Explanation

The full statement The Church: Towards a Common Vision (TCTCV) can be found at the following url: https://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/commissions/faith-and-order/i-unity-the-church-and-its-mission/the-church-towards-a-common-vision The proposed draft response from the Episcopal Church to The Church: Towards a Common Vision can be found here: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/document/draft-proposed-response-episcopal-church-church-towards-common-vision By way of background, please note the following resolution which was adopted by the Executive Council on this matter: Resolved, That the Executive Council, meeting February 5-8, 2017, at the Maritime Center, Linthicum, Maryland, acknowledges the receipt of a proposed draft response from an ad hoc committee of The Episcopal Church to the 2013 statement issued by the World Council of Churches entitled The Church: Towards a Common Vision (TCTCV), a convergence statement that has been developed over the last thirty years by the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order; and be it further Resolved, That the title of this proposed response developed by this ad hoc group be changed to “A Draft of a Proposed Response of the Episcopal Church to The Church: Towards a Common Vision”; and be it further Resolved, That the Executive Council also acknowledge that the World Council has invited all member churches to respond formally to this significant document; and be it further Resolved, That the Executive Council, as the body duly authorized to act on behalf of the General Convention between the triennial meetings thereof, directs the Secretary of Executive Council to submit to the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches this proposed, draft response along with a copy of this resolution by no later than March 31, 2017, clearly noting in a cover letter that a final and definitive response from The Episcopal Church must await formal and final action by the General Convention of this Church. (At General Convention, there will be a hard copy of each document available for review in the Secretariat.)