Agreed Statement
- Agreement on a particular point, leaving more or less significant
differences on others.
BCEIA -
Bishop's Committee for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious affairs of the
National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
BEM - Baptism,
Eucharist and Ministry. The 1982 WCC Faith and Order document, also
called the Lima Report.
Bilateral Dialogue -
A dialogue between two churches or communions, which results in joint
statements as an outcome of dialogue.
CADEIO -
Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious
Officers. The national network of those who hold ecumenical and
interreligious responsibilities in Roman Catholic dioceses.
Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT)
- An organization organized on a recognition of five families of
Christian tradition: Evangelical/Pentecostal, Historic Protestant,
Historic Racial/Ethnic, Orthodox and Catholic. Initial talks began in
2001. The ELCA became a founding member at the 2003 Churchwide
Assembly.
Coalition -
Groups of church units planning and/or using their resources in joint
action on specific issues.
Communion - A
grouping of churches having common origins and traditions and in
communion with each other.
Conciliar bodies
- National and worldwide organizations governed by councils such as: World Council
of Churches, the National
Council of Churches USA, and the
Lutheran World Federation.
Consensus - A
total agreement, at least in content, if not in expression.
COCU - The
Consultation On Church Union, begun in 1960, is a conversation of
Disciples, Episcopal, Methodist and Reformed churches exploring the
formation of a Church of Christ Uniting.
CUIC -
Churches Uniting in Christ is a conversation of ten denominations:
American Methodist Episcopal, American Methodist Episcopal-Zion,
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), CME, Episcopal Church USA,
International Council of Community Churches, Presbyterian Church USA,
United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, and Moravian Church
- Northern Province. The ELCA participates in CUIC as a Partner in
Mission and Dialog. CUIC succeeded COCU (Consultatin on Church
Union) in 2002.
Convergence -
A dynamism toward a goal, rather than a substantial agreement. Council
of Churches A local, regional, state, national or international
association of churches seeking unity, sharing information, and
cooperating in joint concerns. CUIC Churches Uniting in Christ, the
new incarnation of COCU, inaugurated in January, 2002.
Dialogue - An
exchange of traditions and ideas or opinions on particular issues,
with a view to reaching an agreement or settlement.
EDEIO -
Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers. The national network of those
holding ecumenical and interreligious responsibilities in Episcopal Church dioceses.
Ecumenical -
The movement to receive Christ's gift of visible unity among all
believers..
Ecumenical Patriarch Of Constantinople
(Istanbul) - The "first bishop among
equals" in the Eastern Orthodox Church. His primacy is one of
seniority and coordination rather than jurisdiction.
Evangelism -
Spreading the good news of Jesus. The practice of ecumenism is a vital
part of any effort in evangelization.
Faith and Order
- Pertaining to the doctrines of the churches and to their visible
structures, especially those involving sacraments, ministry, worship, and
polity. Faith and Order Conferences, along with Life and Work
Conferences, led to the formation of the World Council of Churches in
1948.
Full Communion
- A relationship between two distinct churches where each maintains
its own autonomy and recognizes the catholicity and apostolicity of
the other. The characteristics of full communion are:
1)
a common confessing of the
Christian faith
2)
a mutual recognition of
Baptism and a sharing of the Lord’s Supper, allowing for joint worship
and an exchange ability of members.
3)
A mutual recognition and
availability of ordained ministers to the service of all members of
churches in full common, subject only but always to the disciplinary
regulations of the other churches
4)
A common commitment to
evangelism, witness, and service
5)
A means of common decision
making on critical common issues of faith and life
6)
A mutual lifting of any
condemnations that exist between churches
The ELCA is in a relationship of Full
Communion with five denominations: The Episcopal Church, The Moravian
Church, The Presbyterian Church USA, The Reformed Church in America,
and the United Church of Christ.
Interfaith -
Activities of dialog and cooperation among Christians, Jews, and
Muslims. "Interfaith" and "interreligious" are sometimes used
synonymously, although "interfaith" is usually a term used with
specific reference to the three Abrahamic faiths.
Interreligious -
Activities of dialog and cooperation among people of all faiths. "Interrelgiious"
and "interfaith" are sometimes used synonymously.
