Lutheran bishops join Anglicans for meeting.

Mississauga, Ont.

While the debate on sexuality formed an important part of the Anglican bishops' fall meeting, the diocesan leaders also considered compensation for aboriginal clergy and spent time with Lutheran bishops.

Bishops from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada joined the Anglicans for one day of the four-day meeting and discussed a number of projects designed to advance "full communion," the new, closer relationship between the two churches that came into effect in 2001.

Lutheran bishop Michael Pryse of the Eastern Synod told the group that the two denominations will jointly study confirmation in the two churches.

Canadian Anglicans and Lutherans were scheduled to gather in late November with their counterparts in the Episcopal and Evangelical Lutheran churches in the U.S., where the closer relationship is termed "called to common mission."

Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, director of faith, worship and ministry with the Anglican Church of Canada, announced that Anglicans are now included in the biennial worship conference of the Lutheran church and the churches are preparing for a joint youth conference next summer in Hamilton, Ont.

After the day with Lutherans, the Anglican bishops debated a report from an Anglican bishops' group that recommended creation of a national fund that would help dioceses that now have a significant number of non-stipendiary, or unpaid, clergy, most of whom are aboriginal.

"Our whole church needs a justly-compensated aboriginal clergy," read the report, presented by Bishop David Ashdown of Keewatin. Many native clergy live in thinly-populated dioceses with few financial resources. The study group recommended that maximum support for clergy salaries from a national fund would be 50 per cent, with the rest provided by the diocese or local community. "For the good of all, each community has a responsibility to be as self-sufficient as possible," the report said.

General Secretary Jim Boyles also reviewed with the bishops the process for nominations for the office of primate, since Archbishop Michael Peers, the current primate, is retiring in February. At their spring meeting near Saskatoon, the bishops will nominate at least three and no more than five of their number to stand for the primatial election scheduled for May 31 at General Synod. The new primate will be installed at Christ's Church Cathedral in Hamilton, Ont. on June 4 at Synod's closing worship service.

The bishops also heard from a Church of England bishop. Michael Nazir-Ali of the dicoese of Rochester, who is Pakistani by birth and was recently mentioned as a candidate in the election of the Archbishop of Canterbury, reviewed issues facing Christians and Muslims.