History:
Conversations between the Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church were suspended in favor of wider discussions after Eugene Carson Blake, then the Stated Clerk of the United Presbyterian Church, proposed in 1960 that the Episcopal Church join the United Presbyterian Church to invite the Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ to explore the establishment of a united church which would be “truly Catholic, truly Evangelical and truly Reformed.” The 1961 General Convention accepted the proposal as did the Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ. Over the years the number of participating churches increased so that today it comprises two churches of the Reformed tradition [Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ], four Methodist churches [African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal, United Methodist], the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the International Council of Community Churches. In 2006 the Moravian Church, Northern Province, formally joined the successor to COCU, Churches Uniting in Christ.
In its first decade agreement was reached on Principles of Church Union (1966), including some notable theological work on Tradition and traditions. This was the basis of A Plan of Union (1970), which included a restatement of the theological premises and the outline of a constitution for a Church of Christ Uniting. This proposal proved to be unacceptable to all the churches.
A new Commission on the Revision of the Theological Basis appointed in 1973 first produced “Toward the Mutual Recognition of Members: An Affirmation” recognizing the baptisms of other churches. This was adopted by all the churches. The 1976 General Convention endorsed it in principle, though it added two qualifying footnotes regarding the differing ecclesial traditions which shape the life of members of particular communions. COCU also issued its Plan of Union, which called for full, organic merger of the churches.
In 1976 the Commission produced the first six chapters of a revision of theological portions of the Plan of Union, and in 1980 a seventh chapter on the Ministry was added, all of which the Consultation commended to the churches for study and response. The 1979 General Convention asked the dioceses, selected parishes and seminaries to study the seven chapters of this revised Plan, now entitled In Quest of a Church of Christ Uniting. The responses, collected by the Standing Commission and transmitted to the Consultation, could be summarized as "much good, but some serious problems." The 1982 General Convention resolved to "express its gratitude for the 'emerging theological consensus'...and direct the Episcopal delegation to the Consultation to press for re-examination of those portions of the document noted as matters of concern,\" specified as: authority of the creeds, sacramental acts other than Baptism and Eucharist, understanding of Confirmation, collegiality of the Presbyterate and Episcopate, divine action in ordination, the meaning of lay and diaconal sharing in ordination rites, and the theology of the Church.
In 1984 the Consultation adopted a revised text titled The COCU Consensus: In Quest of a Church of Christ Uniting, available from Forward Movement Publications, and asked "the participating churches, by formal action, to recognize in it: “an expression, in the matters with which it deals, of the Apostolic faith, order, worship, and witness of the church…and a sufficient theological basis for the covenanting acts and uniting process proposed at this time by the Consultation."
The 1985 General Convention directed the Standing Commission to initiate a study in all dioceses and seminaries of The COCU Consensus so that the 1988 General Convention might determine whether it provided "a sufficient theological basis in those matters with which it is concerned, for continuing in the process leading towards covenanting...."
The Standing Commission organized studies in dioceses and seminaries, conducted a survey of bishops and deputies to General Convention, and created a theology committee made up of persons with experience in all dialogues in which this Church participates to listen to responses and evaluate the document. The report of the Theology Committee concluded that The COCU Consensus was not a fully satisfactory basis for entering unto a relationship of such magnitude. Another group was appointed to prepare a report to the 1988 General Convention, summarizing the affirmations and reservations. The eight reservations were specified as uncertainty about the function of the COCU document, the fact that COCU is tied too closely to our national heritage and expectations, it is unclear that the aim is to achieve a communion of communions based on mutual recognition of each other as churches rather than on the basis of mutual acceptance of a document, the understanding of salvation as articulated is insufficient, no attempt is made to state the apostolic faith, provision for liturgical norms is lacking, difficulties remain in the ministry and ordination sections, and it is unclear how traditions which express episcopacy in the form of an historic episcopal succession are to be combined with those which intend a succession in the apostolic faith but lack formal episcopal succession.
The 1988 General Convention received the report of the Standing Commission on The COCU Consensus and expressed its "deep gratitude" for the extensive contribution of the Consultation over twenty-five years and for its articulation of "significant ecumenical convergences". The Convention voted to recognize The COCU Consensus as: (1) "an expression...of the Apostolic faith, order, worship, and witness of the Church," (2) "an anticipation of the Church Uniting...", but (3) "not yet 'a sufficient theological basis for the covenanting acts....'" The Convention voted with respect to question (3) to defer final judgment and asked the SCER "to initiate and facilitate a study of the revised covenanting proposal, in order to make a recommendation to the 70th General Convention concerning both The COCU Consensus and the new proposal for covenanting". The Convention called attention to the eight reservations in the report of the SCER, asked the Consultation for elucidations on these points, authorized this Church "to continue its participation in the Consultation" and authorized the Standing Commission "to continue to join with partner churches in the Consultation on Church Union.... in exploring fresh approaches".
