Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

"Volcanic eruption won’t stop us working to bring Lutherans and Anglicans closer to full communion," says Commission co-secretary.

19 April, 2010

CLOUDS of volcanic ash may have grounded planes across Europe, but it won’t stop members of the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission (ALIC) meeting this week.

Only 50 per cent of Commission members—most from non-European countries—could fly to the gathering at the Procter Conference Center, west of Columbus in the US. Undeterred, many of those unable to attend in person will still be taking part via online communications tool Skype, and via email.

“The Commission is tasked with making sure that two families of Christians are perfectly at home in each other’s houses,” said co-secretary Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan. “This meeting is a crucial next step in our efforts to promote co-operation, to ensure mutual recognition of ministry and to moving our churches to greater communion. We’re doing everything we can to ensure the volcano doesn’t get in the way of that.”

ALIC’s ultimate vision of is a time when all Lutherans and Anglicans everywhere are able to worship and serve in one another’s churches.

Alyson explained that she and the other members were busy reviewing all the current agreements between Lutherans and Anglicans to ensure consistency worldwide. They were also preparing recommendations to the churches on how to enhance their relationships, and were preparing advice on specific issues that need to be addressed including the ability of clergy to serve in each other’s churches.

This is the fifth meeting of ALIC, the first was held in Tanzania, the second in Nova Scotia, the third in India and last one in Sweden. Each meeting helped to bring fresh insight into the Commission’s efforts. In Africa, members witnessed co-operation between Lutherans and Anglicans in their development work—particularly in assisting those living with HIV and AIDS and in preventing the virus from spreading.

In India, commission members were very impressed at the way the two churches had worked together to overcome the caste systems to show those outside the church that all are welcome in God’s house regardless of their social status, and were articulating Daily theology.

“During this latest visit the Commission members were due to visit the National Underground Railway Freedom Museum in Cincinnati,” explained Alyson, “to help us consider the impact of slavery on the human family and on church division, and what our churches can do to address it.”

Alyson’s assistant, Neil Vigers, did leave before for the volcano erupted so is present as Alyson’s eyes and ears on the ground. While Alyson is glad to still be able to contribute to the ALIC meetings via technology and Neil’s input, she does have other reasons for wanting to fly to North America soon. She is due to accept and honorary doctorate—her third—from Lutheran Theological Seminary Saskatoon, Canada for her work on Lutheran-Anglican relations. Also, her daughter is due to get married in a few weeks’ time in Canada.

For more information or an interview with Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan contact Mr. Jan Butter on +44 (0)20 7313 3908, mobile +44 (0)7889400889 or jan.butter@anglicancommunion.org

Notes for Editors

• Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan is the Director for Unity, Faith and Order at the Anglican Communion Office
• The Anglican Communion comprises more than 80 million members in 44 regional and national member churches around the globe in more than 160 countries. http://www.anglicancommunion.org/
• ALIC oversees and fosters Anglican-Lutheran ecumenical relations on a global basis. The members of ALIC are appointed jointly for five-year terms by the Anglican Consultative Council and the Lutheran World Federation. Presently ALIC members come from Australia, Argentina, Botswana, Canada, Cameroon, Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Sweden, South Africa, and the United States. Previous venues prior this year’s Ohio meeting have been Tanzania, Nova Scotia, India, and Sweden.