Reports from General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the USA - Denver, Colorado, 5th-14th July, 2000

The Most Reverend Frank T Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate The Episcopal Church

I am delighted that both Houses of our General Convention have now passed "Called to Common Mission," the proposed revision of the Concordat of Agreement, together with the related constitutional and canonical changes. This means that the Episcopal Church is now, as of today, in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on the basis of a shared ministry in the historic episcopate and for the sake of common mission in proclaiming and serving the Gospel. Constitutional changes will be implemented as of January 1, 2001.

The agreement will be a very significant sign to the ecumenical community that our two churches can live in communion with one another for the sake of a greater unity in the service of a common mission. Besides allowing an interchange of ordained ministers, this agreement gives us the confidence to go forward together in a sharing of our resources and traditions for the sake of a greater good in evangelism, witness, and service. This is the mission that is now before us, and I pray that we can proceed toward its implementation in a timely manner. In obedience to the Lord we serve, I now call on all of us, even those who may have had some doubts or hesitations, to join in this process. At the same time, I thank all those who worked to bring us to this day. May this agreement signal a new beginning, a jubilee of word and deed, for both our churches at the dawn of this new millennium. Now is the time of the Lord's favour!