(1) dialogue begins when people meet each other; (2) dialogue depends upon mutual understanding, mutual respect and mutual trust; (3) dialogue makes it possible to share in service to the community; (4) dialogue becomes a medium of authentic witness"

Lambeth further urged each Province to initiate such dialogue in partnership with other Christian Churches where possible. Towards a Theology for Inter-Faith Dialogue, available from Forward Movement Publications, produced in preparation for Lambeth, is a resource for dialogue.

Lambeth also produced the first Anglican Communion document on "Jews, Christians and Muslims: The Way of Dialogue", printed in The Truth Shall Make You Free: The Lambeth Conference 1988, available from Forward Movement Publications. It is recommended for study and the Provinces were asked to initiate talks wherever possible on a tripartite basis with both Jews and Muslims. In this same volume, the report of the Lambeth section on Dogmatic and Pastoral Concerns provides theological reflection on interfaith relations in general, giving a wider context to the Jewish-Christian-Muslim concerns highlighted in the study document.

At one point, responsibility for oversight of the church’s interfaith relations resided in a committee appointed by the Presiding Bishop. The Presiding Bishop’s Advisory Committee on Interfaith Relations was not reconstituted during the 1997-2000 triennium. Rather, a task force composed of some members of Executive Council and some members of SCER examined the place of interfaith relations in the Episcopal Church, how those relations should be structured, and what the goals should be.

At the October, 1999, meeting of the SCER, the task force proposed that interfaith relations be lodged in the SCER; that SCER forward names to the Presiding Bishop for his consideration for an Interfaith Relations Committee of SCER; that the Committee be charged with any programmatic items, to be reported to SCER; and that the Committee’s Blue Book report be included with SCER’s. The SCER approved the task force’s proposal unanimously.

The Episcopal Church has been a strong supporter of the Interfaith Relations component of the National Council of Churches of Christ, seconding a staff person to that office for several years. At the NCCC’s 1999 plenary, members adopted unanimously a policy statement giving a theological rationale for interfaith work (copies of that policy are available from the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations). The NCCC’s Interfaith Commission maintains that, theologically, it is crucial to connect interreligious work to Christian Unity. For that reason, and because for many years any connection between ecumenical and interfaith relations was resisted in our church, one of the first tasks of the Episcopal Interfaith Relations Committee will be to explicate clearly the theological reasons for linking interfaith relations with the search for Christian unity.

It is expected that the network of Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical Officers (EDEO) will continue with its interest in interfaith relations, and will continue to provide the vital links with dioceses and parishes across the country.

SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONCERNS
Diocesan ecumenical officers and congregational leaders are increasingly aware of the need for sensitive relationships with local Jewish communities. For some this is an on-going commitment, for others a new area of work. Guidelines for Christian-Jewish Relations, available from Forward Movement Publications, was adopted by the 1988 General Convention "to assist the members of this Church in facilitating understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews.” Episcopalians, with their strong liturgical tradition, are in a good position to reach out to Jewish sisters and brothers in appreciation of Judaism as a living and vibrant religion.

The growing number of Muslims among us means that more Episcopalians are beginning to be sensitive to relationships with local Muslim communities. This is an emerging concern in many dioceses, made more pressing by the general need arising from international relations for more information about Islam. In 1994, a Committee on Christian-Muslim Relations was established to advise the Presiding Bishop.

Relationships with many other religious communities regularly pose questions and bring opportunities to diocesan ecumenical officers and others in the Church. Other specific relationships, like that Between Christians and Buddhists, need to be better understood and nurtured.

IEI: THE INTERFAITH EDUCATION INITIATIVE
In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, Episcopal Relief and Development approached the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations about developing educational resources for Interfaith Dialogue. In November of 2001 the ERD Board of Directors voted to fund a program to develop these resources and contracted the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations to facilitate their development. The goal of this partnership is to develop resources and design curriculum to facilitate interfaith dialogue.