Union in Slow Motion

Two leading U.S. churches took a long, somewhat tentative step towards forming one church last week: a Presbyterian and Episcopal joint committee agreed on a program for unification. Their plan ("Essential Features of the United Church") is now on its way to the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.'s 276 presbyteries and the Protestant Episcopal Church's 94 dioceses for further action.

It took three years of negotiation to produce last week's plan. Final action will take at least two more. Neither denomination has yet shown much real enthusiasm for the merger. But if & when the two unite, they will form a church of 4,000,000 communicant members with an additional constituency of 4,000,000 non-communicants.

If a complete merger is achieved, the United Church will accept the Bible, the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, both the Presbyterian Confession of Faith and the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, baptism by water and in the name of the Trinity. Bread and wine (Presbyterians generally substitute grape juice) will be used in the celebration of Holy Communion. In governing the United Church, clergy and laity will have "coordinate powers" and an "equal voice" with bishops. Congregations will keep their present rights "unless and until the United Church may see fit to modify them."

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