern " is white racism. Specifically, the delegates voted to work against racism in Christian education, structures and institutions of the participating churches, local community experiments in unity and other COCU enterprises.
Also affirmed were strategies of "compensatory action," described as "joint ministry now to overcome racism" and asked majorities and minorities to work together in developing such strategies.
The Consultation's Commission on Institutional Racism will ask the churches to study their own racial patterns and practices, employment in church-related institutions such as colleges and hospitals, investment practices and the use of institutional power and resources, and to report the results to COCU.
It was recommended that the Consultation convene meetings of denominational pension executives, theological educators, church extension staff, home mission staff, communications staff and overseas mission executives in order to develop proposals for joint ministry to overcome racism.
The member Churches were urged to include Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in commissions and other activities.
Turning to activities primarily at local and regional levels, the delegates urged congregations onward in two forms of COCU-initiated experimental ministries -- Interim Eucharistic Fellowships involving periodic gatherings at the Lord's table among Christians of different churches and races, and Generating Communities designed to provide possible "new models of church union " at the local level.
The Consultation's task force on Interim Eucharistic Fellowships was urged to "redouble efforts to stimulate and inform prospective and present" fellowships on a "broadly inclusive " basis in such categories as race, male and female, clergy and lay, and COCU and non-COCU churches.
In actions emphasizing the importance attached to "middle judicatories " and their leaders, the Plenary called for attention to this subject, either by a new COCU commission or under the mandate of an existing commission.
Middle judicatories are church units between national and local levels, and go under various names in different churches (such as conference, diocese, presbytery, region and province). The delegates committed themselves to "involving our leadership in the various regions in exploration of the meaning of oneness where our middle judicatories express the life of the church."
The new emphasis on the role of women calls for formation of a task force of women which is to gather and disseminate materials related to women and the church.
The unanimous vote setting up the task force came only a day after Prof. Paul L. Lehmann of Richmond, Va., in a major address, had said the churches should deal with racism before moving to sexism and other areas of injustice. The resolution pointed to "the interaction between racism, sexism and classism."
Dr. Cynthia Wedel, Alexandria, Va., said many women in the Plenary initially were angry at the remark, but from anger emerged discussion and then the resolution.
No definite decision was made as to time and place of the next Plenary, but January or February of 1976 was mentioned as one possibility.
![[thumbnail: # 314-1 OPENING EUC...]](/e-archives/ENS/photographs/thumbnails/74314_1_thb.jpg) |
![[thumbnail: # 314-2 EPISCOPAL D...]](/e-archives/ENS/photographs/thumbnails/74314_2_thb.jpg) |