Anglican-Reformed Dialogue – Communique #pisky #Anglican

 

International Reformed-Anglican Dialogue Communiqué

31October 2015, Kochi, India

 

 

The International Reformed-Anglican Dialogue (IRAD) between the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and the Anglican Communion met for its historic inaugural meeting in Kochi, in the State of Kerala, India, 26 to 31 October 2015. The Co-Chairs are The Revd Elizabeth Welch (Reformed) and The Most Revd David Chillingworth (Anglican).

 

This was the first time that the Anglican and Reformed Communions have met in a formal dialogue at the global level since 1984, when the dialogue finalized its agreement statement, God’s Reign and our Unity. Following an exploratory meeting in 2011, there has been fresh energy and enthusiasm for a new round of dialogue between the two Communions. The dialogue has been mandated to study to the nature of communion (koinonia), a wide range of missiological challenges facing the two Communions, and the sources wherein the work of the Spirit may be discerned, notably authority and governance, episcope and episcopacy.

 

The theme of this first meeting has been ‘The Nature of Communion’ drawing on the New Testament word koinonia, being invoked today to describe the nature of the interrelationships between churches.

 

As part of its preliminary reflection on the nature of communion, there were presentations and discussion on the topic from the perspectives of the Old and New Testaments, and Church history. Seventeenth century English Reformed theology was put in dialogue with contemporary Orthodox theology. The African concept of Ubuntu was placed in dialogue with New Testament understandings of communion. The perspectives on communion from recent WCC document The Church: Towards A Common Vision played an important role in the conversation. Communion in relation to understandings of the nature of community and of Holy Communion proved a helpful part of the discussion.

 

The dialogue began with a celebration of Holy Communion using a liturgy of the United Reformed Church at which the Anglican Co-Chair preached, and closed with a celebration of Holy Communion according to the Scottish Episcopal liturgy, at which the Reformed Co-Chair preached. The members of the dialogue prayed together each morning and evening.

 

This first meeting of the Commission was hosted by the WCRC and facilitated by the Church of South India (CSI), which is itself an organic union including Anglican and Reformed churches. The CSI contributed two local scholars as participants to this meeting of the dialogue; their many contributions and perspectives context, theological education and being a minority church greatly enriched the discussion. The contribution of the local participants was so vital to the meeting, that it gave rise to the hope that at each meeting of the dialogue, representatives of the local churches be invited to attend.

 

Members of the Commission were honoured to be welcomed by Bishop Thomas K. Oommen (Deputy Moderator of the CSI) and The Reverend Dr D. R. Sadananda (General Secretary of the CSI).

 

To enable understanding of the Christian culture of south-west India in its Portuguese, Dutch and English forms, the CSI arranged for a memorable visit to St Francis’ Church, Fort Kochi. The Commission also paid a moving visit to the fifteenth synagogue at Fort Kochi belonging to a now small Jewish community.

 

The Commission spent a day in intense discussion of its mandate, clarifying priorities, and critically reflecting on guiding themes for the way ahead. It will meet again in early September 2016.

 

Members of the Dialogue present at the meeting:

 

 

 

Anglicans

 

The Most Revd David Chillingworth

Scottish Episcopal Church

 

Dr Clint Le Bruyns

Anglican Church of Southern Africa

 

The Revd Prof Dr Renta Nishihara

Nippon Sei Ko Kai

 

The Revd Dr Amy E. Richter

The Episcopal Church

 

The Rt Revd Kumara Illangasinghe (Consultant)

Church of Ceylon

 

Staff

The Revd Canon Dr John Gibaut 

(Co-Secretary)

The Revd Neil Vigers

Reformed

 

The Revd Elizabeth Welch Co-Chair

United Reformed Church

 

The Very Rev Professor Iain Torrance

The Church of Scotland

 

The Revd Dr Royce M Victor

Church of South India

 

The Revd Fundiswa Amanda Kobo (Consultant) Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa

 