Later in 1988 the Consultation approved a revised text, Churches in Covenant Communion: the Church of Christ Uniting, available from Forward Movement Publications, consisting of the covenanting proposals and liturgies to inaugurate covenanting. The proposal was sent to the churches with the request that they approve the document "as the definitive agreement for joining with other participating churches in covenant communion". The Episcopal delegation at this meeting of the Consultation addressed the following resolution to the SCER: "The delegation...endorses the resolution to transmit...the document....we welcome the proposal as a bold and challenging step towards the vision of a Communion of Communions as set forth in the 1979 statement on The Nature of the Unity We Seek, but with the proviso that certain elements proposed therein (including but not limited to its suggested method for sharing the historic episcopate) be reviewed both within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion during the next few years, in order to facilitate the proposal's ultimate consideration by the General Convention."
The report of the Standing Commission to the 1991 General Convention noted that the 1988 General Convention had used the words "not yet" to indicate that the Episcopal Church was not clear about the covenanting acts yet to be proposed and that there were eight reservations about the theology set forth in the text of The COCU Consensus. The reported related that a joint committee composed of members of the Standing Commission and the COCU Executive Committee had set about preparing a series of elucidations intended to be clarifying statements interpreting The COCU Consensus in relation to the eight reservations. However, the Standing Commission as a whole could not endorse the Elucidations as an authorized interpretation of the text. The report asked for adequate time for a thorough study of Churches in Covenant Communion, but stated that "before real unity can be achieved, there must be growth in our knowledge and understanding of each other and further theological dialogue." The full 1991 General Convention resolution may be found in Appendix D.
The study of Churches in Covenant Communion took the form of a survey instrument and packet of COCU materials sent to all dioceses, which were urged to study this text before responding. Fifty-three dioceses responded. The Standing Commission appointed a theological committee to listen to the responses and evaluate Churches in Covenant Communion, including a comparison of its proposals on the ordained ministry with those of the newly published Concordat of Agreement from the Lutheran-Episcopal Dialogue, as recommended by the House of Bishops Ecumenical Committee. In a separate but related event, the 1993 Delray Consultation, sponsored by the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and including Methodist, Reformed and Disciples participants, compared treatment of the ordained ministry in Concordat of Agreement, Churches in Covenant Communion, A Common Calling, and Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry. The report is available from the ELCA Ecumenical Relations Office.
The Standing Commission's report to the 1994 General Convention recommended that the Episcopal Church "not enter a relationship of covenant communion as proposed in Churches in Covenant Communion".
Conversations between the Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church were suspended in favor of wider discussions after Eugene Carson Blake, then the Stated Clerk of the United Presbyterian Church, proposed in 1960 that the Episcopal Church join the United Presbyterian Church to invite the Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ to explore the establishment of a united church which would be “truly Catholic, truly Evangelical and truly Reformed.” The 1961 General Convention accepted the proposal as did the Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ. Over the years the number of participating churches increased so that today it comprises two churches of the Reformed tradition [Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ], four Methodist churches [African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal, United Methodist], the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the International Council of Community Churches. In 2006 the Moravian Church, Northern Province, formally joined the successor to COCU, Churches Uniting in Christ.
In its first decade agreement was reached on Principles of Church Union (1966), including some notable theological work on Tradition and traditions. This was the basis of A Plan of Union (1970), which included a restatement of the theological premises and the outline of a constitution for a Church of Christ Uniting. This proposal proved to be unacceptable to all the churches.
A new Commission on the Revision of the Theological Basis appointed in 1973 first produced “Toward the Mutual Recognition of Members: An Affirmation” recognizing the baptisms of other churches. This was adopted by all the churches. The 1976 General Convention endorsed it in principle, though it added two qualifying footnotes regarding the differing ecclesial traditions which shape the life of members of particular communions. COCU also issued its Plan of Union, which called for full, organic merger of the churches.
In 1976 the Commission produced the first six chapters of a revision of theological portions of the Plan of Union, and in 1980 a seventh chapter on the Ministry was added, all of which the Consultation commended to the churches for study and response. The 1979 General Convention asked the dioceses, selected parishes and seminaries to study the seven chapters of this revised Plan, now entitled In Quest of a Church of Christ Uniting. The responses, collected by the Standing Commission and transmitted to the Consultation, could be summarized as "much good, but some serious problems." The 1982 General Convention resolved to "express its gratitude for the 'emerging theological consensus'...and direct the Episcopal delegation to the Consultation to press for re-examination of those portions of the document noted as matters of concern,\" specified as: authority of the creeds, sacramental acts other than Baptism and Eucharist, understanding of Confirmation, collegiality of the Presbyterate and Episcopate, divine action in ordination, the meaning of lay and diaconal sharing in ordination rites, and the theology of the Church.
In 1984 the Consultation adopted a revised text titled The COCU Consensus: In Quest of a Church of Christ Uniting, available from Forward Movement Publications, and asked "the participating churches, by formal action, to recognize in it: “an expression, in the matters with which it deals, of the Apostolic faith, order, worship, and witness of the church…and a sufficient theological basis for the covenanting acts and uniting process proposed at this time by the Consultation."
