[The Lutheran] The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted to enter full communion with the Episcopal Church at the Churchwide Assembly in Denver, Colorado, in August this year. Nearly 70% of over 1,000 voting delegates approved "Called to Common Mission". This was 27 more votes than the two-thirds majority required. Two years ago a similar proposal had failed by just six votes.

"This is a big step." said ELCA Presiding Bishop H George Anderson, "but we're not dancing yet." The proposal needs to be passed at the Episcopal Church General Convention next year, also in Denver. "We live in hope," he said.

"Called to Common Mission" (CCM) paves the way for sharing of the Eucharist, encouragement of joint mission efforts, and full inclusion of members and clergy. The vote was welcomed with "rejoicing and thanksgiving" by Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Frank T Griswold. "I pray that our response can be positive," he said.

One of the major issues for many Lutherans was the role of the historic episcopate - the practice of Anglicans of laying on hands to consecrate Bishops and ordain clergy in an unbroken line going back to the New Testament church. An amendment was passed that declared this to be a regular or usual practice, but not an essential one. This would allow for the ordination of clergy in an emergency without a bishop being present, but would otherwise require that a bishop in the historic episcopate would take part in an ordination.

When the result of the vote on CCM was announced there was applause, and ELCA and Episcopal Church officials hugged each other. "If you but trust in God to guide you" was sung. The number of church bodies with which ECLA is now in full communion rises to five, including communion with the Moravian Church, which was also approved at the Assembly.