'Interim Eucharistic Fellowship' Urged for Lutherans, Anglicans
Episcopal News Service. November 13, 1980 [80410]
Tom Dorris
Nashotah, Wis. -- Episcopalians and Lutherans will take communion together more often and officially recognize one another as true churches if recommendations from the second series of official U.S. Lutheran-Episcopal theological dialogue are carried out.
The group met at Nashotah House, the Episcopal seminary here, in early November. All participants urged a third series of dialogues.
The Episcopalians and most of the Lutherans present at the ninth and final session of the second dialogue series agreed on six joint recommendations. They also completed five agreed statements, on gospel, eucharistic presence, authority of Scripture, justification and apostolicity.
The recommendations "affirm" and "move beyond" the unanimous recommendations of the first dialogue series, which ended in 1972. They urge "appropriate legislative action" by the Episcopal Church and the Lutheran denominations to "mutually recognize one another as true churches where the gospel is truly preached and the sacraments duly celebrated."
They add that "because of the consensus achieved" in the two U.S. series of dialogues, "our respective churches (should) work out a policy of interim eucharistic hospitality so that Episcopalians may be welcomed at Lutheran altars and Lutherans may be welcomed at Episcopalian altars." Current policies of the Episcopal Church, American Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church in America and Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, allow baptized Christians from other traditions to commune at eucharists under their auspices in some circumstances.
Citing the 1972 report of the international Lutheran-Anglican theological conversations, the U.S. dialogue participants suggested that "joint worship... be authorized and encouraged in places where local conditions make this desirable. There should be mutual participation from time to time by entire congregations in the worship and eucharistic celebrations of the other church. ..."
The joint recommendations also urge cooperation in publishing, circulating and popularizing the findings of the dialogues, and encourage local Lutheran and Episcopal parishes to "covenant together" for mutual prayer, support, common study, participation of clergy at one another's services on special occasions, and joint programs of religious education, theological discussion, mission, evangelism and social action.
In a "statement from Episcopalians to Episcopalians," Episcopal representatives advocated "steps which will manifest our unity in Christ which will give more adequate visible expression to that unity" with Lutherans. The basis for such unity, they said, "lies not only in our common baptism, but also in substantial agreement in the faith as evidenced in the agreed statements (produced by the dialogue), a common sacramental practice, similar liturgical ethos, and other common expressions of apostolicity."
They also stressed the recommendation that "we share with one another at the Lord's table, " while adding that "since we have not as yet achieved agreement on a mutually accepted order of ministry... (we) are not proposing full communion, but a specific and authorized form of interim eucharistic sharing...What we are committed to is growing closer together and continued theological discussion."
Noting that a "mutually accepted order for ministry" is proposed as part of the agenda for a third series of U.S. dialogues, the Episcopal delegates added that it "should not be conducted as if. .. recommendations of a far-reaching and serious nature were not offered" as the result of the first two series. As topics for a third series of dialogues, the joint recommendations suggest "an emphasis on the means and models for implementing" the findings of the first series, "including such doctrinal discussions as may be pertinent" on such things as "mutually accepted order for ministry with attention given to the role and office of bishops, the diaconal ministry, and the ministry of the laity."
The Episcopal statement concluded: "The Lutheran tradition... stands very close to our own Anglican experience and understanding... The fundamental affirmations of the Christian faith and basic ingredients of the Christian corporate life and individual life are to be found in both traditions."
Co-chairing the dialogue were the Rt. Rev. William Weinhauer, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, and Robert Wietelmann, former bishop of the American Lutheran Michigan District. Co-sponsoring the dialogue were the Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations of the Episcopal Church and the Division of Theological Studies of the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A.
The Episcopal members of the dialogue are: Reginald Fuller, professor of New Testament, Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va.; J. Ogden Hoffman, rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Folsom, Calif.; William Petersen, associate professor of church history, Nashotah House; John Rodgers, president and dean, Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, Ambridge, Pa.; Louis Weil, professor of liturgies, Nashotah House; Bishop Weinhauer; and J. Howard Rhys, professor of New Testament, University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn.