Anglicans have an important role to play in ecumenical discussions, Bishop Mark Dyer told the Anglican Consultative Council (A.C.C.) during its meeting in Panama Oct. 10-20.

Bishop Dyer, former Bishop of Bethlehem (Pa.) who is now a faculty member at Virginia Theological Seminary, said it is Anglicans' ability to work and pray together as a worldwide church without central authority that makes them important in ecumenical discussions.

The A.C.C. is a gathering of 80 members from the 36 Anglican provinces, with delegates elected by each of the churches.

Bishop Dyer called ecumenism an inseparable part of the mission of the church to spread the good news about Jesus Christ. He said Christian unity is a sign to the world of the kingdom of God, but added disunity is also a sign to the world, one that makes it hard for people to accept the gospel when churches can't agree themselves on the essentials of the faith.

The Rev. Don Anderson, retiring ecumenical officer for the Anglican Communion office in London, outlined for the council the work Anglicans are doing with other churches.

He said talks are underway in several parts of the Communion with Lutherans. He cited the proposed Concordat of Agreement between the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (E.L.C.A.) along with similar cases in Canada, Brazil and parts of Africa, and in northern Europe, where the Porvoo Agreement was signed [TLC, Sept. 29].

He also reported on Anglican discussions with Methodists, Roman Catholics and several Eastern Orthodox churches.

The Most Rev. Robert Eames, primate of the Church of Ireland [TLC, Nov. 3], said he and Irish Cardinal Daly had been conducting talks in private for some time. Archbishop Eames said the discussions were vital if fighting is to cease in Ireland.

Delegates also heard reports of interfaith talks in which Anglicans are participating, including Middle East discussions involving Christians, Muslims and Jews.

On the final day of the meeting, the council adopted more than 30 resolutions, including one which endorses a proposal to help create a new town plan for Manger Square in Bethlehem. Anglicans were asked by the Palestinian National Authority to take part in the restoration of Bethlehem. The project will focus on replanning and reconstructing Manger Square (the birthplace of Christ) by 2000.

The next meeting of the A.C.C. was set for 1999, tentatively in St. Andrews, Scotland.

Anglican Communion News Service contributed to this article.