Ecumenism and the Anglican Communion
Ecumenism
Ecumenism is defined as representing the whole Christian world. It is from the Greek,
'oikoumene', which means the inhabited world. Ecumenism has come to mean the promotion of
unity in the whole Christian Church by promoting a greater understanding of each tradition
through dialogue. Organic union is a very distant goal, which is not actively pursued at
the present.
Ecumenism operates at the local, diocesan, national and international levels. On the
local level more practical concerns are pursued such as marriage preparation and pastoral
services at various institutions. Doctrinal discussions are pursued more on the
international level.
Full Communion is unrestricted communio in sacris including mutual recognition
and acceptance of ministries (1958 Lambeth resolution).
Inter Communion is where varying degrees of relation other than Full Communion
are established between two such Churches (1958 Lambeth resolution).
The Lambeth Quadrilateral
The Lambeth Quadrilateral states the Anglican position for the essentials for a
reunited Christian Church, and has been the basis of Anglican ecumenical discussions. It
was agreed to in 1888, and it is:
We believe that the visible unity of the Church will be found to involve the
whole-hearted acceptance of:
(a) The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as 'containing all things
necessary to salvation', and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith.
(b) The Apostles' Creed, as the baptismal symbol; and the Nicene Creed, as the
sufficient statement of the Christian faith.
(c) The two sacraments ordained by Christ himself, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord,
ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution, and of the elements
ordained by him.
(d) The historic episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the unity of
his Church.
Lund Formula
The Lund Formula is that Churches should "act together in all matters except those
in which deep differences of conviction compel them to act separately." It was
adopted at the 1952 meeting of the World Council of Churches at Lund University in
Germany. This principle guides our ecumenical work at the different levels of the church.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
This week is the week in which the Conversion of St. Paul falls (January 25). Worship
materials are specially prepared, and an order form for them is sent to the Incumbents
usually early in December.
This week is an opportunity at the local level to gather to express our unity in Christ
and to pray for the work and unity of the Church.
World Day of Prayer
The World Day of Prayer service is usually held on the first Friday in March, and it is
an ecumenical service supported by local churches. Representatives from the local churches
plan the service. The World Day of Prayer is sponsored by the
Women's Inter-Church Council of Canada,
815 Danforth Avenue,
Suite 402,
Toronto, Ontario
M4J 1L2
This prayer day focuses on women's issues from different parts of the world. Themes and
writers of the service are selected by the International Committee for the World Day of
Prayer, which meets every four years.
Grants from the offerings collected at these prayer services are made to various programs from around the world.
International Inter-Church Dialogues
The following are commissions and dialogues which have occurred since 1980 or are
ongoing:
The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC)
Anglican-Lutheran Dialogues
Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Commission
The Anglican-Oriental Orthodox Forum
The Anglican-Reformed International Commission
The first ARCIC issued its final report containing agreed statements on the Eucharist,
Ministry and Authority in the Church. This report has been referred to the Anglican and
Roman Catholic churches for study. The second ARCIC has issued its first report on
Salvation and the Church.
The Anglican-Lutheran dialogue has be ongoing over the last 50 years. The 1980-83
Anglican-Lutheran European Commission agrees that the churches should establish full
communion and discusses steps that need to be taken to achieve that goal.
World Council of Churches (WCC)
The WCC was founded in 1948. It provides a forum for ecumenical study and cooperation
with a wide variety of churches. One result of this work is the consensus statement Baptism
Eucharist and Ministry (BEM).
The Roman Catholic church, Orthodox churches in the Russian sphere of influence, and a
number of smaller churches (Unitarians, Quakers, Southern Baptists of the USA and the
National Church of Czechoslovakia) are not members.
Canadian Council of Churches
The address for the Canadian Council of Churches is:
The Canadian Council of Churches,
40 St. Clair Avenue East,
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 1M9
The Canadian Council of Churches publishes a magazine, which
is listed under "Magazines and Journals" in the Pastoral/Education chapter.
Local Concerns
See "All Baptized Persons May be Admitted to the Holy Communion" in the
Liturgy chapter.
Anglicans Communicating in other than Anglican Churches
A communicant is free to attend the Eucharist in other Churches holding the apostolic
faith as contained in the Scriptures and summarized in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds,
and as conscience dictates to receive the sacrament, when they know they are welcome to do
so (1968 Lambeth Conference).
The thinking on the part of the Roman Catholic church in not allowing other Christians
to receive communion is that communion is a sign of unity, not a means to unity.
Participation of Anglican Clergy in Other Denomination's Worship
See "Other Denominations" in the Liturgy chapter and "Anglican/Roman
Catholic Marriages" in the Pastoral/Education chapter.
Participation of Other Clergy in Anglican Worship
See "Other Denominations" in the Liturgy chapter and "Anglican/Roman
Catholic Marriages" in the Pastoral/Education chapter.
Anglican-Lutheran Shared Services
In an Anglican church, the Anglican priest will celebrate from the Anglican rite and
the Lutheran pastor could preach. In a Lutheran church, the Lutheran pastor will celebrate
from the Lutheran rite and the Anglican priest could preach. Permission is given for
Anglicans to receive communion at the Lutheran eucharist, and for Lutherans to receive at
the Anglican eucharist.
Diocesan Ecumenical Officer
The Diocesan Ecumenical Officer is listed in the Diocesan Contacts chapter.
