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"Full communion" means a mutual recognition that the
partner churches hold "the essentials of the Christian
faith" within the catholic and apostolic tradition. In such a
relationship, according to "Called to Common Mission,"
neither church "seeks to remake the other in its own image,
but each is open to the gifts of the other as it seeks to be
faithful to Christ and his mission. They are together committed to
a visible unity in the church's mission to proclaim the Word and
administer the Sacraments" ("Called to Common
Mission," paragraph 2).
Full communion describes a relationship in which the partner
churches fully recognize each other as part of the whole Church of
Jesus Christ and seek to cooperate with each other in witness,
life, and service.
Mutual recognition of Baptism and a sharing of the Lord's
Supper, allowing for joint worship and an exchangeability of
members, also are part of a relationship of full communion.
Source: Office of the Secretary of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America. www.elca.org/ea/Relationships/episcopalian/ccmresources/CCMQ&A.html
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