Principles of Agreement
Seeking to promote greater understanding among the participants in
Following Our Shepherd, representatives of both churches offer the
following principles to guide implementation efforts:
-
Following Our Shepherd provides for the orderly exchange of ordained
ministers of Word and Sacrament between our two churches for the sake of
God’s mission in Christ. As full communion partners, the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America and the Moravian Church in America may
develop common mission plans in order to use resources more effectively
and to promote stronger outreach ministry. These principles aim to
assist the two churches in developing a process that encourages this
common mission.
-
An ordained minister of one church in full communion may be eligible
to engage in occasional or extended service in any position open to a
minister in the other church, except as noted otherwise in the polity of
either church.
-
It is important to the faithful and orderly exchange of ordained
ministers between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the
Moravian Church in America that one who would serve in a congregation of
the other church first be formed and educated for ministry in that
minister’s own tradition, and have experience in serving in that
church’s ordained ministry. Such experience and grounding in one’s own
tradition are seen as essential prior to serving in a setting of another
tradition; therefore, such service is not intended for a first call.
-
To be eligible to serve in the other church, an ordained minister
will demonstrate to the appropriate regional body of the inviting church
knowledge of and an appreciation for the history, polity, theological
and liturgical identity, practices of ministry, and discipline of that
church. The minister will also be expected to preach, teach, administer
the sacraments, and participate in the governance of the church in a
manner consistent with that knowledge and appreciation.
-
In evaluating the availability of ordained ministers for service,
regional bodies of each participating church will do so in accordance
with the stated intentions in Following Our Shepherd.
-
Placement, supervision, and evaluation procedures of the inviting
church shall be observed.
-
Approval for extended service shall occur only in consultation with,
and concurrence of, the sending body. When granting concurrence for an
ordained minister to serve in the other church, the sending body will do
so in accordance with the stated intentions in Following Our Shepherd.
The minister remains accountable to the sending body for continuation of
ministerial status.
-
Responsibility for pastoral care of ordained ministers is shared by
the inviting and sending bodies: in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, the synod; in the Moravian Church in America, the district or
province.
-
In a disciplinary review or judicial process, the ordained minister
remains under the jurisdiction of the sending body, but the inviting
body may be asked to participate as appropriate.
-
Each church will develop a provision whereby an ordained minister
may be granted full participation, which may include privilege of voice
and vote, in the appropriate regional body of the church in which the
ordained minister is serving.
-
An ordained minister serving in the other church will continue to
participate in the pension and benefits program of the sending church.
|
