That first reading be given to the resolution that The Declaration of Principles be amended as follows:
1. by amending section 3 c) to read:
c) The Order of Clergy shall consist of clerical members of The Anglican church of Canada or of a church in full communion with the Anglican Church of Canada elected by the several diocesan synods according to such rules as they may adopt, subject to the provisions of subsection f). In a diocese that has no synodical organization such appointments shall be made by the bishop; and
2. by amending subsection 3 f) vi) to read:
vi) the words "licensed members of the clergy", as used in this section and elsewhere in the Constitution shall mean all clerical members of The Anglican Church of Canada or of a church in full communion with the Anglican Church of Canada holding the license of the bishop of a diocese to perform the functions of the ordained ministry within the diocese, excepting and excluding those who are resident in the diocese but are on leave from another diocese, and those who are in receipt of benefits from the pension funds of the Church (other than for temporary disability) and who are not in charge of a parish or fully engaged in the work of the ordained ministry. CARRIED IN ALL ORDERS Act 72
Toronto, April 29, 1994 -- An Anglican bishop will help to consecrate a bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia Abroad, signalling a step toward full communion of the Lutheran and Anglican churches.
On Sunday, May 1, Dean Elmars Rozitis of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia will be consecrated bishop of that church, to serve in Canada. At the invitation of the Latvian Church, the Rt. Rev'd Arthur Brown, retired Suffragan Bishop of Toronto of the Anglican Church of Canada, will participate in the laying on of hands at the ceremony. Bishop Brown will be representing both Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. The Bishop of Stockholm, of the Church of Sweden, Dr. Henrik Svenungsson, will be the chief celebrant at the service, which will be held at St. Andrew's Lutheran church at 383 Jarvis St. in Toronto.
The participation of an Anglican bishop in the consecration of a Latvian Lutheran bishop marks the recognition of the close relationship which exists between our two churches, since we hold "the most fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith" in common.
In 1939, the Church of England reached an agreement with the Latvian and Estonian churches, which called for, among other things, the mutual participation in episcopal consecrations. Because of the circumstances of World War II and its political aftermath, it was not possible for the agreement to be acted on. In 1989, the Anglican Bishop of Gibraltar took part in the consecration of the Archbishop of Latvia. The Anglican Church of Canada is happy to share in the recognition given by the Church of England.
Anglican and Lutheran churches in many parts of the world have been engaged in a process of dialogue and co-operation which is hoped will result in the two churches affirming that they are in full communion with each other.
Although the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have not yet reached the level of agreement which the Church of England and the Church of Latvia have achieved, a process is underway which calls for full mutual recognition by 2001. The two Canadian churches reached an agreement in 1989 on eucharistic sharing, whereby members of one church may receive the sacrament in the other church. They are currently studying ways of mutually recognizing the ministries of clergy and bishops in each other's church.
Contact: Rev. Alyson Barnett-Cowan Ecumenical Assistant to the General Secretary 416-924-9199 ext. 281 416-924-0211 FAX
"The establishment of a Pan Africa Anglican-Lutheran commission to work toward a relationship of full communion as a stage along the way to full visible unity was discussed in a consultation held in Johannesburg, South Africa in December [1997]". "An interim commission was established to be led by the current co-chairs of the Anglican-Lutheran dialogue in Africa". "Specific to the Anglican-Lutheran dialogue in Africa is its emphasis on the pastoral and diaconal dimensions to the Church's life, which participants affirmed as being central to the life of a visibly united Church in the African context, says David Hamid".
"The Porvoo Declaration, which Archbishop George Carey calls the most important ecumenical agreement this century, was signed at Trondheim, Norway, on 1 September [1996]. Under the Declaration, the Anglican Churches in Britain and Ireland and the Lutheran Churches in the Nordic and Baltic countries of Europe have agreed to interchangeable ministries and full Eucharistic communion." The Porvoo Common Statement includes the Porvoo Declaration.
"Facing ecumenical decisions of historic significance, the [14-20 August 1997 Churchwide Assembly meeting of the] Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted `full communion' with three Reformed churches -- but voted down a similar proposal with the Episcopal Church by only six votes." "Throughout the discussion and debate one provision of the Concordat drew the strongest opposition -- a changed role for Lutheran bishops and their incorporation into historic episcopate."
The author, a Lutheran pastor, was involved in Anglican-Lutheran ecumenical cooperation and parish ministry twenty-five years ago. He comments on the current state of Anglican-Lutheran relations and points to the "Evangelical Declaration" adopted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada in July 1997 which said that "we commit ourselves, as church to share our gifts with the whole people of God beyond our specific denominational and national context".
