653. Concordat Agreements--1. There may be concordats with other Methodist Churches in accordance with 12.2 and for The Methodist Church of Great Britain, in accordance with 12.3.
2. The purposes of such concordats are:
a) to manifest the common Methodist heritage,
b) to affirm the equal status of the two churches and express mutual acceptance and respect,
c) to create opportunities for closer fellowship between the two Churches especially on the leadership level.
3. With the exception of The Methodist Church of Great Britain, such concordats may be established by the following procedure:
a) The Methodist church shall, through its major decision-making body, request a concordat relationship with The United Methodist Church through the Council of Bishops. Concordats may also be initiated by The United Methodist Church acting through the Council of Bishops who shall, in cooperation with the Methodist church in question, ascertain that all disciplinary conditions are met and then prepare the necessary enabling legislation for adoption by the General Conference.
b) When such concordat agreement has been approved by the General Conference, the Council of Bishops shall prepare a statement of the concordat agreement, to be signed by the president of the Council of Bishops and the secretary of the General Conference and two representatives of the Methodist Church with whom the concordat agreement is made. Such concordats shall be printed in the Daily Christian Advocate of that General Conference.
4. Such concordat agreement shall entitle the two Churches to the following rights and privileges:
a) The two Churches shall each elect two delegates, one clergy and one lay, to be seated in each other's General Conference or equivalent bodies, with all rights and privileges except the right to vote. Agreements in existing concordats shall be honored.
b) The host Church shall make provisions for full hospitality, including room and board, for the delegates of the other concordat Church. Travel and other expenses shall be the responsibility of the visiting church.
c) A program of mutual visitation may be arranged by the Council of Bishops in cooperation with the equivalent leadership of the other concordat Church. The Council of Bishops may assign one or more of its members for episcopal visitation to concordat Churches.
d) Clergy may be transferred between the two Churches in accordance with 427.2b and 648.2.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 653
1996 United Methodist General Conference