Friends,

Welcome to this wonderful website and welcome to Together for the Love of the World. As co-chairs of the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission for Canada, and as members of the Joint Planning Group for our joint assembly taking place in Ottawa next July, we are thrilled that you are visiting!

Together for the Love of the World is a joint assembly of the National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is the result of many years of planning and dreaming! Twelve years into our full communion relationship, this exciting gathering of Anglicans and Lutherans—almost a thousand of us—is taking place at the Ottawa Convention Centre, July 3 to 7, 2013.

Since the Waterloo Declaration was signed by Bishop Telmor Sartison and Archbishop Michael Peers in Waterloo, Ont., in 2001, when both of our national conventions were meeting concurrently, the relationship between our churches has grown and deepened. The work of the commission continues as we encourage and monitor the commitments made in “Waterloo”;  joint and special ministries, which we now call “Waterloo Ministries” have been seeded and developed, and they flourish across the land: in  2011 a historic joint meeting of the National Church Council and the Council of General Synod took place; our bishops meet together regularly; congregations, conferences, deaneries, dioceses, and synods all live out our Lord’s fervent wish “that they all may be one.” It is therefore with a real sense of excitement that we approach this first-ever joint national gathering.

We know that we share much, as two distinct and historically important Canadian churches. We strongly support each other’s distinctive character and ministries. Together we are committed to mission—God’s mission in God’s world—and we are privileged to engage in that mission together, as Lutherans and Anglicans from coast to coast to coast. While each church will carry out its usual and important business at both convention and synod, we will, together as God’s people, worship, learn, celebrate, listen, act, and commit ourselves to the mission of God’s church. Both National Bishop Susan Johnson and the Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz are deeply engaged in our common mission; they work closely together on many fronts, and speak to each other regularly. They are excited about the prospect of our two churches gathered together—indeed, for the love of the world!

So, visit us often. If you are coming to the joint assembly as a delegate, we look forward to welcoming you. If you are not able to be with us in Ottawa, stay in touch with us on this site and pray for us. You’ll be glad that you did!

With all our “joint” best wishes,

The Very Rev. Peter Wall,
Rector, Christ’s Church Cathedral and Dean, Anglican Diocese of Niagara
Bishop Michael Pryse, ELCIC Eastern Synod

Co-chairs, the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission