Agreement between Anglicans and Methodists” “

The dialogue between the Methodist Church and the Church of England has taken another significant step forward. Last week the two Churches reached an agreement and put their signatures to a formal pledge to work together to achieve a more visible unity. The accord recognizes the common ground that exists between the two Christian confessions but also emphasizes the differences that still remain between them. The Methodist Church, for instance, has opened its ministry to women at all levels, including the episcopal level, whereas in the Church of England women may be ordained and become vicars, but not bishops. Moreover, Methodists permit, in special circumstances, non-ordained persons to preside over the Eucharist. Another difference is that the Church of England represents the State, whereas the Methodist Church belongs to the tradition of free (non-established) churches in the United Kingdom. Representatives of the Catholic Church also took part in the negotiations between the two confessions. At the end of the talks, the co-president of the Methodist Church, the Rev. John Taylor voiced some disappointment that the dialogue had not led to greater results than those obtained. Taylor, however, expressed his hope that Methodists would open the way to a greater unity between Christians, by playing the “role of ‘bridge-building confession’ between the Catholic and the Protestant traditions”.