ELCA Adopts Full Communion Agreement with the United Methodist Church

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) - By a vote of 958-51, the Churchwide Assembly ofthe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a fullcommunion agreement with the United Methodist Church (UMC). Theagreement is the ELCA's sixth full communion relationship. In 2008 the UMC General Conference adopted the same agreement. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of theELCA, is meeting here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,045 ELCA votingmembers. The theme for the biennial assembly is "God's work. Our hands." The assembly also adopted an implementing resolution by a vote of922-15. Full communion makes possible a variety of joint ministries, sharingof resources and interchangeability of clergy.