Anglicans, Lutherans compare notes

Representatives of Anglican and Lutheran churches in the United States and in Canada met Feb. 5-7 in Las Vegas to compare notes on how new, closer relationships between the denominations were working in each country.

“One of the things we talked about was transitivity – the movement of clergy between the churches,” said Bishop Fred Hiltz of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, who has been closely involved with the movement toward “full communion” between the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

“We seem to be further along in Canada,” he commented, noting that disagreements in the U.S. over the role of bishops seem to be stronger than in Canada. In 2001, the two denominations in Canada signed a document called the Waterloo Declaration. The two churches now recognize each other’s clergy and sacraments.

The Canadian delegates to the meeting reviewed progress made on nine commitments in the Waterloo Declaration, Bishop Hiltz said. In the U.S., the two denominations pledged a closer relationship in 2001 under the title Called to Common Mission.

Bishop Hiltz was also recently named co-chair of an international group monitoring Anglican-Lutheran dialogue that meets annually.