Month: July 2010

The Church of Denmark will sign the Porvoo Agreement in October

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The Church of Denmark will sign the Porvoo Agreement on October 3rd in Copenhagen.

The Church of Denmark participated in the dialogues leading to the Porvoo Agreement but did not sign the Agreement when the Porvoo Communion was established. It has however maintained an observatory status and participated in Porvoo events and meetings since 1996. The decision to sign was announced in 2009. A date has been set and the Church of Denmark will sign the Porvoo Agreement and become a full member of the Porvoo Communion at a service in Copenhagen Cathedral on October 3rd 2010. The service starts at 10 am and is open to all. Members from other churches of the Porvoo Communion will be present.

Report from the Leadership Consultation

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The Porvoo Church Leadership Consultion (CLC) 2010 was held in Sigtuna, Sweden, in March. The CLC provides guidelines for the direction of common efforts in the Porvoo Communtion.

The consultation highlighted a few areas to concentrate on:

  • To develop better processes of consultation
  • To develop a regular newsletter to improve communications
  • To develop a youth network and strengthen youth exchange
  • To explore the possibility of establishing a Porvoo Solidarity Fund in order to help churches without huge resources to participate
  • To explore the possibility of an interchange programme for theological students
  • To work towards a clear united perspective on lay ministry within the Porvoo Communion
  • To take forward the recommendations from the Interfaith Consultation inEdinburghworking towards codes of good practice
  • To keep in mind the needs of churches in their contextual struggle and show solidarity

Main Recommendations of the CLC

  • To hold a consultation on Responding to Conflict in 2011
  • The theme for next Porvoo Theological Conference will be:  Sacraments in the Mission of the Church. The reason for this is to reflect on an enduring issue in the life of the church. Sacraments and mission can be linked in a good way, since they are the core element in the life of the church. For example, one can look at baptism and confirmation and what part they play in the evangelism of the church. Pastoral, liturgical and theological dimensions will form part of the discussions. There is furthermore a vital discussion in Sweden on whether the non-baptised can receive communion. The conference would also address this issue. The ‘Porvoo Idea’ is to be together in mission and ministry and this conference would give visibility to the idea.
  • The PCG should work towards a further Consultation on Diaconal Ministry which addresses the question of how churches in the Porvoo Communion see the future of the diaconate in their own church. Furthermore the PCG should work on putting instruments in place for greater solidarity with the migrant population.
  • To hold a Consultation on Diaspora and Migration in 2012.

The final report of the Leadership Consultation

List of Participants at the Leadership Consultation

Pictures from the Consultation