The Revd Helené Van Tonder

Dutch Reformed Church

 

 

Staff

The Revd Dr Douwe Visser 

(Co-Secretary)

 

 

A day off in India #pisky

   
   

 
 We had a day off today – after three days of Anglican-Reformed Dialogue. Two more to come before we come home on Sunday
This is a very attractive part of India – very green and full of rivers and backwaters. But of course it’s still India – crowded, more than a little untidy and with terrifying traffic

The pictures are:

Old-fashioned fans in St Francis’ Church. The punkhawallah stood outside the building and pulled them back and forth with ropes

A laundry – 24 rupees (about 24p) to have a shirt washed and ironed

Our boat on the Kerala backwaters

Fishing nets at Fort Kochi.  Dip it in – or cast it – for ten minutes and take it out again

What am I doing in India?  #pisky #anglican

  
This is the view from my window in Kerala where I will be until next Sunday.  It’s 35C and 97% humidity so it’s quite a shock to the system.   Normal personal defence arrangements are in place – constant use of antiseptic hand gel, drink only bottled water, never touch salad, etc.  I’ve got through two previous visits unscathed and I’m ever-cautious.  The food in this part of India is beautiful.  It’s quite vegetarian and gentle.

I’m here for the opening of a dialogue between the World Communion of Reformed Church and the Anglican Communion.  Churches have these dialogues at international level – Anglicans are involved at present in significant dialogue with the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics.  I’m here as the Co-Chair for the Anglican Communion

I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops.  One of the significant aspects of this is the presence of the Church of Scotland – represented by Professor Ian Torrance.   The Church of Scotland has been foundational in the establishment of the Reformed Communion – the HQ was formerly in Edinburgh.  So there is immediate and significant benefit for the SEC and for the Church of Scotland that we should meet in this way at this level.

People want to know the important details.  I was even shorter on sleep on the journey here because I was upgraded to Business Class on the leg from Dubai to Cochi.  I needed time to deal with that glass of champagne, etc.   And of course there is no alcohol here – only sold in the most expensive hotels.

What am I doing in India?  #pisky #anglican

  
This is the view from my window in Kerala where I will be until next Sunday.  It’s 35C and 97% humidity so it’s quite a shock to the system.   Normal personal defence arrangements are in place – constant use of antiseptic hand gel, drink only bottled water, never touch salad, etc.  I’ve got through two previous visits unscathed and I’m ever-cautious.  The food in this part of India is beautiful.  It’s quite vegetarian and gentle.

I’m here for the opening of a dialogue between the World Communion of Reformed Church and the Anglican Communion.  Churches have these dialogues at international level – Anglicans are involved at present in significant dialogue with the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics.  I’m here as the Co-Chair for the Anglican Communion

I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops.  One of the significant aspects of this is the presence of the Church of Scotland – represented by Professor Ian Torrance.   The Church of Scotland has been foundational in the establishment of the Reformed Communion – the HQ was formerly in Edinburgh.  So there is immediate and significant benefit for the SEC and for the Church of Scotland that we should meet in this way at this level.

People want to know the important details.  I was even shorter on sleep on the journey here because I was upgraded to Business Class on the leg from Dubai to Cochi.  I needed time to deal with that glass of champagne, etc.   And of course there is no alcohol here – only sold in the most expensive hotels.

What am I doing in India?  #pisky #anglican

  
This is the view from my window in Kerala where I will be until next Sunday.  It’s 35C and 97% humidity so it’s quite a shock to the system.   Normal personal defence arrangements are in place – constant use of antiseptic hand gel, drink only bottled water, never touch salad, etc.  I’ve got through two previous visits unscathed and I’m ever-cautious.  The food in this part of India is beautiful.  It’s quite vegetarian and gentle.

