Methodists OK sharing pastors with Lutherans

Thursday, May 1, 2008 3
By Meredith Heagney
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

United Methodist Church congregations could share pastors and combine churches with a Lutheran denomination under a partnership approved by the Methodist denomination this week.

The agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America would allow a Methodist church and a Lutheran church to share a pastor. It could also lead to new combined churches, which could be labeled Lutheran/Methodist, said the Rev. Donald McCoid, executive of inter-religious relations for the ELCA. That could help smaller or struggling congregations.

The two denominations have a combined membership of about 16 million in the United States. The agreement gives churches of both denominations a chance to work together in providing ministries and missions. The ELCA, which is the country's largest Lutheran denomination, must vote on the agreement at its conference next year. The Southern Ohio Synod, which includes Columbus, has more than 99,000 baptized members. the rest