Dialogue Page: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bavaria and The Episcopal Church
This is a resource page for background documents related to the dialogue between the Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern - ELKB (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria) and The Episcopal Church.
Background
The discussions between the Evangelische-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern (ELKB) and The Episcopal Church (TEC) began as the result of a meeting in June 2013 between Landesbischof Dr. Bedford-Strohm and Presiding Bishop the Most Rev. Dr. Jefferts-Schori. In their meeting, the two Presiding Bishops expressed the wish and challenge for the two churches to explore the possibility of closer communion, including, if possible, full communion with interchange of ministers and sharing of the sacraments.
A close relationship has existed for over 50 years between Episcopal Church and the ELKB in Munich, especially between the Church of the Ascension in Munich, a parish of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, and the Emmauskirche, a parish of the ELKB. Ascension has shared space in the Emmauskirche since 1970. Elsewhere in Bavaria, a similar close TEC-ELKB relationship exists with the Episcopal missions in Nuremberg and Augsburg, who also share space with ELKB parishes.
Conversations between representatives of the ELKB and TEC began in 2013 shortly after the encounter between Presiding Bishops Jefferts-Schori and Bedford-Strohm, and soon took on the characteristics of a dialogue. Meetings in subsequent years took place in New York, Tutzing, Paris, and Augsburg. Numerous smaller meetings took place between in-person meetings.
The conversation/dialogue committee included representatives from TEC, the ELKB, and:
• The Director for Unity, Faith and Order of the Anglican Communion Office,
• The Director of the Council for Christian Unity of the Church of England,
• A representative of Inter-Anglican Standing Commission for Unity, Faith and Order
• A representative of the German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation,
• The Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) co-secretary of the Meissen Commission, and
• The Director for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
TEC General Convention Resolution 2018-C059 approved and commended the process of exploring deeper relations and the dialogue toward full communion between TEC and the ELKB.
Resolution 2018-C059 Commend Dialogue with the Evangelical Church in Bavaria
Resolved, That the 79th General Convention approve and commend the existing relationship between the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (Convocation) and the Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern (ELKB) (Evangelical Church in Bavaria); and be it further
Resolved, That the 79th General Convention approve and commend the process of exploring deeper relations and the dialogue toward full communion between The Episcopal Church and the ELKB.
proposed agreement and papers in the Dialogue
- TEC-ELKB Sharing the Gift of Communion (Augsburg Agreement) - Proposed Agreement 22.02.2022 - English and Deutsch
- Commentary on “Sharing the Gifts of Communion” (the “Augsburg Agreement”) - English
- Revised Resolution submitted by Bishops Edington, Franklin, and Jefferts-Schori for entering into Full Communion - here
- ELKB Full Communion Packet as presented to Episcopal Church ecumenical leaders in April 2022 - here
Background Papers
- History of the dialogue - English and Deutsch
- ELKB History, Church Government and Ecumenical Relations - English and Deutsch
- TEC History, Church Government and Ecumenical - English and Deutsch
- Episcopal Views of Episkopé, a background paper on the development of episkopé in TEC by the Rt. Rev. Mark D.W. Edington - here
- Anglican structures and ecumenical relations: ecclesiological factors in the TEC ELKB dialogue by the Rev. Prof. Dr. Charlotte Methuen - here
More information on Lutheran and Protestant Churches in Germany: