Marking a quarter-century of full-communion partnership, The Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) now welcome the exchange of deacons in updated clergy exchange guidelines.
Available in English and Spanish, the new “Principles for the Orderly Exchange of Pastors, Priests and Deacons Through ‘Called to Common Mission’” offers practical guidelines to help churches and dioceses implement all such exchanges between the two denominations.
On Jan. 6, 2001, after decades of dialogue, the two churches entered into full communion through joint adoption of a document titled “Called to Common Mission.” Full communion entails working together for joint mission and witness in the world, especially through the exchange of ordained ministers.
The updated exchange guidelines—developed by the Lutheran-Episcopal Coordinating Committee, affirmed by the ELCA 2023 Church Council, and approved by The Episcopal Church’s 2024 General Convention—note that the churches recognize each other’s order of deacons as authentic, although practiced differently. This mutual recognition, the guidelines state, acknowledges that “each other’s deacons may be interchangeable in counterpart ministries and joint ministry settings.”
The document includes a glossary of key terms, where the churches mutually define a deacon as “a person who is set apart by the Holy Spirit and ordained by the Church to equip the diakonia of all the baptized and to bring the concerns of the world to the Church, a minister of Word and Service.”
It notes that since The Episcopal Church and ELCA practice the diaconate in different ways, exchange is intended for “nontransitional” Episcopal deacons, not those seeking ordination to the priesthood.
“The exchangeability of deacons will present new opportunities to learn and grow together as we expand our capacity to engage in our ‘call to common mission,’” the guidelines state. “We rejoice in our relationship and are encouraged that it continues to grow and deepen as we go forward into Christ’s future and find new opportunities for
evangelism, witness, and service.”
– Written by the Rev. Kirsten Guidero, Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer, The Episcopal Church and shared by the Rev. Mike Wernick, Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer, The Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes
One Response
My Episcopal faith provides me with the ingredients and container I need to help me become a loving person and follow the Spirit’s will. I also believe different faiths and spiritual practices can lead others in the same direction. I believe we are all interconnected and need each other to be who we were meant to be. Listening and learning about other beliefs and observing how those beliefs can transform others to become loving individuals can help us understand parts of ourselves we may have been to fearful to explore. The process of being open to others beliefs and experiences can be exciting and challenging but worth the effort. 🙏☮️