In the spirit of ecumenism, which it has learned from the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England’s governing body has given its welcome to proposals which could unite the Church of England and the Methodist Church. Members of the General Synod backed a motion welcoming a joint report published last year, which sets out proposals on how clergy from each church could become eligible to serve in the other.
The report, Mission and Ministry in Covenant, which was co-written by the two churches’ faith and order bodies, also sets out how the Methodist Church could come to have bishops in the historic episcopate.
The motion acknowledges that there is further work to do to clarify a number of areas, including how the proposals would be worked out in practice. But an amendment to the motion speaks of “confident hope” that outstanding issues can be resolved quickly.
“I want to support this motion very strongly indeed,” said Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. “It seems to me that in voting for it we respond to the word of God in the scriptures where there is a clear command to unity in diversity and in responding to this paper positively we respond to the Spirit who is already working in both of our Churches bringing us together.”
After the debate, Gareth J Powell, Secretary of the Methodist Conference, said: “We recognize that these are matters of significance to all within our Churches. As we move forward, we will continue to discern the will of God and deepen our understanding of each other through ongoing dialogue.”
The report builds on the theological merging established by ‘An Anglican-Methodist Covenant’, signed in 2003, and subsequent work. In 2014 the Anglican General Synod and the Methodist Conference mandated the faith and order bodies to bring forward proposals that would enable ordained church leaders in the two churches to serve in the other.
It is the Catholic Church that has initiated the ecumenical movement to bring the churches back into the bosom of Rome in full, visible, sacramental unity. But now it is spreading to reconciliation efforts between other churches with the same aim. The reconciliation of Anglicans and Methodists is only leading to one ultimate destination – unity with Rome.
“All the world wondered after the beast.” Revelation 13:3.