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Full Communion Strengthens Ecumenical Relationship
August 21, 2009
Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, one of eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), furthered its ecumenical commitment with the formal agreement of full communion between the ELCA and The United Methodist Church (UMC) at the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis, MN. The Assembly voted in favor of the agreement on August 20, 2009 by a vote of 922 to 15.
"We are committed to being an ecumenical seminary and this agreement provides us with one more tool and encouragement to be a place where persons of every denomination are welcome to study and grow in their vocational life and discernment," says the Rev. Dr. Marcus Miller, president of the seminary.
In addition to the ELCA, the seminary is an approved theological school for multiple other Christian traditions and denominations, including the UMC. For the upcoming academic year, 28% of the enrolled students are of non-ELCA traditions, including 15% from the UMC.
The ELCA Churchwide Assembly is the chief legislative authority of the denomination of 4.8 million members in the United States. In 2008, the General Conference of the UMC, also the chief legislative body of its church of 8 million Americans, adopted an implementing resolution establishing full communion with the ELCA by a vote of 864-19.
Full communion means the churches will work for visible unity in Jesus Christ, recognize each other's ministries, work together on a variety of ministry initiatives, and, under certain circumstances, provide for the interchangeability of ordained clergy.
For more information:
August 20, 2009 Press Release from ELCA News Service:
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx#&&a=4242
August 20, 2009 Press Release from the UMC News Service:
http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259609&ct=7314339
2008 General Conference of the UMC Press Release – by the ELCA News Service http://archive.elca.org/ScriptLib/CO/ELCA_News/encArticleList.asp?article=3850
Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Methodist Studies Program
http://www.ltss.edu/prospective_students/methodist_studies_program/
Andrew Boozer, Director of Communications, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
andrewboozer@ltss.edu or 803-461-3296
