CHICAGO (ELCA) -- A festival worship service at Chicago's Rockefeller Chapel on Oct. 4 will formally declare that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is entering into "full communion" with three U.S. churches of the Reformed tradition, if the relationship is ratified by presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Assemblies of those two church bodies and of the Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ approved "A Formula of Agreement," a proposal for full communion, in 1997.
A planning committee representing the four church bodies announced initial plans for the worship service. Plans are being finalized to broadcast the ceremony on a national cable network. The service will include celebration of the Lord's Supper -- an expression of full communion. "Full communion" includes recognition that "the sacraments are rightly administered according to the word of God" in each other's churches.
Full communion is not a plan to merge; it commits the churches to sharing in their mission to work locally and internationally and to develop procedures whereby clergy in one church body may serve as pastor in a church of another church body. The proposal grew out of several decades of theological conversation.
The Lutheran-Reformed planning committee asked the four churches to work together on several short-term projects, such as a brochure for congregations to describe the nature of full communion, and several long-term projects, including conversations among staff and governing bodies on the necessary provisions to implement full communion. Communication staff from each of the four churches will meet Feb. 11 in Indianapolis.
The committee will meet here May 12 to monitor progress on these projects and "to begin considering the shape of a permanent structure to nurture full communion following the formal declaration ... in October."
Two people from each of the four church bodies serve on the planning committee. ELCA Secretary Lowell G. Almen chairs the committee, which also includes the Rev. Daniel F. Martensen, director of the ELCA Department for Ecumenical Affairs. Other committee members are the Rev. Harriet A. Nelson and the Rev. Eugene G. Turner of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),the Rev. Jose Malayang and the Rev. John H. Thomas of the United Church of Christ, and the Rev. Douglas W. Fromm Jr. of the Reformed Church in America. The RCA will appoint one more member to the committee.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
