THE "logjam" preventing the closer union of the Anglican and
Methodist Churches must be broken through "bold initiatives",
including the appointment of Methodist presbyters to Church of
England posts, and the creation of a Methodist bishop, a new report
argues.
The report of the Joint Implementation Commission (JIC), The
Challenge of the Covenant, is blunt about the current
atmosphere surrounding the proposed union. Some people feel
"frustration and even boredom" with the Covenant, it warns.
"The question being asked is whether our churches are committed
to bring about change. If not, they are not being fair to each
other."
When the Anglican-Methodist Covenant was signed in 2003, the two
Churches pledged "to overcome the remaining obstacles to organic
unity", and "bring about closer collaboration" (News, 7 November
2003).
The report, published yesterday, is the final contribution of
the JIC, which was set up to implement the commitments of the
Covenant. Its authors - the co-chairs of the JIC, the Bishop of
Coventry, Dr Christopher Cocksworth, and a former Vice-President of
the Methodist Conference, Professor Peter Howdle - note that no
progress has been made on "removing obstacles to the
interchangeability of . . . ministries". This "seriously questions
the integrity of the commitments which our churches have made in
the Covenant."
If the Church of England were to tackle these obstacles, the
Methodist Church might undertake its own "bold initiative", by
creating a form of episcopal ministry, such as a "president
bishop", the report suggests. "It is as if we face a locked door,
which can only be opened with two keys: each of our Churches holds
one of the keys which will open the way to a new stage of our
Covenant journey."
The authors say that "the lack of clarity about what sort of
visible unity is envisaged has made the Covenant process
susceptible to a lack of direction and intentionality."
The report was welcomed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and
York and the President and Vice-President of the Methodist
Conference.
Their statement read: "The time has now come for our Churches to
take further, significant steps to achieve that level of
reconciliation between us and partnership in the gospel that will
enhance our mission together in local communities and our shared
witness to the whole of society."
The report will be considered by the Methodist Conference in
July. It will not be considered by the General Synod until
November, because much of the meeting in July will be devoted to a
final consideration of the draft women-bishops Measure.
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