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Lincolnshire
New Ways to Worship
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New Ways to Worship
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New
Ways to Worship
in
the Context of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant
The leaders of the Lincoln Diocese and A.
Introduction
The Covenant between the Church of
England and the
3. We commit ourselves to
continue to welcome each other’s baptised members to participate in the
fellowship, worship and mission of our churches.
4. We commit ourselves to
encourage forms of eucharistic sharing, including eucharistic hospitality, in
accordance with the rules of our respective churches. This provides a new context within which
a diocesan bishop can grant approvals to parishes when they request it as part
of Canon B43. Bishop John wishes to encourage such requests as part of an
overall diocesan response to the Covenant. 1.
Requests from parishes should come
from both the incumbent and the 2.
The arrangements detailed below
will normally relate to Methodist presbyters, deacons and Local Preachers of the
circuit within which the parish is situated. 3.
The District encourages circuits to
apply for ‘Authorised to Minister’ status under Standing Order 733(7) for
those ordained members of the Church of England participating in these
arrangements. 4.
It is appropriate for the diocesan
bishop and the District Policy Committee to keep a record of the names and
addresses of all those leading worship regularly or presiding at services of
Holy Communion under these arrangements. The bishop and DPC may also wish to
specify a set period for these arrangements with renewal subject to review. 5.
Services of ordination and
confirmation are not included in these arrangements – and the law of the land
prevents a Methodist minister conducting the Solemnisation of Matrimony in
accordance with Church of England regulations. Bishop John
has decided that he will normally grant approval when incumbents (with a)
Assisting in the distribution of
the holy sacrament – B43 clause 1 (f) b)
Leading Morning or Evening Prayer
or the Litany – clause 1 (a) c)
Preaching – clause 1 (c) d)
Assisting at a Baptism or a Wedding
– or conducting a funeral service – clause 1(e) (NB: only at the request of
the participating families) D. Invitations to share in joint worship or to use a Church
of England church for services in the Methodist tradition – including Holy
Communion and Holy Baptism However a
service of Holy Communion presided over by a Methodist minister is understood by
the Church of England to be a ‘Methodist’ service and should be advertised
and announced as such. Similarly a
service of Holy Baptism conducted by a Methodist minister will also be a
‘Methodist’ service. The record of such baptisms will therefore be made in
the appropriate Methodist Baptism Register rather than in the Register of the
Church of England church where the service has taken place. Further opportunities for shared
sacramental ministry are available through Canon B 44 in the context of a Local
Ecumenical Partnership. A Church of
England communion service – in other words ‘a service according to the use
of the Church of England’ – takes place when the person presiding uses a
rite which is authorised or allowed by canon and when that person is an
episcopally-ordained priest of the Church of England, or a Church in communion
with the Church of England or whose orders are recognised by the Church of
England (provided permission to officiate under the Overseas and Other Clergy
Measure 1967 has been received). E. Invitations to Church of England priests,
deacons, deaconesses, readers and lay workers to lead or take part in services
in Methodist churches 1.
The Circuit Superintendents are
encouraged to invite those authorised to lead worship in the diocese to take
services in the circuit. 2.
Bishop John has decided
that he will normally grant approval for a priest of the Church of
England to preside at Holy Communion in a Methodist church or to take part in
services on a regular basis (clause 3) and similarly for deaconesses, readers
and lay workers to fulfil their normal roles on a regular basis (clause 6).
These arrangements also need the prior approval of the 3.
The basis on which the bishop will
grant approval for a priest to preside at Holy Communion in a Methodist Church,
as required by B 43 clause 4, are that the Covenant commitments provide the
“special circumstances which justify acceptance of the invitation” and that
“the rites and elements to be used are not contrary to, nor indicative of any
departure from, the doctrine of the Church of England in any essential
matter”. 4.
The services for which this
provision is made will be those taking place in Methodist churches either within
the parish(es) to which those invited are licensed, or where the incumbent of
the relevant parish has given approval – B 43 clause 3 (b)(i). F
Transparency and Accountability As already mentioned
it is important that all arrangements for regular provision of ministry in one
denomination by a minister of the other should be notified to the diocesan
bishop and the district chair.
These
notes have been issued in October 2005 by the Ecumenical Co-ordinator for | |||||||||||||||||||