Apart from saying nice things about each other, does the proposed full communion agreement between the Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church have any practical benefit? Already, any baptized person can take communion in the Episcopal Church. United Methodists don’t even require baptism. That doesn’t mean the agreement would have no effect. In one context, at least, it would be quite valuable.
Some of the principal beneficiaries of the agreement would be Episcopal members of the United States military forces and their families. There are not enough Episcopal chaplains to provide sacraments at every military installation or in every deployed area of operations.
There are not enough United Methodist chaplains to do so, either, and our numbers are shrinking as well. United Methodist laity, though, are usually happy to receive communion from any Christian minister, and it doesn’t need to be every week. United Methodists are easy to accommodate.
The situation is different for many devout Episcopalians. Communion is the primary focus of worship. How it is conducted and who conducts it matters.
Most military installations do not have an Episcopal worship activity on post. I recall a couple of exceptions, both led by contracted non-military priests from the community. The low-density of Episcopal laity in the ranks and the low-density of Episcopal priests in the chaplaincy both play a role in that state of affairs. Despite their small numbers, Episcopal service members and their families still deserve the opportunity to worship in their own tradition.
Currently, the lack of a full communion agreement is a barrier to Episcopalians participating in a sacramental community led by a United Methodist. At least it was when I offered to help lead such activities.
The United Methodist Church’s full communion agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, on the other hand, enabled me provide sacramental ministry for Lutherans and to lead them in their congregational life together. Like Episcopalians, Lutherans are a low-density population in the military services, and there are too few Lutheran chaplains to provide sacramental ministry everywhere that it is needed. (And yes, the intra-Lutheran divisions have a significant impact in this area as well.)
Some of the most rewarding moments of my career, and some of the most beloved relationships, developed in my ministry with Lutherans when there was no one else to lead them. I grew to appreciate the essential sacramental nature of my own tradition. I came to value to deeply scriptural, mystical, and embodied liturgy of the ancient church. I learned to sing the liturgy and the Psalms. The Nicene Creed became a central expression of my faith. The arrangement was mutually beneficial.
United Methodist chaplains are the utility infielders of the military chaplaincy. They can serve in a wide variety of congregational settings in a military context. Full communion with the Episcopal Church will expand their utility.
The Episcopal Church already has a full-communion agreement with Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The proposed full communion agreement between the Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church increases the likelihood that Episcopal service members and their families will have someone who can provide them with sacramental ministry: an Episcopal priest, a Lutheran pastor, or a United Methodist elder.
Mitchell Lewis 