The Anglican Church of Canada established a relationship of full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) during the General Synod of the Anglican Church July 4-11 in Waterloo, Ontario.

A document known as the Waterloo Declaration was adopted July 6 after discussion and review had taken place since the mid-1980s. More than 1,000 members of the two churches celebrated the event with a joint worship service July 8.

"This marks a pivotal moment in the movement toward Christian ecumenism in Canada, and a landmark in the history of the Anglican Church," said Archbishop Michael Peers, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. "For me personally it marks the climax of nearly 30 years of personal hopes and aspirations."

The Waterloo Declaration formally acknowledges agreement on a wide range of liturgical issues, establishes interchangeability of clergy, and permits full communion among members of each church.

The Anglican Church of Canada has more than 700,000 members and the ELCIC has more than 200,000.

Anglican Church of Canada Web News contributed to this article.