Charter of the Lutheran-Episcopal Coordinating Committee

Name: The Lutheran-Episcopal Coordinating Committee (LECC)

Composition and Meetings: Each church body will be represented by seven voting persons.

Each of the members will serve at the will of the individual's parent body, and a pattern of rotation will be formulated. Staff services will be provided by the two ecumenical departments. When desired, consultants may be used for deliberations on specific questions.

The committee shall meet at least twice a year, and will report annually to the participating churches on the status of interchurch activities.

Living into full communion this committee will work:

• To encourage the development of new levels of trust, cooperation, and mission between our two churches,
• To encourage and assist in the planning of new cooperative mission and ministry work,
• To encourage and assist in supporting ongoing cooperative ministries between our two churches,
• To encourage communication of common mission work between our two churches to our churches,
• To encourage prayer in support of living into full communion by our two churches and for the work of this committee;
and will work with appropriate boards, committees, commissions, and staff of the two churches concerning ecumenical, doctrinal, education, pastoral, social, ethical, and liturgical matters as may arise,
• To encourage and assist faithful and open communication of the work of this committee to and from the appropriate decision-making bodies, boards, committees, commissions, staff, and members of our two churches,
• To encourage and assist processes of decision-making on fundamental matters through appropriate channels in a spirit of mutual affirmation and admonition.

This charter reflects the mandate given to this committee as called for in paragraphs 23 and 24 of"Called to Common Mission," as follows:

"To assist in joint planning for mission, both churches authorize the establishment of a joint commission, fully accountable to the decision-making bodies ofthe two churches. Its purpose will be consultative, to facilitate mutual support and advice as well as common decision-making through appropriate channels in fundamental matters that the churches may face together in the future. The joint commission will work with the appropriate boards, committees, commissions, and staff of the two churches concerning such ecumenical, doctrinal, pastoral, and liturgical matters as may arise, always subject to approval by the appropriate decision-making bodies of the two churches" ("Called to Common Mission," paragraph 23)

"Each church promises to issue no official commentary on this text that has not been accepted by the joint commission as a legitimate interpretation
thereof' ("Called to Common Mission," paragraph 24).

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