Full Communion Partnership

Anglican Church Of Canada 

The ELCIC enjoys a full-communion relationship with the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) . This relationship came about as the result of the Waterloo Declaration (2001) which, itself, followed upon a number of years of inter-denominational dialogue. One of the significant effects of our full-communion relationship is that Lutheran clergy may serve in Anglican settings and vice-versa. In the decade since the Waterloo Declaration, many communities across Canada have benefited from close collaboration between clergy and congregations. 

Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission

A Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission (JALC) provides oversight for the ACC-ELCIC full-communion relationship. The Commission meets twice yearly and maintains close ties with a similar agency — the Lutheran-Episcopal Coordinating Committee (LECC) — which binds The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in their own decade-long full-communion relationship.

The JALC maintains a Directory of Waterloo Ministries wherein communities share rostered or ordained ministers, worship, facilities and programs. 

Produced by the JALC, the Anglican-Lutheran Cycle of Prayer is designed for use in communities of the Anglican Church of Canada and ELCIC. For each Sunday, there are intentions for specific dioceses, synods and/or groups. While we pray for our world and neighbours without ceasing, we are invited to pray especially for our Anglican sisters and brothers with whom we are in full communion.

Anglican-Lutheran Cooperation

The ELCIC and ACC cooperate in a number of areas. These include providing leadership for the biennial Canadian Lutheran-Anglican Youth (CLAY) gathering and National Anglican-Lutheran Worship Conference; a Lutheran partner serving on the Theological Education Task Group of the ACC’s Faith Worship and Ministry Committee; a Lutheran partner serving on the ACC’s Partners in Mission and Ecojustice Committee; a Lutheran appointment on the Anglican team for the current Anglican-United Church Dialogue together with an observer from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; an ELCIC observer on the Anglican Roman Catholic Dialogue; support for the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada; a Lutheran appointment to the ACC’s Communication and Information Resources Committee; joint meetings of senior staff, of the Conference and House of Bishops, and of our national governing councils, together with a planned joint 2013 meeting of the ACC’s General Synod and ELCIC’s National Convention. 

Anglican-Lutheran International Commission

Anglicans and Lutherans have been involved in close dialogue since their distinctive denominations emerged at the time of the Reformation. Modern theological dialogue began at the global level in 1972 and has sought to build on the success of regional co-operation evidenced by the Helsinki Report 1982 (Europe), the Meissen Common Statement 1988 (England and Germany), the Porvoo Common Statement 1992 (the British and Irish Anglican Churches and the Nordic and Baltic Lutheran Churches), the Reuilly Common Statement 1999 (the British and Irish Anglican Churches and the French Lutheran and Reformed churches), Called to Common Mission 2001 (USA), the Waterloo Declaration 2001 (Canada), Common Ground 2001(Australia), and the All Africa report 2001. 

The third phase of the Anglican – Lutheran International Commission (ALIC) began in 2006 and is considering ways to build on existing relationships with the aim of bringing all the churches of the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran World Federation into fuller communion. Both the ACC and ELCIC are represented in the ongoing work of the ALIC.

Resources