A summary report of the dialogues between the Anglican Church in North America and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Church - Canada, provided by the Anglican chair of those dialogues, RES Dean, the Very Rev. Dr. Jonathan Riches: The ecumenical dialogues between the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) are historic an unprecedented. Never before in their history has the LCMS held unilateral talks with a non-Lutheran denomination. These dialogues began in 2010 and are now entering their fifth year. During the first session, which covered the historical and contextual background of our churches, the Lutheran Church – Canada (LCC) participated as an observer. By the next session the LCC was a full-partner in the dialogues and has participated in every meeting, represented by the Rev. Dr. John Stephenson. The dialogues are chaired by the Rev. Larry Vogel (LCMS) and the Very Rev. Dr. Jonathan Riches (ACNA). Other participants include the Rev. Dr. Frederic Baue, Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, the Rev. Dr. Joel Lehenbauer, and the Rev. Dr. Larry Rast for the LCMS and the Rev. Ronald Allen, the Rev. Canon Daryl Fenton, the Rev. Peter Frank, and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Ray Sutton. Both Archbishop Robert Duncan and President Matthew Harrison have also participated in the dialogues. The talks have covered the authority of the church, theological and societal challenges of the church, worship, catechesis, ministry, marriage, a comparison of confessional statements, and the doctrine of the Eucharist. The Dialogue produced a joint statement in 2012 recognizing the sure and common foundation may share and the mutual challenges we face. A joint statement on marriage together with the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) followed soon after. Another product of these dialogues is cooperation between one of the seminaries of the LCC (Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Catharines, Ontario) and one of the ACNA seminaries (Reformed Episcopal Seminary, Blue Bell, PA). Concordia Lutheran has admitted its first ACNA student under this agreement. The dialogue team is now working on a mutual doctrinal statement that they hope to have submitted to the denominational adjudicatories by the end of the year.
Posted on: Tue, 13 May 2014 15:33:36 +0000
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