An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church

Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry (BEM)

This is Faith and Order Paper No. 111, published by the World Council of Churches in 1982. It is sometimes referred to as the “Lima Report,” since the 1982 meeting of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches was at Lima, Peru. BEM represents what divided Christians can affirm in common on baptism, the eucharist, and ministry, as formulated by the Faith and Order Commission. It is generally regarded as the most influential theological text of the modern ecumenical movement. Anglican, Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic communions participated in writing BEM.

Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.