Churches in Full Communion With Anglican Churches
The Church of South India
The Church of North India
The Church of Pakistan
The Church of Bangladesh
The Old Catholic Churches, Union of Utrecht
The Philippine Independent Church
The Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, India
The churches of South India, North India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are formed by a
union of Anglican and other Christian traditions.
The Old Catholic churches split off from the Roman Catholic Church in the 18th and 19th
centuries and have come together in the Union of Utrecht. They include the Dutch, German
and Swiss Old Catholics and the Polish National Catholic Church.
The Anglican Communion
The churches of the Anglican Communion trace their origins to the Christian tradition
which developed in the Church of England and spread throughout the British Isles and to
other lands through its missionary expansion in association with other Episcopal and
Anglican Churches.
The first bishop to be consecrated for a see outside of Great Britain was Samuel
Seabury in 1784, who was consecrated by bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church for the
American church. In 1786 the British parliament passed an act allowing the consecration in
England of bishops for dioceses outside of Great Britain.
Provincial organization began with the Provinces of Calcutta (1835), Australia (1847),
New Zealand (1858), and Canada (1860).
The first Lambeth Conference was held in 1867 at Lambeth Palace, which is the residence
of the Archbishop of Canterbury. All Anglican bishops were invited. It originated when the
Provincial Synod of the Church of Canada requested a means be found by which the Bishops
consecrated within the Church of England and serving overseas could be brought together
for a general council to discuss issues facing them in North America and elsewhere.
Since the first Lambeth Conference a conference has been held generally every 10 years.
The conference now includes the wives of bishops, and preparatory papers written by expert
consultants and committees.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is ex-officio the chair-person of the Lambeth Conference,
and has the first place in honour and dignity among all the bishops and archbishops of the
Anglican Communion.
As agreed at the 1930 Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Communion is a fellowship,
within the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic church, of those duly constituted dioceses,
provinces or regional Churches in communion with the See of Canterbury, which have the
following characteristics in common:
(a) they uphold and propagate the Catholic and Apostolic faith and order as they are
generally set forth in the Book of Common Prayer as authorized in their several Churches;
(b) they are particular or national Churches, and, as such, promote within each of
their territories a national expression of Christian faith, life and worship; and
(c) they are bound together not by a central legislative and executive authority, but
by mutual loyalty sustained through the common counsel of the bishops in conference.
The National Churches, autonomous provinces and autonomous dioceses are independent of
each other, have their own leadership and manage their own affairs. Decisions made at the
Lambeth Conference have no formal authority. They must be adopted by each National Church,
autonomous province or autonomous diocese to have authority.
The process of establishing national churches is ongoing. Several national provinces
are in the process of being established. The following churches are the current members of
the Anglican Communion:
The Church of England
The Church in Wales
The Church of Ireland
The Episcopal Church in Scotland
The Lusitanian Church (The Portuguese Episcopal Church)
The Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East
The Anglican Church of Canada
The Episcopal Church (USA)
The Church of the Province of the West Indies
The Church of Brazil
The Church of the Southern Cone of America
The Church of the Province of West Africa
The Church of the Province of Central Africa
The Church of the Province of Uganda
The Church of the Province of Rwanda
The Church of the Province of Burundi
The Church of the Province of Zaire
The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean
The Church of the Province of Kenya
The Church of the Province of Nigeria
The Church of the Province of Tanzania
The Episcopal Church of the Sudan
The Church of the Province of Burma
The Church in Sri Lanka
The Philippine Episcopal Church
The Holy Catholic Church in Japan
The Church of England in Australia
The Church of the Province of Melanesia
The Church of the Province of New Zealand
The Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea
For a description of these churches, refer to Who Are the Anglicans? Profiles and
Maps of the Anglican Communion, Charles Long, Editor. A copy of this book was sent to
clergy after the 1988 Lambeth Conference. Other useful references are The Anglican
Tradition: A Handbook of Sources, edited by G. R. Evans and J. Robert Wright, and Resolutions
of the 12 Lambeth Conferences 1867-1988, edited by R. Coleman.
The Anglican Cycle of Prayer
The Anglican Cycle of Prayer is a daily prayer calendar including Anglican information
and names of all dioceses and bishops in the Anglican Communion.
A copy of the Anglican cycle of Prayer is sent to each Incumbent, and congregations are
encouraged to use it in worship. It is published annually for the Anglican Consultative
Council by Forward Movement Publications, and is available from the Anglican Book Centre.
The Anglican Consultative Council
The Anglican Consultative Council was formed following a resolution of the 1968 Lambeth
Conference to provide more frequent and more representative contact between churches.
Each member church of the Anglican Communion, according to size, is represented by up
to three members: one bishop, a member of the clergy, and a lay person.
It meets every three years, and a standing committee meets every year.
It promotes partnership in mission, which recognizes that every church can be both a
giver and a receiver to the enrichment of the whole mission of the church. It also looks
after Inter-Church Conversations; Inter-Anglican theological and Doctrinal Commission; the
Anglican Centre in Rome; networks of provincial specialists in Ecumenical Relations, Peace
and Justice issues, Family questions, Mission, Development, Communications, Publishing and
Youth Work; and meetings of Primates and Provinces.
The terms of reference for the Anglican Consultative Council are found in Appendix N of the General Synod Handbook.