Other Links

27 The first meeting considered a United Reformed Church paper on The Conciliar Expression of the Apostolicity of the Church in the United Reformed Church. It concluded its descriptive section with a quotation from the 1997 unpublished report of the United Reformed Church - Church of England Informal Conversations:

"In the United Reformed Church continuity is carried in the totality of our common life expressed in the councils of the Church."

This 'whole body ecclesiology' of conciliarity involving representation, constitutionality and consent was readily recognisable in the other two churches.

28 For the United Reformed Church the primary expression of 'whole body ecclesiology' is the Church Meeting, a monthly or quarterly meeting of all the members of a local congregation. There members exercise mutual oversight, as well as oversight of the whole life of the local church as they...

"have opportunity through discussion, responsible decision and care for one another, to strengthen each other's faith and to foster the life, work and mission of the Church" (The Structure of the United Reformed Church 2.(1))

However the essential connectedness in both time and space between the local and the universal is also made clear:

"Participating in the common life of the Church within the local church, they (i.e. members) enter into the life of the Church throughout the world. With that whole Church they also share in the life of the Church in all ages and in the Communion of Saints have fellowship with the Church Triumphant." (Basis of Union para.16)

29 The District Councils, Synods and General Assembly also express 'whole body ecclesiology" as they each exercise their appropriate conciliar oversight through representatives, both ministers and elders. However, it is the General Assembly which embodies the unity of the United Reformed Church, acts as the central organ of its life and is the final authority, under the Word of God and the promised guidance of the Holy Spirit, in all matters of doctrine and order. (see The Structure of the United Reformed Church 2.(5))

30 For the Church of England

"Conciliarity refers to the involvement of the whole body of the faithful Ð bishops, clergy and laity - in consultation, normally through representative and constitutional structures, for the sake of the well-being of the Church and God's mission in the world. Conciliar life sustains all the baptized in a web of belonging, of mutual accountability and support." (Bishops in Communion p 21)

Within this conciliar structure, the bishop has a particular role as the (1980) Ordinal states:

"A bishop is called to lead in serving and caring for the people of God and to work with them in the oversight of the Church."

This describes the relational way in which oversight is to be exercised by the bishop in synod, and the House of Bishops in relation to the General Synod. The importance of the personal role of the bishop as a focus of unity in both time and space has no clear equivalent in the other two churches.

31 Methodist ecclesiology lays particular emphasis on "relatedness" as essential to the concept of 'Church' (see Called to Love and Praise 4.7.1) and this finds expression in the 'connexional principle'. This means that all the structures of fellowship, consultation, government and oversight express the interdependence of all churches. Alongside this, as the natural corollary of connexionalism, local churches, Circuits and Districts exercise the greatest possible degree of conciliar autonomy in order to be able to respond to local calls to mission and service. However, their dependence on the larger whole is also necessary for their own continuing vitality and well - being (see Called to Love and Praise 4.6.2) and it is the Conference which is the final arbiter on matters of policy and doctrine. It is also through the Conference that faithful continuity is kept with the apostolic faith.

32 Within its practice of 'whole body ecclesiology' the Methodist Church gives a special place to those who are ordained representative persons (see Called to Love and Praise 4.6.6) while recognising that it is ultimately the whole people of God, through their representatives on the relevant decision - making bodies, who must decide on the strategies placed before them (see Called to Love and Praise 4.6.6) The Methodist Church's connexional understanding of the Church recognizes the need for ministries of unity and oversight within the universal fellowship of believers, whether exercised personally, collegially or communally. (see Called to Love and Praise 4.6.9)

It seemed that all three churches were conciliar, all were connexional, but in different ways. Conciliarity involving representation, constitutionality and consent could be seen in all three churches. All exercised oversight through councils as well as through personal leadership and all saw their life as in faithful continuity with the apostolic church.

33 Careful listening to one another led to a new recognition of common ground. However, differences began to emerge when it came to considering the place of personal episkope in the various ways in which the three churches understood apostolic continuity.

More work is needed to examine together how far the different ways in which personal episkope relates to apostolicity are contingent and how far they are a matter of theological principle.