A few days before Palm Sunday I attended a Consultation in a village near Strasbourg which was a conversation arranged by representatives of Anglican Churches in England, Scotland & Wales and representatives of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (the Leuenberg Fellowship of Churches). I was there as a Methodist representative with the CPCE group.
The CPCE is a pan-Europe grouping of 105 Lutheran, Reformed and Methodist Churches which has a profound understanding of the importance of 'Unity in Reconciled Diversity' in which there is mutual sharing of 'pulpit and table fellowship'. There is also a commitment to learn from each other and grow in closer fellowship with one another.
The Anglican Churches across Europe are not members of the Leuenberg Fellowship, but our meeting in Klingenthal demonstrated a strong desire to grow closer together, even if membership is not possible at this stage.
An official 'communique' is soon to be made available to all CPCE member churches and all the Anglican Churches who were represented at Klingenthal. This communique will reflect the good will and desire to keep learning more about one another and to press further to greater understanding about the differing perceptions of our aims for Unity - as 'reconciled diversity' and/or 'full visible union'.
We heard about the 'Ordinariate' from one of the Anglican members. This was received with great interest by the CPCE members, and with not a little criticism and disappointment from an ecumenical perspective. We heard about the up-coming plans in 2012 to mark the 350th anniversary of the Great Ejection of Dissenting ministers in 1662, and we received papers about the Reformed understanding of the Church of England in the 17th century, and recent developments in Science and Religion.
Representatives from the CPCE churches introduced Reports which are planned to be discussed at the forthcoming Leuenberg Assembly in Florence in September 2012 'Scripture-Confession-Church' and 'Ministry-Ordination-Episcope' and 'Training for the Ordained Ministry'.
There were 15 participants in all, and we greatly enjoyed our 2-day stay in this beautiful place. It is rumoured that Napolean stayed in the castle at one time!
I came home with a deep sense of gratitude. I was grateful for the opportunity to represent the Methodist Church in a continuing process of understanding among the churches within our European context and culture. There is much to learn, not least about the complexity of our differences of approach (especially to our understandings of the ordained ministry), but there is much good will, openness and honesty. I came to realise how the CPCE component in the European context is one with many others, e.g. Meissen, Porvoo, Reuilly; but an opportunity to sit down and talk freely about such matters with our Covenant partners in the Church of England was a gift to be treated with care and thankfulness.
Harvey Richardson
