Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations
Photo: David Rider
The work of ecumenical and interreligious relations in The Episcopal Church is grounded in our belief that we are called to live in unity and peace with all God’s people. We embrace opportunities to build relationships with other churches and multifaith groups, recognizing that we are created to be in communion with others in a way that leads to flourishing for everyone. We develop and strengthen these relationships through dialogue and engagement with conciliar bodies—and full-communion arrangements that may include ministry sharing and clergy exchange.
We view this work as striving for the “oneness” Jesus speaks of in John’s Gospel (chapter 17)—a unity characterized by love for our neighbors and respect for the dignity of all creation.
Below, learn about the ways we partner and engage with other churches and religious coalitions, and find quick links to information and resources about each one.
Full-communion partners
A full-communion relationship is one where two or more churches formally recognize each other as holding the essentials of the Christian faith, allowing members to worship together—and exchange clergy—without merging identities or polities. We welcome opportunities to collaborate with our full-communion partners—listed below—as we seek to share God’s word and minister to others.
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Ecumenical dialogue partners
An ecumenical dialogue is a formal, ongoing conversation between church representatives to work through historical divisions, promote understanding, and move toward full communion between the churches. The Episcopal Church is engaged in these bilateral talks with the churches listed below.
Conciliar bodies and ecumenical councils
The Episcopal Church’s ecumenical work is strengthened by our connection with ecumenical networks from within various conciliar bodies, including the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.
Interreligious relations
As we interact with people of other faiths, we are guided by our baptismal covenant mandate to love, serve, and respect the dignity of all human beings. We engage in dialogue with other faiths through ecumenical coalitions. Our governing church body, the General Convention, has also adopted guidelines focusing on interreligious, Christian-Jewish, and Christian-Muslim relations.
