Governance Guidelines for Joint Anglican and Lutheran Congregational Ministries

Governance Guidelines for Joint Anglican and Lutheran Congregational Ministries

October 2011

Governance documents for such ministries shall include provisions that comply with the
following principles:

1) That the congregation will be constituted as per a four party agreement including the Synod, Diocese and partnered congregations.

2) That the congregation will conduct affairs as a single worshiping/ministering community, as far as permitted by constitutions and canons of the ELCIC/Synod and ACC/Diocese.

3) That membership in the congregation, and records of pastoral acts will be recorded within a single congregational roster, copies of which shall be archived with both the synod and diocese.

4) That all baptized are members of both this congregation and each denominational body and are thus eligible for extra-parochial representation.

5) That congregational decision making and voting shall be conducted as a single congregational community except at the time of dissolution.

6) That such congregations and their clerics shall be identified in a specially designated category on synodical and diocesan rosters.

7) That clergy shall be appointed/called through a process determined in consultation with both the synod and the diocese.

8) That the discipline of clergy shall be as per the provisions of the church wherein they are rostered but in full consultation with the partner church.

9) That a provision for the termination of the joint ministry agreement be included, with such provision requiring the consent of both the synodical and diocesan bishops. Such provisions shall also address the equitable beneficiary of bequests and real property received over time.

10) That bylaws for internal organization consistent with the relevant canons and constitutions can be enacted to fit the circumstances of the congregation.

11) That property held for the diocese or Lutheran congregation and/or synod shall be held in trust by a separate corporate entity created for this purpose. On termination of the agreement, the disposition of property between partners would be determined on a pre-determined pro-rated basis, or be conveyed to a separate corporate entity created for this purpose by diocesan/synodical
arrangement.

12) That liturgies of either or both churches can be used according to the needs of the worshiping community.

13) That financial support to the diocese and synod will be determined as individually arranged.