The Faith, Worship, and Ministry Coordinating Committee of the General Synod (FWM) is seeking applications to fill one vacancy on the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada (ARC Canada).
Mandate
The ARC Dialogue has met regularly since 1971. It works closely with the Anglican-Roman Catholic Bishops’ Dialogue (ARC-B), which was established in 1975. Sponsored and supported by the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), the ongoing mandate is to advance ecumenical understanding and cooperation between the two Churches in Canada. In recent years, the Anglican contingent on ARC has also added members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) as an expression of the deepening full communion relationship between the ACC and ELCIC.
Current areas of focus for the ARC dialogue include: 1) theologies of sin and Church apologies, 2) synods and synodality, and 3) models of ecclesial full communion.
Skills and Experience
The appointee will be a regular communicant member of an Anglican worshipping community. The representative will also demonstrate a passionate commitment to God’s mission as expressed within the Anglican tradition, while at the same time being open to learning from the insights and experiences of other Christian traditions for the sake of that mission.
Other specific skills and experience that would be assets to this work include:
- Knowledge of Anglican history, thought, and practice as expressed and lived within the Anglican Church of Canada
- Understanding of and personal commitment to dialogue with different denominational expressions of Christian faith
- Familiarity with the history and literature of the modern ecumenical movement, including international dialogues between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church
- Ability to converse in both English and French (or other languages)
Term and Expectations
The ARC Dialogue does not have a history of term limited appointments but seeks to balance the value of continuity in membership over a reasonable period of time with the importance of a regular influx of new voices and perspectives. Members should expect to serve between 3-6 years on average, as discerned by them in conversation with the ACC co-chair and ACC ecumenical staff.
There will be 1 face-to-face meeting of the Dialogue each year which may require travel within Canada. Travel and other expenses for meetings will be fully reimbursed by the General Synod. Occasional videoconference meetings, as well as supplemental reading, writing, etc., will also be required.
Reporting and Accountabilities
Anglican members of the Dialogue will report on a regular basis through ACC staff to the FWM Coordinating Committee. Members are also directly accountable to the Council of General Synod (CoGS) of the ACC.
To Apply
Please provide a cover letter which includes an indication of your name, diocese, order of ministry (lay/deacon/priest/bishop) and primary contact information.
Please also prepare a separate document which provides written responses to the following questions:
- What about your own faith and denominational tradition do you treasure the most?
- What about your own faith and denominational tradition challenges you the most?
- Describe an occasion when you have learned something by engaging with someone from a Christian tradition quite different from your own. What have been the long-lasting fruits of that learning for you?
- What excites you most about ecumenism?
- Why are you interested in this dialogue in particular?
Please forward your application to [email protected], with the subject line clearly marked as “Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue.”
Applications will be received until February 9, 2024.