The Third Anglican-Lutheran International Commission (ALIC) held its first meeting in Tanzania last month at the Lutheran Uhuru Hostel in Moshi.

|TOP|The commission has been established by the Anglican Consultative Council together with the Lutheran World Federation with the purpose of continuing dialogue between the Anglican and Lutheran Churches on a worldwide level, which has taken place since 1970.

The ALIC has made known its intention to build upon the works that took place in The Niagara Report in 1987, focusing on the mission of the church and the role of the ordained ministry.

During the gathering, which took place for a week over Jan. 13-19th, the commission identified the key issues on which it would have to focus in order for Anglican-Lutheran relations to progress across the globe.

Some of the key issues included questions such as the place of the historic episcopate within the apostolicity of the Church, life and work in the service of the
Gospel and theological education and formation, report the Anglican Communion.

|AD|Special focus will also be given to the regional and contextual aspects of Anglican-Lutheran relations, and the way in which regional agreements may be encouraged to come into relationship with one another.

Both co-chairs of the All Africa Anglican – Lutheran Commission (AAALC) were able to attend the meeting, and after the meeting the ALIC encouraged the AAALC to move forward to its next meeting as soon as possible.

Both Communions have expressed full visible unity as their ultimate goals in the ecumenical quest, and are now attempting to take firm steps to bring this closer. ALIC has testified that it will give its full support to fulfilling this vision.

The meeting was hosted by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in cooperation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.

The Commission now plans to meet again in 2007, with preliminary indications pointing to Niagara Falls, Canada as the scheduled venue.