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WHEN CHURCHES JOIN - 6. General Documents

An Agreed Form of Co-operation between the Anglican and Uniting Churches in Tasmania, 2001

1. The Anglican Diocese of Tasmania and the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Tasmania, as sister Churches within one holy, catholic and apostolic Church, have agreed that where co-operative Parishes are established the conditions outlined in this document shall apply.

2. Ministry

2.1 Priests/Ministers shall be appointed alternatively by each denomination under the normal procedures followed by that denomination, with the additional agreement of the Congregations of the denomination not making the appointment.
Priests/Ministers appointed shall be appropriately credentialed by their own denomination and formally recognised by the other.

2.2 The person so appointed shall be appointed for a specific term of three years, with the option of extending that term for a further two years if agreement is reached between congregations and the appropriate denominational bodies.

2.3 Should a ministry end before due time agreement shall be reached between the Diocese of the Anglican Church and the Synod of the Uniting Church as to who should provide the next ministry.

2.4 The person appointed shall retain full rights of participation within his/her own denomination. Further, he/she shall be invited to attend and participate, as appropriate in denominational activities of the other denomination.

2.5 Membership rolls, baptismal, confirmation, burial registers and other documentation required by the denominations shall be kept by the Parish Council/Elders as required under denominational regulations.

2.6 The Priest/Minister shall prepare Confirmation Candidates of both denominations. However, in the case of Anglican Candidates, an Anglican priest will take at least two sessions on the sacraments; and in the case of Uniting Church candidates a Uniting Church minister will take at least two sessions on the sacraments and the 'Basis of Union'.

3. Sacraments

3.1 Given that there is denominational agreement only in the matter of baptism the following conditions shall apply:

a) The sacrament of baptism shall normally be celebrated by the incumbent according to the rites and denominational policy appropriate to the congregation who will take pastoral responsibility for the person baptised.

b) The sacrament of Holy Communion will be conducted by an ordained person using the rites of the respective denominations. The incumbent will conduct Holy Communion in his/her own church building according to the rites of his/her own denomination. Further, the other denomination will authorise the incumbent to conduct Holy Communion in the other church's building according to the rites of the other denomination. Holy Communion will be conducted according to each denomination's rites normally once monthly.

3.2 Members of both denominations are free, according to personal conscience, to attend and receive communion at a celbration of either denomination. The choice of any who might feel unable to receive communion in the other denomination's tradition is equally respected.

4. Worship

4.1 Worship, which does not include a celebration of Holy Communion, will be conducted in the various worship centres of teh Parish on a regular basis as appropriate to the centre and in conformity with the authorised forms of service of the denomination concerned. Authorised forms of service are also to be used for baptisms, marriages, funerals and other Occasional Offices.

4.2 Where possible such worship should be conducted as a combined activity and give adequate expression to the traditions of the denominations. Special celebrations within the ecclesiastical year should be seen where possible, as opportunities for the combined parish to celebrate in a united service.

5. Administration

5.1 The administrative structures required under the regulations of the denominations will be retained. In addition a committee of the Combined Parish, to be known as the 'Combined Parish Committee', will be established, with three representatives respectively of the Anglican Parish Council and the Uniting Church Parish Council, to deal with all administrative matters that relate to the operation of the combined parish.

5.2 The Combined Parish Committee will ensure that all costs relating to the operation of the combined parish are equably raised from the pariticipating denominations and that all administration relating to the ministry is dealt with. This will include all ministerial costs as laid down by the denomination providing the Priest/Minister.