Bilateral Dialogues

Ecumenical dialogues that are held between two churches (“two-sided”), rather than “multilateral” or between many churches. Typically, each of the two churches appoints about ten representatives to the dialogue, and it meets once or twice a year to consider past disagreements and seek ways toward unity. In recent years the Episcopal Church has participated in bilateral dialogues with the Lutherans, the Roman Catholics, and the Eastern Orthodox. Bilateral dialogues characteristically produce agreed statements on particular points, which remain statements “to” the churches unless or until they are officially endorsed and become statements “of” the churches.