The Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations (EIR) is one part of the structure through which the Episcopal Church is organized for ecumenism and interfaith relations.
The EIR staff is comprised of the Presiding Bishop’s Deputy for Ecumenical Relations (Bishop C. Christopher Epting), who is assisted by an Associate Deputy (Dr. Thomas Ferguson), an administrative assistant and a seminary intern. The Deputy and Associate Deputy are appointed by the Presiding Bishop, the official Ecumenical Officer for The Episcopal Church (TEC). The current Presiding Bishop is the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori.
The office works in conjunction with General Convention, which meets every three years, to coordinate the ecumenical work of the church. In the intermediate years, the Executive Council fulfills this role. The Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations (SCEIR) of the General Convention is the body that oversees the Ecumenical and interfaith work of the Church. This body is comprised of six bishops, six priests or deacons, and six laity who are appointed by the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies.
The Ecumenical and Interfaith Office, in cooperation with SCEIR, compiles a report of the church’s activities every three years to be included in the General Convention’s Blue Book. The latest report is available through the General Convention website.
In an effort to coordinate grassroots involvement, the Ecumenical Officers from each diocese work together in a body called the Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical Officers (EDEO). Officers for each diocese are appointed by local bishops to encourage and organize ecumenical and interfaith activity at the congregational, local and regional levels.
Finally, the ecumenical and interfaith work of the Episcopal Church is part of the efforts of the Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church’s dialogues with the Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Old Catholics are complemented by parallel international dialogues through the Anglican Communion.
