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Office of Ecumenical & Interreligious Relations
The Episcopal Church (Anglican Communion)
815 Second Avenue New York, NY 10017
Ph 212-716-6220
ecumenical@episcopalchurch.org
©2008 OEIR of TEC
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Full Communion Relationships
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The 1958 Lambeth Conference recommended “that where between two Churches not of the same denominational or confessional family, there is unrestricted communio in sacris, including mutual recognition and acceptance of ministries, the appropriate term to use is ‘full communion,’ and that where varying degrees of relation other than ‘full communion’ are established by agreement between two such churches the appropriate term is ‘intercommunion.’
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The Anglican Communion
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The Episcopal Church is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, thirty-eight autonomous provinces in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Anglican Communion Office, which is the permanent secretariat, is based in London, England, and is led by the Secretary General, The Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon.
Click here for more information about Anglican Communion Ecumenical Relations.
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Full communion on these terms has been established between Provinces of the Anglican Communion and these Churches:
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Old Catholic Churches of Europe
Entered into Full Communion with the Anglican Communion, 1931; Episcopal Church, 1934; clarified, 1940; specifically noted inclusion of Polish National Catholic Church, 1946; likewise ratified and clarified by Polish National Catholic Church, 1946. Polish National Catholic Church terminated full communion in 1978; Episcopal Church did not.
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Philippine Independent Church
In 1961, following a series of cordial fellowship meetings and mission-dialogues, the Philippine Independent Church (PIC), which is known herein as the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) and The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), herein referred to as The Episcopal Church agreed “to establish a concordat of Full Communion.”
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Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, India (1979)
The logo of the Mar Thoma Church combines four sacred symbols: a cross, a wheel (chakra), a hand lamp and a lotus. The cross symbolizes the fact that Christ is at the center of the Church and its mission, and in the heart of the cross is a wheel (Ashoka Chakra), the emblem of India, symbolizing life. To the left of the cross is a hand lamp, an illustration of the Church’s motto, "Lighted to Lighten." On the right, is a lotus, the traditional Indian symbol of holy living.
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Lutheran (ELCA)
On January 6, 2001, The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America entered into a relationship of "full communion" on the basis of the document "Called to Common Mission," culminating thirty years of dialogue with one another. Not a merger, in full communion both churches retain their autonomy and structures but agree to work together for join mission and witness in the world. In accord with procedures established in "Called to Common Mission," clergy and laity may move freely between the two churches.
The pages below testify to the history, breadth, and scope of this full communion arrangement. The "Called to Common Mission" and the official commentary issued by the two churches should answer technical questions. A wealth of archived resources provide the background for this dialogue. Examples of practical cooperation across the country demonstrate the potential for mission and witness between our two churches. Finally, links to the ELCA website will help Episcopalians begin to better understand our partners.
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The Merger of Anglican Churches with other Churches
Full Communion has been established between Provinces of the Anglican Communion and these Churches resulting from the union of Anglican dioceses with Christians of other traditions.
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