THE QUICK RUNDOWN:
ARE WE IN FULL COMMUNION: No.
ARE WE IN A EUCHARISTIC SHARING AGREEMENT: No.
CAN METHODIST CLERGY SERVE IN AN EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Not currently.
CAN METHODIST CLERGY BECOME EPISCOPAL CLERGY WITHOUT RE-ORDINATION: Not currently.
CAN EPISCOPAL CLERGY SERVE IN A METHODIST CHURCH: Yes, on a case-to-case basis with the permission of both the Episcopal Ordinary and the appropriate Methodist authority.
CAN METHODIST LAITY BE MEMBERS OF AN EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Yes.
ARE METHODIST LAITY CONFIRMED OR RECEIVED: Methodist Laity who have been confirmed are received into the Episcopal Church. (See Confirmation/Reception Guidelines.)
ARE WE IN A EUCHARISTIC SHARING AGREEMENT: No.
CAN METHODIST CLERGY SERVE IN AN EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Not currently.
CAN METHODIST CLERGY BECOME EPISCOPAL CLERGY WITHOUT RE-ORDINATION: Not currently.
CAN EPISCOPAL CLERGY SERVE IN A METHODIST CHURCH: Yes, on a case-to-case basis with the permission of both the Episcopal Ordinary and the appropriate Methodist authority.
CAN METHODIST LAITY BE MEMBERS OF AN EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Yes.
ARE METHODIST LAITY CONFIRMED OR RECEIVED: Methodist Laity who have been confirmed are received into the Episcopal Church. (See Confirmation/Reception Guidelines.)
Updated 4/13/17
ALL THE THINGS:
On several occasions, the General Convention asked the Standing Commission to explore possibilities for bilateral dialogues with member churches of the Consultation on Church Union (Reformed, Methodist, Disciples). Conversations between the Presiding Bishop and bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church indicated an interest in dialogue. The Standing Commission recommended, and the 1991 General Convention authorized, a formal dialogue with the three historic black Methodist Churches. The first meeting of the Methodist Episcopal - Episcopal Dialogue took place in 1992, to explore the distinctive histories, forms of worship, and Wesleyan and Anglican traditions. By and large we know little about each other's lives and the issues we confront in mission. If this is to change, congregations will need new resources. A planned second meeting was deferred in favor of smaller meetings to work on strategies aimed at dialogue and increasing our capacity to share life and mission locally and nationally.
Conversations with these churches and the Episcopal Church regarding mutual celebration of Absalom Jones and Richard Allen have taken place. An SCER goal for the 1997-2000 triennium was to “to resume, in 1998, conversations between the Episcopal Church and the historic black Methodist Episcopal Churches (African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, and Christian Methodist Episcopal ) with the goal of establishing formal and regular dialogue....” The African American Methodist Episcopal churches declined opening formal dialogue at that time, focusing their resources instead on the Consultation on Church Union/Churches Uniting in Christ conversations.
The Episcopal Church continues to be in dialogue with the historically African-American Methodist Episcopal Churches in the context of Churches Uniting in Christ. In addition, the United Methodist-Episcopal has taken the question of race and racism as church dividing issues as an important component of its work. Many of the divisions between churches, and internally within churches, have been due to the sin of racism as much as with issues such as sacramental theology and ordained ministry. The UMC-Episcopal Church dialogue has held several meetings focusing on race and racism as church dividing issues, inviting scholars from the UMC, Episcopal Church, and historically African American Methodist Churches to make presentations. The 2009 General Convention commended the work of the dialogue, and encouraged further efforts at dialogue and cooperation with the historically African American Methodist Churches. In Chicago in October of 2009, a major consultation was held involving senior bishops, historians, and ecumenical officers from the historically African American Methodist Churches, and looked at tangible ways to involve all the churches in the dialogue towards full communion..
Conversations with these churches and the Episcopal Church regarding mutual celebration of Absalom Jones and Richard Allen have taken place. An SCER goal for the 1997-2000 triennium was to “to resume, in 1998, conversations between the Episcopal Church and the historic black Methodist Episcopal Churches (African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, and Christian Methodist Episcopal ) with the goal of establishing formal and regular dialogue....” The African American Methodist Episcopal churches declined opening formal dialogue at that time, focusing their resources instead on the Consultation on Church Union/Churches Uniting in Christ conversations.
The Episcopal Church continues to be in dialogue with the historically African-American Methodist Episcopal Churches in the context of Churches Uniting in Christ. In addition, the United Methodist-Episcopal has taken the question of race and racism as church dividing issues as an important component of its work. Many of the divisions between churches, and internally within churches, have been due to the sin of racism as much as with issues such as sacramental theology and ordained ministry. The UMC-Episcopal Church dialogue has held several meetings focusing on race and racism as church dividing issues, inviting scholars from the UMC, Episcopal Church, and historically African American Methodist Churches to make presentations. The 2009 General Convention commended the work of the dialogue, and encouraged further efforts at dialogue and cooperation with the historically African American Methodist Churches. In Chicago in October of 2009, a major consultation was held involving senior bishops, historians, and ecumenical officers from the historically African American Methodist Churches, and looked at tangible ways to involve all the churches in the dialogue towards full communion..