Full Legislative History
Resolution Number: 2018-D056
Title: Amend Canons I.20 and III.10.2 [Churches in Full Communion]
Legislative Action Taken: Concurred
Final Text:

Resolved, That the 79th General Convention amend Canon I.20 to read as follows:

Sec. 1. The Episcopal Church, a member of the Anglican Communion, has a relationship of full communion with (i) those Churches that are also members of the Anglican Communion by action of the Anglican Consultative Council and (ii) those Churches in the historic succession with whom it entered into covenant agreements prior to 1980 and thereafter with those Churches in the historic episcopal succession with whom it has entered into covenant agreements adopted by the General Convention including:

(a) the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht (via ratification of the Bonn Agreement of 1931 by the 51st General Convention in 1934),

(b) la Iglesia Filipina Independiente/the Philippine Independent Church (via The Concordat of Full Communion Between the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and The Episcopal Church of 1961 adopted by the 60th General Convention in 1961), and

(c) the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar (via the Mar Thoma Church - Episcopal Church Agreement of 1979).

Sec. 2. The Episcopal Church has a relationship of full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America under the terms of and as defined by “Called to Common Mission,” which was adopted by the 73rd General Convention of the The Episcopal Church as Resolution 2000-A040.

And be it further

Resolved, That Canon III.10.2(a)(3) be amended to read as follows:

(3) The provisions of this Section 1 Sections 2 and 3 shall be fully applicable to all Members of the Clergy ordained in any Church in the process of entering the historic episcopal succession with which The Episcopal Church is full communion with this Church as specified in Canon I.20, subject to the covenant of the two churches The Episcopal Church and the other Church or Churches as adopted by the General Convention and by the denominational authority or similar body for those Churches that are not members of the Anglican Communion by action of the Anglican Consultative Council.

(i) those duly constituted Dioceses, Provinces, and regional Churches in communion with the See of Canterbury,

(ii) the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht,

(iii) the Philippine Independent Church, and

(iv) the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar

(v) the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Citation: General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Austin, 2018 (New York: General Convention, 2018), pp. 541-542.