The 1985 General Convention directed the Standing Commission to initiate a study in all dioceses and seminaries of The COCU Consensus so that the 1988 General Convention might determine whether it provided "a sufficient theological basis in those matters with which it is concerned, for continuing in the process leading towards covenanting...."
The Standing Commission organized studies in dioceses and seminaries, conducted a survey of bishops and deputies to General Convention, and created a theology committee made up of persons with experience in all dialogues in which this Church participates to listen to responses and evaluate the document. The report of the Theology Committee concluded that The COCU Consensus was not a fully satisfactory basis for entering unto a relationship of such magnitude. Another group was appointed to prepare a report to the 1988 General Convention, summarizing the affirmations and reservations. The eight reservations were specified as uncertainty about the function of the COCU document, the fact that COCU is tied too closely to our national heritage and expectations, it is unclear that the aim is to achieve a communion of communions based on mutual recognition of each other as churches rather than on the basis of mutual acceptance of a document, the understanding of salvation as articulated is insufficient, no attempt is made to state the apostolic faith, provision for liturgical norms is lacking, difficulties remain in the ministry and ordination sections, and it is unclear how traditions which express episcopacy in the form of an historic episcopal succession are to be combined with those which intend a succession in the apostolic faith but lack formal episcopal succession.
The 1988 General Convention received the report of the Standing Commission on The COCU Consensus and expressed its "deep gratitude" for the extensive contribution of the Consultation over twenty-five years and for its articulation of "significant ecumenical convergences". The Convention voted to recognize The COCU Consensus as: (1) "an expression...of the Apostolic faith, order, worship, and witness of the Church," (2) "an anticipation of the Church Uniting...", but (3) "not yet 'a sufficient theological basis for the covenanting acts....'" The Convention voted with respect to question (3) to defer final judgment and asked the SCER "to initiate and facilitate a study of the revised covenanting proposal, in order to make a recommendation to the 70th General Convention concerning both The COCU Consensus and the new proposal for covenanting". The Convention called attention to the eight reservations in the report of the SCER, asked the Consultation for elucidations on these points, authorized this Church "to continue its participation in the Consultation" and authorized the Standing Commission "to continue to join with partner churches in the Consultation on Church Union.... in exploring fresh approaches".
Later in 1988 the Consultation approved a revised text, Churches in Covenant Communion: the Church of Christ Uniting, available from Forward Movement Publications, consisting of the covenanting proposals and liturgies to inaugurate covenanting. The proposal was sent to the churches with the request that they approve the document "as the definitive agreement for joining with other participating churches in covenant communion". The Episcopal delegation at this meeting of the Consultation addressed the following resolution to the SCER: "The delegation...endorses the resolution to transmit...the document....we welcome the proposal as a bold and challenging step towards the vision of a Communion of Communions as set forth in the 1979 statement on The Nature of the Unity We Seek, but with the proviso that certain elements proposed therein (including but not limited to its suggested method for sharing the historic episcopate) be reviewed both within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion during the next few years, in order to facilitate the proposal's ultimate consideration by the General Convention."
The report of the Standing Commission to the 1991 General Convention noted that the 1988 General Convention had used the words "not yet" to indicate that the Episcopal Church was not clear about the covenanting acts yet to be proposed and that there were eight reservations about the theology set forth in the text of The COCU Consensus. The reported related that a joint committee composed of members of the Standing Commission and the COCU Executive Committee had set about preparing a series of elucidations intended to be clarifying statements interpreting The COCU Consensus in relation to the eight reservations. However, the Standing Commission as a whole could not endorse the Elucidations as an authorized interpretation of the text. The report asked for adequate time for a thorough study of Churches in Covenant Communion, but stated that "before real unity can be achieved, there must be growth in our knowledge and understanding of each other and further theological dialogue." The full 1991 General Convention resolution may be found in Appendix D.
The study of Churches in Covenant Communion took the form of a survey instrument and packet of COCU materials sent to all dioceses, which were urged to study this text before responding. Fifty-three dioceses responded. The Standing Commission appointed a theological committee to listen to the responses and evaluate Churches in Covenant Communion, including a comparison of its proposals on the ordained ministry with those of the newly published Concordat of Agreement from the Lutheran-Episcopal Dialogue, as recommended by the House of Bishops Ecumenical Committee. In a separate but related event, the 1993 Delray Consultation, sponsored by the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and including Methodist, Reformed and Disciples participants, compared treatment of the ordained ministry in Concordat of Agreement, Churches in Covenant Communion, A Common Calling, and Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry. The report is available from the ELCA Ecumenical Relations Office.
The Standing Commission's report to the 1994 General Convention recommended that the Episcopal Church "not enter a relationship of covenant communion as proposed in Churches in Covenant Communion".