Today UMNS posted on GC2008’s actions to refine the ecumenical relations process.
Prior to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the church’s Council of Bishops was authorized to work in cooperation with its ecumenical agency to engage in formal relations with other denominations or ecclesial bodies. The bishops’ ecumenical officer coordinated the relationships.
Delegates to the 2008 General Conference added language to give the bishops authority to enter into “interim and provisional ecumenical agreements” with other Christian bodies, following consultation with and concurrence of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns. However, all agreements of full communion and permanent membership in ecumenical organizations must be ratified by General Conference.
Furthermore, GC2008 defined “full communion” for the Discipline:
In approving the petition submitted by the Council of Bishops, General Conference delegates described full communion as two or more Christian churches that recognize the:
- One, holy, catholic and apostolic faith as expressed in the Holy Scriptures and confessed in the church’s historic creeds;
- Authenticity of each other’s baptism and Eucharist and extend sacramental hospitality to each other’s members;
- Validity of their respective ministries; and
- Full interchangeability and reciprocity of all ordained ministers in each of the churches.
Full communion does not presume that there are no differences in rites or doctrines between churches, but that these differences provide no barrier to affirming each other as full expressions of the one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, according to legislation passed by the assembly. The relationship commits the churches to working together as partners in mission.
