Anglican-Lutheran: ACC-ELCIC

The Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) have been in full communion since 2001. This means that while each church maintains its own autonomy, it also fully recognizes the catholicity and apostolicity of the other. In practical terms, this means that Anglicans and Lutherans in Canada can share the Eucharist together, use each other’s liturgies, and participate in each other’s ordinations. Anglican and Lutheran clergy may also serve interchangeably in either church.

A Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission (JALC) provides oversight for the ACC-ELCIC full-communion relationship. The Commission meets twice yearly and maintains close ties with a similar agency — the Lutheran-Episcopal Coordinating Committee (LECC) — which binds The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in their own decade-long full-communion relationship.

The JALC maintains a Directory of Waterloo Ministries wherein communities share rostered or ordained ministers, worship, facilities and programs.

Agreed statements & reports

1. Canadian Lutheran-Anglican Dialogue: Report and Recommendations (Apr. 1986)
2. CLAD II: Response to the Niagara Report (1993)
3. Called to Full Communion: The Waterloo Declaration (2000)
4. Background and Reflections on the Policy Regarding Authorized Lay Ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (2015)
5. Report of the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission to the 8th National Convention (ELCIC) and the 42nd General Synod (ACC) (July 2019)

Additional resources

1. Commentary on the Waterloo Declaration (Nov. 13, 2000)
2. Guidelines for Clergy Serving in Each Other's Churches (2003)
3. Guidelines for Common Worship (2003)
4. Guidelines for Collaborative Congregational Ministries (2006)
5. Governance Guidelines for Joint Anglican and Lutheran Congregational Ministries (2011)
6. Waterloo Ministries Directory (2017)