In January 1999, COCU held its first plenary meeting in ten years, recommending that the churches enter into a new relationship to be called Churches Uniting in Christ, to be inaugurated and celebrated during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the year 2002. The plenary identified nine marks of Churches Uniting in Christ and called for dialogue, with the goal of full reconciliation of ministry by 2007. The plenary also approved “A Call to Christian Commitment and Action to Combat Racism.”
While enthusiastically supporting the anti-racism initiative, the Episcopal delegation was clear that the Episcopal Church cannot enter into a relationship that includes the mutual recognition of ordained ministry unless it has assurance that future reconciliation will include bishops in historic succession and a common and fully interchangeable three-fold ministry which the Presbyterian Church has rejected.
Following the Plenary session, a theological roundtable was convened to seek to address the problems of the Plenary document. As a result of their discussions, the Executive Committee of COCU passed the “Recommendation to the Churches for a New Relationship, Churches Uniting in Christ” (see Appendix D).
At its meeting in Chicago in October 1999, the SCER discussed the revised proposal from the COCU Executive committee and voted affirmatively to support the next steps in the work of COCU/CUIC. The resolution passed by the 2000 General Convention may be found in Appendix D.
While enthusiastically supporting the anti-racism initiative, the Episcopal delegation was clear that the Episcopal Church cannot enter into a relationship that includes the mutual recognition of ordained ministry unless it has assurance that future reconciliation will include bishops in historic succession and a common and fully interchangeable three-fold ministry which the Presbyterian Church has rejected.
Following the Plenary session, a theological roundtable was convened to seek to address the problems of the Plenary document. As a result of their discussions, the Executive Committee of COCU passed the “Recommendation to the Churches for a New Relationship, Churches Uniting in Christ” (see Appendix D).
At its meeting in Chicago in October 1999, the SCER discussed the revised proposal from the COCU Executive committee and voted affirmatively to support the next steps in the work of COCU/CUIC. The resolution passed by the 2000 General Convention may be found in Appendix D.
