United Methodists, Lutherans look toward cooperation

Bishop Hanson and United Methodist Bishop William Oden sing a hymn. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

By Linda Bloom*

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS) — Bishop Melvin Talbert felt “a song in my heart” when the United Methodist General Conference approved a full communion agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

For Bishop William Oden, April 28 -- the day the vote was taken -- was a “banner day” for The United Methodist Church.

Both bishops were instrumental in shepherding the denomination to the vote. Oden is the ecumenical officer of the United Methodist Council of Bishops and Talbert was co-chairman of the most recent United Methodist-ELCA dialogue team with ELCA Bishop Allan Bjornberg of Denver. The dialogue was facilitated by the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.

As part of the General Conference's traditional ecumenical day, observed on April 29, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson preached for morning worship and a number of ecumenical guests from other denominations, faith groups and organizations were introduced.

Clare Chapman, currently the chief operating officer of the National Council of Churches, was presented with the Council of Bishops’ ecumenical award for 2008 “in recognition of her exceptional leadership” with both the council and the Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.

A recognition, not a merger
Participants at a press conference about the full communion agreement pointed out that the new relationship is not a merger of the two denominations, but recognition of each other’s ministry and mission. It recognizes that each has “the one, holy, catholic and apostolic faith” expressed in the Scriptures and confessed in historic creeds and the core teachings of each denomination.

Under full communion, the two churches also recognize the authenticity of each other’s baptism and eucharist and the full interchangeability of all ordained ministers.

Hanson hopes the arrangement will foster an “ecumenical imagination,” with a focus on how to do things together rather than separately. “I don’t think we’ve begun to imagine what the Holy Spirit might do (through) this deepened relationship,” he said.

Talbert noted that United Methodists don’t often use the words “full communion” because “our table has always been open” to those who profess a belief in Christ.

“It’s not merger,” he added about the agreement. “It means we are open to receiving and accepting and acknowledging each other’s ministries.”

‘This was a reunion for me’
The Rev. Donald McCoid is an ELCA executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, but his grandfather was a Methodist lay preacher. “This was a reunion for me,” he said about the agreement.

Both Talbert and McCoid expressed excitement about future cooperative parish relationships for the two denominations, especially in sparsely-populated areas. McCoid added that the benefit would not just be providing enough clergy coverage for congregations but “the possibility of doing things creatively.”

Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the Council of Bishops, noted many United Methodists and Lutherans have working relationships at the local level. “We’ll be giving, in some sense, a formal expression to what is happening on the ground already,” he said.

Relationships with other denominations also will be affected. The ELCA has a full communion agreement with the Episcopal Church, while the United Methodists have just entered an interim agreement with that denomination.

Bishop Frank Brookhart, who serves as co-chairman of the United Methodist-Episcopal dialogue with Oden, compared the ELCA-Episcopal agreement to a relationship between close friends. “In some ways, it is just getting started,” he said.

The decision by United Methodists to take the path to full communion was “a miracle,” in Brookhart’s opinion. “It’s real easy for churches to separate. It’s real hard to get back together,” he explained. “This doesn’t happen without the risen Christ among us.”

The ELCA will vote on the full communion agreement with United Methodists at its assembly in August 2009.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service writer based in New York.