What is Full Communion

The Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) have been in full communion since 2001. This means that while each church maintains its own autonomy, it also fully recognizes the catholicity and apostolicity of the other. In practical terms, this means that Anglicans and Lutherans in Canada can share the Eucharist together, use each other’s liturgies, and participate in each other’s ordinations. Anglican and Lutheran clergy may also serve interchangeably in either church.

The Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission (JALC) is a group of individuals from each church who meet twice yearly to explore ways our two churches can work even more closely together in full communion. One example of this growing cooperation is the joint 2013 General Synod and National Convention.

Read the Waterloo Declaration