'Full communion' could help struggling rural congregations

In a special service Sunday morning, the congregations at First Lutheran Church (ELCA) and St. Paul's United Methodist Church, both of Cedar Rapids, will worship and celebrate communion together.

Though similar services have taken place across the country, it's the first time such a service has been offered in Cedar Rapids sinced the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America approved the resolution at its churchwide assembly in August. The United Methodist Conference approved the resolution in 2008.

According to the ELCA, full communion is not a merger "but means that the two churches express a common confession of Christian faith; mutual recognition of Baptism and sharing Communion; join worship and freedom to exchange members; agree to mutual recognition of ordained ministers for service in either church; express a common commitment to evangelism, witness and service; engage in common decision-making on critical matters; and a mutual lifting of criticisms that may exist between the churches."

Simply put, that means the two denominations -- while not combining and becoming one -- are formally recognizing what many of their members have seen for years.

"When I look around the Lord's table ... I don't see who is the Catholic and who is the Lutheran and who is the Methodist," said the Rev. Craig Brown, associate pastor at First Lutheran. "There were no distinctions. I think we're all one in the body of Christ."

What the full communion will do, especially in rural areas, is help some smaller churches survive. Rural churches across denominatioal lines are seeing declining membership as they struggle to find full- or even part-time pastors to serve their congregations. With the ability to now share pastors, an area with both a small ELCA church and a small United Methodist church can bring one pastor to serve both congregations.

That's not the main goal of the full communion, but certainly one worth noting.

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The combined worship service for St. Paul's United Methodist Church and First Lutheran Church is set for 10 a.m. Sunday at Sinclair Auditorium at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. Parking will be available at either church and shuttles will be running from each church to the college.