Vision
and Purpose
The unity of the church is both God's real gift and God's effective
calling. The source and the shape of the gift are proclaimed
in Scripture:
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called
to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through
all and in all. (Eph. 4:4-6)
Thus, the one church of Jesus Christ, established by God in
the power of the Holy Spirit, is called to break down dividing
walls of hostility that separate churches from one another and
to build up the fullness of communion that binds churches together
in common faith and witness. (Read
the entire Ecumenical Vision Statement.)
Churches in Correspondence and Transfer of Ministers
from other Denominations
Our office provides assistance to the presbyteries of the
PC(USA) in the process of requesting a dismissal and letter
of good standing from other denominations with whom we are in
correspondence. For information on our relationship ("In
Correspondence" status) with a particular denomination,
or information regarding the transfer of ministers, please contact
Carlos
Malavé, (888) 728-7228, x5444.
Summary
of Guidelines for the Employment of Ministers of Other Denominations
Church and Conciliar Relations
One of the major functions of the Department
of Ecumenical and Agency Relationships is to further the search
for Christian unity and to build better relations with other
churches in the nation and around the world.
Relationships with the national and international ecumenical
movement are at the heart of our search for unity. These relationships
are expressed in our partnership with the National
Council of Churches, the World
Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the World
Council of Churches.
Formula of Agreement
Through the adoption of a Formula of Agreement
, the
Reformed Church in America,
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United
Church of Christ, and the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of America entered into a relationship of
full communion. We continually strengthen this relationship
and also assist in the orderly exchange of ministers.
Churches Uniting in Christ
The PC(USA) is one of nine denominations that joined to live
with one another in unity and partnership. Churches
Uniting in Christ is a framework for showing to the world
what we truly are the one Body of Jesus Christ.
Christian Churches Together
Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT) is a new forum growing out of a deeply felt need to broaden and expand fellowship, unity, and witness among the diverse expressions of Christian faith today.
Dialogues
It is our commitment to "engage in bilateral and multilateral
dialogues with other churches and traditions in order to remove
barriers of misunderstanding and establish common affirmations."
At the present time we are in dialog with the Episcopal Church,
the Moravian Church, the Korean American Presbyterian Church,
the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church in America, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
We also participate in international dialogues through the World
Council of Churches and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.
The most recent international dialogues include Pentecostal
churches, Seventh-day Adventist, Orthodox, and others.
Ecumenical Staff Team
The Ecumenical Staff Team is a group of staff that represents
divisions in the General Assembly Council and the Office of
the General Assembly. In partnership they provide support to
the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical Relations. They
also provide resources for ecumenical formation and issues related
to ecumenism.
Committee on Ecumenical Relations
The General Assembly Committee
on Ecumenical Relations is a permanent committee of the
General Assembly and reports directly to this body. It gives
high profile to the vision of the ecumenical movement and work
as central to the gospel and key to the life of the church.
The committee plans and coordinates, in consultation with the
agencies and governing bodies of the church, the involvement
of the PC(USA) in ecumenical relations and work. It provides
a common point for all the ecumenical effort connecting us with
those outside the church. It keeps a unity of vision that includes
the ecclesiastical, programmatic, ecumenical, and denominational
parts of our ministries and commitments. The committee articulates
the Reformed and Presbyterian identity in the midst of our ecumenical
commitments and promotes the unity of the church as an exhibition
of the kingdom to the world.
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