The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops Committee on Ecumenical Relations presented its Report #4 on A037 (Approve and Commend Guidelines for Ecumenical Shared Ministries) and moved adoption of a substitute.

Original Text of Resolution

(A037)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 77th General Convention commend the following guidelines developed by the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations to the Ecclesiastical Authorities of the Dioceses of this Church in which there is a need to establish or participate in local ecumenical shared ministries.

Guidelines for Local Ecumenical Shared Ministries

I. Introduction

These guidelines are by intention permissive rather than prescriptive, while requiring intentional participation in their local adaptation by the local Ecclesiastical Authority, the judicatories of other cooperating Churches, clergy, and congregational leadership.

These guidelines do not preclude the adoption of diocesan Canons to govern particular circumstances if the local Ecclesiastical Authority deems it in the best interests of the mission of the Church or the well-being of the clergy of the diocese to do so, provided always that any local Canons do not conflict with the Canons and Constitution of the Episcopal Church.

Nothing in these guidelines is to be interpreted as abrogating the responsibilities of the local Ecclesiastical Authority with respect to the discipline of particular clergy of this Church under the Canons.

II. Guidelines

1. Local ecumenical shared ministries in which the partnering Church is in full communion with The Episcopal Church are to be organized and administered under the provisions of the respective agreement of full communion between The Episcopal Church and the Church concerned, along with any additional guidelines or policies developed by the Coordinating Committees that oversee those full communion relationships.
2. Local ecumenical shared ministries in which the partnering Church is one with which The Episcopal Church is in a relationship of interim Eucharistic sharing or any other formal ecumenical agreement approved by General Convention are to be organized and administered under the provisions of the respective agreement between The Episcopal Church and the Church concerned, along with any guidelines developed by the bilateral dialogue team with that Church. In addition, local judicatories are encouraged to be as flexible as possible within the bound of our current Canons to be responsive to opportunities for collaborative ministries with these Churches.
3. Where there is no relation of full communion or an interim agreement, the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations recommends the following:

• The Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations emphasizes the fundamental principle that the Church must always be able to proclaim the Gospel afresh in each generation and place, celebrate the Eucharist, and administer the sacraments of the New Covenant, by which the reconciling love of Christ is lived and proclaimed and the baptized are equipped for ministry in God’s world. Therefore, the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations recognizes that there are many circumstances in which a local ecumenical shared ministry with a Church or Churches with which we do not yet share formal full or interim agreements may be either helpful or necessary to this mission. At a minimum, agreement on the first three points of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral and a commitment to discuss the fourth point would be a theological foundation for such work.
  
• Consequently, the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations advises a period of discernment, involving, but not limited to, questions of mission strategy and/or the needs of Episcopalians in a particular place, which will be conducted with leadership of the Church or Churches with which it is desired to share a local ecumenical ministry. Such strategy and need are likely to be at least already partially apparent, and the discernment need not be lengthy. The Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations recommends that discernment in such cases follow a process that is collaborative, transparent, and respectful of the decision-making cultures of both The Episcopal Church and the other Church(es) concerned.
  
• There is a range of excellent resources, including, but not limited to, the official reports of the ecumenical agreements between The Episcopal Church and other Churches, as well as documents from other ecumenical dialogues, especially the Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry Statement from the World Council of Churches, that will be helpful in local discernment.
  
• Where, after due discernment, the mission strategy of the Church and/or the needs of Episcopalians warrant the establishment of a local ecumenical shared ministry, the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations advises that the local Ecclesiastical Authority set up a joint task force for the establishment of a covenant along the lines of such covenants as have been common between judicatories of The Episcopal Church and other Churches over the last 50 years. Such covenants may be specific to a particular shared ministry, or may be more general. While not wishing to multiply levels of administration and governance, the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations suggests a local body, responsible to the Ecclesiastical Authority, to advise the Ecclesiastical Authority and support any clergy who are involved in such shared ministries as necessary.
  
• The Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations does not consider that it is within our competence to make specific provision at a national level for detailed questions of property, financial support of the ministry by or to the respective partnering Churches, deployment of clergy and lay professionals, the provision for pension and health insurance, the registration of membership, or other questions of administration, which will vary from ministry to ministry, and will require the detailed attention of the local Ecclesiastical Authority. Most of these matters are, in any case, already governed by Canon, and will require specific negotiation on a case-by-case basis. We do, however, encourage local Ecclesiastical Authorities to be as permissive as possible within the boundaries of our polity for the sake of mission and ministry.
  
• Where a local ecumenical shared ministry already exists, and where there is a sufficient number of members of this Church to warrant it, the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations recommends that the local Ecclesiastical Authority encourage the calling of a Priest of this Church to be the pastoral leader.
  
