Lutheran and Anglican leaders offer joint Easter greetings

In a new online video, National Bishop Susan C. Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and Archbishop Fred Hiltz of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), offer joint Easter greetings to their churches.

In the ninety-second video, the leaders acknowledge the recent suffering in Japan and the conflicts in North Africa.

"We place our hope and our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross, rising from the grave, drawing near to his disciples, making himself known to them in the breaking of bread and the opening of the scriptures," said Archbishop Hiltz.

The leaders also reflect on the signing of the 2001 Waterloo Declaration. "We also want to acknowledge and celebrate the relationship between our two churches as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of our full communion agreement," said Bishop Johnson.

2011 also marks the tenth anniversary of full communion between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church, USA.

On May 1, 2011, the four churches will celebrate this landmark year with parallel services in Fort Erie, Ont. and Buffalo, N.Y. Lutherans and Anglicans will gather to mark the anniversaries and honour the possibility for future collaboration.

In a March 9, 2011 letter, Bishop Johnson and Archbishop Hiltz invited, "the people of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada to pray for each other and for this holy endeavour." Communities are encouraged to host their own celebrations, on the Second Sunday of Easter or sometime thereafter, in their own churches.

The video greeting can be viewed here: https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/default.cfm. It can also be downloaded to share with your congregation and community.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

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