The 30-page draft outlines agreements on the nature of the Church as communion, perspectives the two churches bring to the understanding of church, and recommendations to the sponsoring bodies, the United Methodist Church and the U.S. bishops’ conference.
The meeting was held Oct. 15-17 at St. Paul’s College here under the leadership of United Methodist Bishop Walter Klaiber of Frankfurt. Bishop Frederick Campbell, the Catholic co-chair, was absent because of his appointment Oct. 14 as head of the Columbus Diocese.
The theology of communion, koinonia, reflecting the common faith expressed in both churches is the basis on which the scholars are working to provide the churches with new insights leading toward full visible unity. The text itself will deal with the biblical and theological foundations of the church as a grace-filled sacramental community.
This round of dialogue on the church builds on over 30 years of international dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Holy See and previous United Methodist-U.S. bishops’ conference dialogue. The goal of these talks is full visible unity between the churches.
