Methodists and Lutherans: A Season of Celebrating
The ELCA has a record of engaging in ecumenical dialogues, with the theological and ecclesial goal of living more fully into Jesus’s prayer that all his followers may be one. (John 17:20-21) For over 40 years, we have been in official dialogue with the United Methodists, exploring similarities and differences on such central topics as baptism, the role of bishops, and the life and witness of the church. Our dialogue led to a shared acknowledgement of theological agreement on much of ministry and the Christian life.
In recognition of all this, we spent several years in an interim Eucharistic sharing. In 2009, our two churches signed a full communion agreement, opening up the possibility of sharing clergy. There is much that we share, both historically and theologically, given our shared grounding in the Western church tradition. However, our extended relationship and conversations made clear that each of our distinctive traditions also bears particular gifts and strengths. As many of us cherish, we Lutherans are strong in our theological understanding of salvation by grace through faith, the distinction between law and gospel, and the importance and effect of the sacraments in the Christian life. Yet we also give thanks that the United Methodist Church offers an “unwavering confession of the work of the Holy Spirit in the renewing of Christian life, the need to translate faith into action, and the necessity of Christian engagement in this world.” (Confessing Our Faith Together, page 3)
In honor of the ten year anniversary of the full communion agreement with the United Methodist Church, our Synod’s Ecumenical Affairs Committee collaborated with the Methodist Conference’s Christian Unity and Interreligious Relationships Committee to mark this year. The intention was not just to celebrate official paperwork, but to draw attention to the opportunity for ecumenical ministry in the name of Jesus Christ.
On Sunday, October 20, 2019, Methodists and Lutherans gathered for liturgy with holy communion at St. John’s Lutheran Church of Highland in McCandless. Methodist Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi served as presiding minister and Lutheran Bishop Kurt Kusserow as preacher. Worshipping with a Methodist presiding at a Lutheran altar, in liturgy of Holy Communion, embodied our churches’ shared beliefs and understandings of ministry. Though both of our churches have their own breadth of theology and liturgical expressions, our foundational beliefs are based on the same understanding of Christ and God’s generous grace. We understand ourselves as grafted as branches into Christ’s vine, blessed by the faith and witness of one another, and called to grow in unity together.
Our official full communion relationship is an invitation for us all to learn more about our sisters and brothers in the Methodist church and to grow in gospel-guided relationship with them. Check out the suggestions below for you and your congregation to consider!
Is there a Methodist congregation or colleague near you?
Here are some things you could consider:
Meet a Methodist colleague or neighbor for coffee or tea and learn about their perspective on faith.
Plan a joint worship service with Holy Communion.
Do a pulpit exchange with a neighboring Methodist congregation.
Plan a joint local mission project.
Offer joint Lutheran-Methodist education opportunities, such as a midweek Bible study or summer Vacation Bible School.
Invite a speaker from a local Methodist agency.
In Methodist/Lutheran groups, or just in our own congregations, explore the Methodist tradition and strengths. Find ideas on pages 3 to 7 of Living and Growing into Full Communion.
Participating churches are invited to complete a survey so that the Synod and Conference ecumenical committees can learn more about our collaborative ministry efforts:
Pastor Jennifer Peters McCurry
Chair, Ecumenical Affairs Committee / Associate Pastor, First Lutheran Church