The Episcopal Church-United Methodist Dialogue has presented the following report on their work:
The Episcopal Church-United Methodist Dialogue Committee met in Washington, D.C., to continue its work on establishing a full communion relationship between the two denominations.
The committee has adopted a draft proposal for full communion entitled A Gift to the World: Co-Laborers for the Healing of Brokenness (The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church, A Proposal for Full Communion) and is seeking feedback from laity, clergy and bishops in both denominations before an official resolution could be presented to respective legislative bodies.
During the meeting at the UMC Building October 2-4, the committee began to plan for the future consideration of the draft proposal by each church’s law-making bodies. The committee is also working on designing a series of regional conversations between United Methodists and Episcopalians related to the proposal.
Members further agreed to share communication celebrating the close relationship between the two denominations, especially highlighting the practical and missional opportunities that a full communion agreement would provide.
The Committee also called for continued prayers for the United Methodist Church’s Commission on a Way Forward, which is working on proposing a way forward for the denomination in regard to human sexuality.
The meeting concluded with a joint Eucharist with Ohio West Area Resident Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, who is The United Methodist Church co-chair, presiding at the table while his Episcopalian counterpart Bishop C. Franklin Brookhart, who leads the Diocese of Montana in the Episcopal Church, was the homilist during the service.
The full communique issued by the Committee after the meeting is here.
The Dialogue Committee will meet next on April 23-25, 2018 in Chicago.
More about the work of the bi-lateral dialogue committee, is available here and here.