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Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious
Ministries Ex officio: The Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane The report below represents the Annual Report for 2004, presented to Council at the January 2005 Diocesan Convention and printed in the 2005 Journal and Directory. Diocese of Washington Vision statement: to bear witness with our Christian brothers and sisters to express common concern for service, explore our differences, and seek "visible unity in one faith and one Eucharistic fellowship, in a communion of Communions, based on acknowledgment of catholicity and apostolicity; intensify the degree of visible unity among those whom God has already made one in Christ by baptism and faith; seek to extend our vision in humble dialogue with other faith communities for the purpose of mutual understanding, common support and promotion of justice. Full Communion with the ELCA. The Commission continues to live into our full communion relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . "Called to Common Mission," is the document which spells out our relationship of cooperation for mission and ministry. CCM officially began January 1, 2001 . This full communion relationship with another U.S. Christian Church is a first for the Episcopal Church, and the whole ecumenical world rejoices with us as we work together to live into this relationship. Helping to live into CCM, the Rev. Thomas Prinz, Chair of Metro DC Synod's Office of Ecumenical Affairs (OEA) is a member of the Commission, and offers valuable insight into our ecumenical histories and possibilities. As liaison from our Commission and Diocese, the Rev. Thomas Andrews is a member of the Synod's OEA. For eight years now we have worked together through the (local) Lutheran Episcopal Coordinating Committee, which includes the Diocese of Washington, the Diocese of Virginia, and Metro DC Synod. We meet regularly with our Bishops to generate ideas for cooperation. A member of the local Coordinating Committee, the Rev. Dr. Alfred Moss, is a member of the national Lutheran Episcopal Coordinating Committee mandated by CCM. For a copy of CCM or the booklet on how to implement and celebrate the relationship locally, see the Episcopal Church's website: http://gc2003.episcopalchurch.org/eir.htm Our Coordinating Committee is working with the Worship and Music staff of Washington National Cathedral planning the Fifth Anniversary Celebration of CCM, on Feb 5, 2006 . Both Presiding Bishops, Bishop Griswold as Celebrant and Bishop Mark Hanson as Preacher, will be taking part. The Coordinating Committee is also at work at the possibility of hosting the 2007 gathering of the National Workshop on Christian Unity, an annual gathering of those working for ecumenical cooperation around the country. Such a gathering would be the first time the Workshop has met in Washington in its 40 years. Interim Eucharistic Sharing with the Moravian Church in America . In 1997 General Convention established an official Episcopal-Moravian dialogue with goals to reaffirm those things we hold in common, to explore the possibilities of full communion, mutual recognition of ministries, and shared mission and evangelism. The Provincial Synods of the Moravian Church in America approved this proposal in 2002 and the 2003 General Convention voted approval as well. The goal is full communion and recognition of ministries by 2006. Anglican/Roman Catholic. The Commission keeps abreast of conversations with this dialogue. ARCUSA has issued its thirteenth joint statement, "An Agreed Report on the Local/Universal Church." For a copy see the Episcopal Church's website. Churches United in Christ. (formerly known as Consultation on Church Union or COCU) formally began a new relationship in January 2002. No longer seeking organic union or merger, CUIC envisions a "communion of communions," where churches will retain their own identities and structures but recognize one another as authentic churches. The Commission's two immediate goals are to undertake a mission to combat racism together, and to engage in a ministry dialogue with the goal of reconciling ordained ministries by 2007. The members of the Churches Uniting in Christ are: The Episcopal Church; African Methodist Episcopal Church; African Methodist Episcopal, Zion; Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; International Council of Community Churches; Presbyterian Church, USA; United Church of Christ; and United Methodist Church. In addition, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America participates as an observer. The Commission continues to be in touch with other ecumenical and interreligious organizations through its members participating in the Council of Churches of Greater Washington, United Religions Initiative, InterFaith Conference, and Interfaith Habitat. Please let the commission know of your interfaith and ecumenical efforts, and call it if it can be of help. Commission Members are: Dr. Paul Crego, Dr. Ginger Davis, the Rev. Dr. Kortright Davis, the Rev. Norman Forde, Dr. Charles B. Jones, Ms. Patricia Lane, the Rev. William B. Lewis, the Rev. Elizabeth Orens, Mr. Eric Swartz, Ms. Ruby Van Croft, ECW Provincial Liaison, the Rev. Thomas A. Prinz, Lutheran Synod Liaison, the Rev. Canon Samuel Van Culin, and the Rev. D. Thomas Andrews, Diocesan Ecumenical Officer, Chair. The Rev. D. Thomas Andrews, Diocesan Ecumenical Officer
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