• By Canon and custom, wide discretion is afforded the Ecclesiastical Authority in providing for the worship of the Church. Local ecumenical shared ministries may well raise unique questions and open new possibilities, which it must be within the potential of dioceses to explore. The Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations encourages a clear, reasoned, and transparent process in making such decisions and provisions. Questions of liturgical practice in local shared ecumenical ministries, where there are significant numbers of Episcopalians as well as significant numbers of members of another Church or tradition, must be carefully and sensitively negotiated.
  
• Whether a priest of this Church may be permitted or licensed to function as a pastor of a congregation of a Church not in communion with this Church is a complicated matter. The appointment of a person in Holy Orders to be the pastor of a congregation of a Church not in full communion with this Church may or may not constitute part of an arrangement for a local shared ecumenical ministry. In any case, such an appointment must be carefully negotiated beforehand with the Ecclesiastical Authority so that various questions and issues (such as responsibility for oversight and eligibility for pensionable service) may be satisfactorily decided before commitments are made.
  
• Each local ecumenical shared ministry should be subject to regular review by the leadership of the congregation and the respective judicatories. The Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations recommends that the local Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer have a role in this oversight.
  
• The Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer and the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations continue to be resources for assisting Ecclesiastical Authorities in exploring and establishing local ecumenical shared ministries.

Committee Substitute

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 77th General Convention commend the following guidelines to the Dioceses of this Church in which there is a need to establish or participate in ecumenical shared ministries in particular locations.

Guidelines for Ecumenical Shared Ministries Outside of Full Communion or Interim Sharing Agreements

I. Introduction

The fundamental principle is that the Church must always be able to proclaim the Gospel afresh in each generation and place, baptizing and celebrating the Eucharist in response to the Lord’s command, by which the reconciling love of Christ is lived and proclaimed, and the baptized are equipped for ministry in God’s world. The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral (BCP 876-878) is for Episcopalians the theological foundation for this work.

These guidelines are by intention permissive rather than prescriptive, while requiring intentional participation in the particular context by the Ecclesiastical Authority, the judicatories of other cooperating Churches, clergy, and congregational leadership.

These guidelines do not preclude the adoption of diocesan Canons to govern particular circumstances, provided always that any diocesan Canons do not conflict with the Canons and Constitution of The Episcopal Church.

Nothing in these guidelines is to be interpreted as abrogating the responsibilities of the Ecclesiastical Authority with respect to the discipline of particular clergy of this Church under the Canons.

II. Guidelines

We recommend a period of discernment, involving, but not limited to, questions of mission strategy and/or the needs of Episcopalians and/or other Christians in a particular place, which will be conducted with leadership of the Church or Churches with which it is desired to share a specific ecumenical ministry. Discernment in such cases follows a process that is collaborative, transparent, and respectful of the decision-making cultures of both The Episcopal Church and the other Church (es) concerned.

• Resources include, but are not limited to, the official reports of the ecumenical agreements between The Episcopal Church and other Churches, as well as documents from other ecumenical dialogues, including documents from the World Council of Churches.
  
• Where the mission strategy of the Church, or the needs of Episcopalians or other Christians warrant the establishment of an ecumenical shared ministry, we recommend that the Ecclesiastical Authority set up a joint task force for the establishment of a covenant along the lines of such covenants as have been common between judicatories of The Episcopal Church and other Churches. Such covenants may be specific to a particular shared ministry, or may be more general. We suggest a body, responsible to the Ecclesiastical Authority, to advise the Ecclesiastical Authority and support those who are involved in such shared ministries as necessary.
  
• We encourage Ecclesiastical Authorities to be as permissive as possible within the boundaries of our polity for the sake of mission and ministry.
  
• These ecumenical shared ministries may well raise unique questions and open new possibilities, which it must be within the potential of dioceses to explore. A clear, reasoned, and transparent process in making such decisions and provisions empowers the church’s life. Questions of liturgical practice in these shared ecumenical ministries must be carefully and sensitively negotiated.
  
• The appointment of a person in Holy Orders to be the pastor of a congregation of a Church not in full communion with this Church may or may not constitute part of an arrangement for an ecumenical shared ministry. In any case, such an appointment must be carefully negotiated beforehand with the judicatories so that various questions and issues (such as responsibility for oversight and eligibility for pensionable service) may be satisfactorily decided before commitments are made.
  
• Each ecumenical shared ministry should be subject to regular review by the leadership of the congregation and the respective judicatories.
  
• The Office of the Presiding Bishop and the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations should continue to be resources for assisting Ecclesiastical Authorities in exploring and establishing ecumenical shared ministries falling under the purview of these guidelines.
  
• Dioceses should inform the Ecumenical and Interreligious Office and the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations of their use and experience of these guidelines.

Motion carried

Substitute resolution adopted

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message # 107)