ANGLICAN-METHODIST UNITY

GO-AHEAD PLAN GETS BIG VOTE
By Our Special Correspondent By Our Special Correspondent THE Anglican Convocations of Canterbury and York overwhelmingly voted last Wednesday to go forward with proposals for negotiations with the Methodist Church aimed at their eventual organic unity.
The decision was taken after an If-day debate in which Bishops and clergy of the Upper and Lower House of both Convocations sat jointly. All four houses voted separately though in joint session.
The key vote was on the resolution, which was revised at the last moment to read "that this Convocation considers that the reports from the dioceses constitute sufficient approval of the main proposals embodied in the Report of the Conversations between the Church of England and the Methodist Church, despite reservations and questions in many quarters and that they enable the Church of England to enter into negotiations with the Methodist Church . . . "
The Convocations also voted to set up a joint negotiating committee which will be known as the Joint Commission for Anglican Methodist Unity which will thrash out questions of doctrine. discipline and procedure involved in union and other problems.
The Commission is to report back not later than December, 1968.
The first speaker in the joint debate was the Bishop of London, Dr. Robert Stopford, who said: "I have had a number of discussions with Roman Catholic bishops and Orthodox bishops
about the Report on Conversations. Nothing that was said to me suggested that the acceptance of proposals in the report would create any difficulties in the relations of the Church of England with these two great communions."
He added that he knew that in some Roman Catholic churches in France, and perhaps in other countries as well, prayers were being offered for the success of the debate of Convocations and for the discussions with the Methodist Church.
Methodist synods throughout the country have already voted "overwhelming and massive support" for the idea of closer relations with the Church of England and, by a great majority, supported the Report of the Conversations in broad outline as a way forward to unity.
The final decision, so far as the Methodists are concerned, however, will not be taken until the Methodist conference later this year.
Three Methodist leaders. headed by the secretary of the Methodist Conference, Dr. Eric Baker. attended the debate on the unity proposals. They were welcomed by Archbishop Ramsey of Canterbury "with great warmth". Dr. Ramsey's Speech—Page •