I’m here for the opening of a dialogue between the World Communion of Reformed Church and the Anglican Communion.  Churches have these dialogues at international level – Anglicans are involved at present in significant dialogue with the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics.  I’m here as the Co-Chair for the Anglican Communion

I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops.  One of the significant aspects of this is the presence of the Church of Scotland – represented by Professor Ian Torrance.   The Church of Scotland has been foundational in the establishment of the Reformed Communion – the HQ was formerly in Edinburgh.  So there is immediate and significant benefit for the SEC and for the Church of Scotland that we should meet in this way at this level.

People want to know the important details.  I was even shorter on sleep on the journey here because I was upgraded to Business Class on the leg from Dubai to Cochi.  I needed time to deal with that glass of champagne, etc.   And of course there is no alcohol here – only sold in the most expensive hotels.

Porvoo Primates

We are hosting the Primates of the Churches of the Porvoo Communion in Edinburgh this week.  If you somehow missed the Porvoo Communion … it brings together leaders of the Anglican Provinces of the British Isles, the Episcopalian Churches of the Iberian Peninsula and the Lutheran Churches of Scandinavia and the Baltic States.  Some are archbishops and some – like myself – are Primus inter Pares.  It’s a relationship of full communion with full interchange of ministries.

As I have become more familiar with their context, I’ve started to understand more of their diversity.  Some are state – or were so until recently – churches sustained by tax revenues.  In the face of that amazing wealth, we fall back on my mantra of being a ‘church of loaves and fishes’.  Others are minority churches.  Some are very liberal while the churches of the Baltic States are in general more conservative.

Time has passed and we actually know each other relatively well.  I’ve had the opportunity of visiting Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.  So we can talk about the ‘below the surface’ movements in Norway and the challenge posed by a newly-resurgent Russia for those in the East.  Migration is of course a huge issue – Sweden of course is being remarkably generous in its willingness to receive migrants and refugees.

Today we have been received by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh and had a ‘walk of history’ down the Royal Mile.  These relationships are important – we would be the poorer without them

Shared Worship at Rosyth

     

Since the closure of the church at the former Royal Naval Dockyard at Rosyth,  our congregation has happily shared the building of the Methodist congregation.

Last week we went out together ‘on the ground’ – a sign of our shared commitment to mission in this fascinating and rapidly-changing community.  On Sunday we shared in worship together – with Rev Dr David Easton of the Methodist Church in Scotland.  Members of our congregation at Holy Trinity Dunfermline also joined us.   It was a really encouraging moment,

I hope that it will be possible to develop our life and work together – moving to a real sharing of our life and mission

On the ground in Rosyth #pisky

     
I shall be back in Rosyth on Sunday week for a joint service with the Methodist and Episcopal congregations – we share their church.  So it seemed good for us to have a day doing some visits together in the community.  One of our early calls was at the Resource Centre – a really excellent Day Centre for the elderly at present under threat of closure from Fife Council.

We also visited the Dockyard – now a huge organisation run by Babcock International where Britain’s two new aircraft carriers are nearing completion.  It was a privilege to meet Sean Donaldson who oversees the whole project.  The scale of the operation is daunting.  They employ 6000 people – they are ‘down to the last £1bn of the carrier contract.  Of course the real challenge is to find new contracts for the time when the carriers sail away

With the Primates in Cardiff. #pisky

Wales 
I carried people’s generosity – literally – back with me from Cardiff

There two strands to this visit.  The first was a meeting of the Anglican Primates of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.  I think this is the first time such a meeting has taken place.  So Archbishops Justin, Barry, Richard and I sat down together for a 24 hour meeting – joined for part of it by Archbishop Josiah, the new Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.  There was a lot to talk about.  Most obviously there are the challenges of the Primates Meeting which is due in January.  But there is no shortage of other things to talk about – poverty, migration, Europe, religiously-motivated violence, devolution ..
We also went as a group to a dinner hosted by the Muslim Council of Wales – hence the challenge of slipping a substantial cut-glass bowl into my carry-on bag.  It was a fascinating and impressive evening.  I got the feeling of a significant part of the community in Wales – increasingly self-confident – and generous too

We have much to learn