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Episcopal Church and Russian Orthodox Open New Dialogue

Episcopal News Service. September 26, 1990 [90251]

At the invitation of Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning, a joint coordinating committee on cooperation between the Episcopal Church and the Russian Orthodox Church met September 12-13 in New York. The idea was launched as a result of a conversation with the Russian patriarch during Browning's visit to Russia last year.

The new committee will seek cooperation in some practical areas, including the exchange of church delegations, students, and teachers, plus information in areas of theology, spirituality, Christian education, peace and justice, ecumenism, and ecology.

"Our task is to monitor the relationship and make suggestions on how we can enhance it," said Bishop Roger White of Milwaukee, a member of the committee. He said the meeting was "exceedingly positive" and "very congenial." Previous attempts at a conversation were disrupted when the Episcopal Church began to ordain women, but, White said, "There is now a total change of climate." The church in the Soviet Union is entering "a very exciting time -- but with overwhelming problems," he added. As a result, it is reaching out in new ways to the international ecumenical community.

One practical symbol is the pending appointment of an American Episcopal priest as a Volunteer in Mission. He will serve as an alcohol abuse counselor in Moscow with the government's ministry of health. The appointment is dependent on an official invitation by the Russian Orthodox Church, following verbal approval at this meeting.

Other Episcopal members of the committee are the Rev. J. Robert Wright of General Theological Seminary and Suzanne Massie, fellow of the Russian Research Center at Harvard University.

Heading the Russian delegation was the Most. Rev. Vladimir, bishop of Tashkent and Central Asia and vice chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. He was accompanied by the Very Rev. Alexander Golubov, pastor of Three Saints Russian Orthodox Church in Garfield, New Jersey, and Valery Chukalov, a staff member of the Moscow Patriarchate. Also participating were the Rev. William Norgren, ecumenical officer for the Episcopal Church, and Dr. Chris Agnew, associate ecumenical officer.