That this Council of General Synod welcome the Anglican Lutheran Joint Working Group's Draft Declaration of Full Communion between the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada; and that it give approval to the circulation of "CALD [i.e. Called to Full Communion] throughout the Anglican Church of Canada for study and comment. CARRIED #07-11-97
Waterloo Ontario, 8 July 2001 -- An exuberant service of joint worship between Anglicans and Lutherans here today marked the capstone of celebrations concluding nearly two decades of discussions culminating in this week's historic entente between Canada's two largest episcopally-based protestant religious denominations.
The historic celebration of [the] Eucharist at Waterloo's civic stadium, bringing together more than 1,000 members of the two churches attending their respective national conventions, represented the first joint worship service following the successful passage, on July 6 [2001], of "The Waterloo Declaration", extending mutual recognition and full communion rights between the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).
Throughout the week at adjacent university campus locations in this southwestern Ontario city for their respective national governing council meetings, Anglicans and Lutherans held simultaneous votes, with all but unanimous support, on the carefully-framed declaration of cooperation -- "The Waterloo Declaration : Called to Full Communion" -- which had been under extensive discussion and review by both churches since the mid-1980s.
"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 following the all-but-unanimous vote at the 36th meeting of Anglican General Synod. "For me personally, it marks the climax of nearly 30 years of personal hopes and aspirations."
Bishop Telmor Sartison, ELCIC National Bishop and Lutheran counterpart to the Anglican Primate, said following the vote at the ELCIC convention, "it was so moving, it was hard to hold back the tears of happiness". In a sign of the times, the two bishops announced the outcome of their respective ballots in a cellphone conversation relayed to cheers and applause from more than 300 delegates attending both Anglican Synod and the Lutheran Convention.
The Waterloo Declaration -- so named because both ACC and ELCIC delegates held simultaneous national conferences in this namesake city in anticipation of a successful outcome on inter-church partnership -- sets out terms under which Anglicans and Lutherans acknowledge a broad range of parities between their respective denominations, both forged during the Reformation in 16th century Europe.
While stopping short of a "merger" or "union" between the two churches, "The Waterloo Declaration" formally acknowledges agreement on a wide range of liturgical issues, establishes full interchangeability between clergy of both churches and permits full "communion rights" among members of each denomination.
The agreement creates a religious fellowship numbering more than one million formally registered church members throughout Canada, linking the ACC's official parish membership of well over 700,000 with the ELCIC's membership of more than 200,000. Official statistics of church membership are difficult to assess accurately. In the case of the ACC, official Census Canada statistics list the number of Anglicans at more than 2.2 million while parish membership of regular attendees produces the smaller statistic.
This week's Anglican-Lutheran cooperation agreement mirrors similar ecumenical partnerships already forged between Anglicans in Great Britain and Lutherans in Scandinavian countries, as well, between the two denominations in the United States.
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For further information contact: Anthony Whittingham, ACC Communications, 416-924-9199 ext. 324; 6416-738-8909 (Mobile)
Anglican-Lutheran Joint Working Group co-chaired by The Most Rev. E,W, Scott [Anglican Church of Canada] and The Most Rev. Dr. Olof Sundy [Lund, Sweden]. -- p. 18.
Includes bibliography, p. 23.
In 1981 the Anglican Consultative Council recommended "that the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) be invited to reconvene a Joint Working Group. This initiative was welcomed by the Executive Committee of the LWF in 1982. Both sides appointed an Anglican-Lutheran Joint Working Group and agreed that this group should: receive information about the development of Anglican-Lutheran relations in different parts of the world; assess the results of Anglican-Lutheran dialogues, especially in Europe, Tanzania and the USA; make recommendations with the intention of proposing how the two Communions might achieve full communion; suggest procedures that would assure closer cooperation between the two bodies. (4) The Anglican-Lutheran Joint Working Group met from 28 November to 3 December 1983 at The Cold Ash Centre, Cold Ash, Berkshire, England. The meeting was marked by a spirit of joy and gratitude for a new era in Anglican-Lutheran relations. The participants now submit their report to the ACC and LWF and through them to the Anglican and Lutheran churches". -- Intro.
Contents: Introduction dated Cold Ash, Berks., England, 3 December 1983 -- The Historical Background of Anglican-Lutheran Relations -- Anglican-Lutheran Relationships Today -- Goal of Anglican-Lutheran Dialogue -- Moving Towards Full Communion -- Recommendations -- Appendix I. Anglican-Lutheran Joint Working Group Participants -- Appendix II. Agreement adopted by the Conventions of the American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, the Episcopal Church in the USA and the Lutheran Church in America -- Appendix III. Anglicans and Lutherans living side by side in countries where both have a membership over 10,000 -- Appendix IV. Anglican-Lutheran Dialogue: Bibliography.