LED -
Lutheran-Episcopal Dialogue in the USA.
LERN -
Lutheran Ecumenical Representatives Network.
The national network of those who represent their synod bishops for
ecumenical ministry in the ELCA synods.
Life and Work -
Pertaining to social concerns, physical relief and advocacy. Life and
Work Conferences, along with Faith and Order Conferences, led tot he
formation of the World Council of Churches.
Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
- The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. The LWF currently has 140 member churches in 78 countries
with a membership of nearly 66 million Lutherans. Headquarters are in
Geneva.
National Council of the Churches in Christ
in the United States of America (NCCC)
- A community of 32 communions.
National Workshop on Christian Unity (NWCU)
- National ecumenical leaders of Christian communions meet annually
for four days of ecumenical worship, study, seminars, and planning.
The location varies around the United States.
Reception -
The ongoing process of organizing Christian ministry and life together
based on ecumenical agreements by the communions.
SCOBA -
Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas.
Formed in 1960 to facilitate common action among jurisdictions in
North and South America.
SCEIR -
Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations of the
General Convention (ECUSA).
Substantial Agreement
- A basic nucleus without which the message of salvation is not
transmitted in its integrity, while accepting that neither doctrinal
elaborations nor practices correspond entirely among partner churches.
The essentials are assured, and there is the same shared intention of
faith.
World Council of Churches (WCC)
- A fellowship of over 300 national communions in over 90
countries.
Acronyms
|
ALCOT |
Anglican-Lutheran Committee on
Transitivity |
|
ARCIC |
Anglican-Roman Catholic International
Commission |
|
BEM |
Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry study
(of WCC F&O) |
|
CCM |
Called to Common Mission |
|
CCT |
Christian Churches Together in the
USA |
|
CLEEO |
Committee to Create
Lutheran-Episcopal Educational Opportunities |
|
COCU |
Consultation on Church Union
(replaced by CUIC in 2002) |
|
CWSW |
Church World Service and Witness (NCCC
Commission) |
|
F "&" O |
Faith and Order (NCCC Commission) |
|
CLC |
Church of the Lutheran Confession |
|
ICCC |
International Council of Community
Churches (USA) |
|
JDDJ |
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification |
|
JPIC |
Justice, Peace & the Integrity of
Creation |
|
L "&" W |
Life and Work |
|
LARC |
Lutheran/Anglican/Roman Catholic |
|
LARCUM |
Lutheran/Anglican/Roman
Catholic/United Methodist |
|
LECC |
Lutheran-Episcopal Coordinating
Committee |
|
LEKKJ |
Lutheran European Commission on the
Church and the Jewish People |
|
LERN |
Lutheran Ecumenical Representatives
Network |
|
LIRS |
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee
Services |
|
LMCC |
Lutheran-Moravian Coordinating
Committee |
|
LRCC |
Lutheran-Reformed Coordinating
Committee |
|
LRSCT |
Lutheran-Reformed Standing Committee
on Theology |
|
LSM |
Lutheran Student Movement-USA |
|
LWF |
Lutheran World Federation |
|
LWR |
Lutheran World Relief |
|
LYO |
Lutheran Youth Organization |
|
NAAE |
North American Academy of Ecumenists |
|
NADEO |
National Association of Diocesan
Ecumenical Officers (of RCC, USA) |
|
NAES |
National Association of Ecumenical
Staff |
|
NAEIS |
National Association of Ecumenical
and Inter-Religious Staff |
|
NARC |
North American Regional Committee |
|
NCC |
National Council of Churches |
|
NCCC |
National Council of the Churches in
Christ in the USA |
|
NEOA |
National Ecumenical Officers
Association |
|
NWCU |
National Workshop on Christian Unity |
|
PCPCU |
Prontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity |
|
PCR |
Programme to Combat Racism (WCC) |
|
SCEIR |
Standing Committee on Ecumenical and
Inter-Religious Relations (Episcopal) |
|
USANC |
USA National Committee (of the LWF) |
|
USCCB |
United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops (Roman Catholic) |
|
USCRP |
U.S. Conference of Religions for
Peace |
|
WARC |
World Alliance of Reformed Churches |
