The 60th National Workshop on Christian Unity (NWCU) was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in May. In addition to the work mentioned in President Lynn Bleich Weber’s report and the standard reports to the membership, David Simmons (NWCU co-chair) presented on the relationship of his parish in Waukesha, which features a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation “nested” within it—and with whom they have combined worship. The Ven. Walter Baer also presented on the upcoming proposal for full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (ELKB), which will be on the agenda for the next General Convention of The Episcopal Church.
Workshops at the convention included a wide variety of presenters, including the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center and the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers. A session about healing after the shooting at the local Sikh temple in 2012 was paired with a visit to that temple to learn more about the community and their process of healing.
The National Ecumenical Officers Association (NEOA), the “controlling body” of the NWCU, is discussing future plans for this meeting, as the model currently employed—which relies solely upon registration fees—is not fiscally viable. “It is clear from feedback that the desire for an in-person meeting is strong,” Simmons reports. “The NEOA along with the National Planning Committee (NPC) will be working to find a model that continues our mission.” The NWCU also extended gratitude to the planning committee and the leadership of the Rev. Chris Olkiewicz.