Presbyterian-Episcopal Bilateral Dialogue Meets for Fall 2022 Session

The Bilateral Dialogue between the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Episcopal Church met via Zoom September 27-28, 2022. The participants of the dialogue table were:

From the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): Ruling Elder Dr. Anne Bond (co-chair), the Rev. Dr. Neal D. Presa (co-vice chair), the Rev. Terri Ofori, the Rev. Brian Entz, the Rev. Robert Foltz-Morrison, and the Rev. Dr. Christian Boyd. Ruling Elder Dr. Dianna Wright served as staff.

From the Episcopal Church: The Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton (co-chair), the Rev. Canon Elise B. Johnstone (co-vice chair), Dr. Michael Booker, and the Rev. Dr. Joseph Wolyniak. the Rev. Margaret Rose and Mr. Richard Mammana served as staff.

Each session of the meeting began and ended with worship led alternately by Presbyterian and Episcopal table members. Each member shared in a time of checking in with one another, and then the Rev. Robert Foltz-Morrison shared an update on St. Andrew’s Kirk, a Presbyterian church in Grenada severely damaged by a hurricane in 2004. The dialogue made contributions to the rebuilding efforts and were pleased to hear of the planned re-dedication of the building on November 27.

Table members from The Episcopal Church shared a report of the actions of the summer 2022 General Convention in Baltimore and the Presbyterian table members shared a report of the actions of this summer’s General Assembly in Louisville. Both the General Convention and the General Assembly received and recommended for their respective bodies to study the document “Episcopal-Presbyterian Agreement on Local Sharing of Ministries.” The dialogue members invite feedback regarding this proposal to our respective Ecumenical and Interreligious Offices (see contact information at the conclusion of this communique). The dialogue will also be in conversation with congregations who are actively pursuing shared Episcopal-Presbyterian ministries. It is hoped that the respective governing bodies can consider this at their 2024 gatherings. 

The small group of the dialogue team has continued to work on a project exploring how our ecclesial traditions have “other-ized” and excluded people, especially in the areas of race and class.

The dialogue members look forward to continued ecumenical partnership together and are planning an in-person meeting in February 2023 in Austin, Texas.

To share input on the document “Episcopal-Presbyterian Agreement on Local Sharing of Ministries”

Episcopal Church contact mrose@episcopalchurch.org

Presbyterian Church contact dianna.wright@pcusa.org