PROCEDURES TO BECOME A MEMBER OF WCCAC

We are called to be a sign of unity and a bridge of communion between all Churches.

Therefore, we are open to receive as members of WCCAC local Churches, Ecclesiastical Provinces and other Ecclesiastical Bodies that share our faith, our sacramental practice and our organizational model of the Church, provided that they follow the procedures and fill the requirements.
Our Constitution clearly regulates the process of admitting new members, grouped into three categories:
- The admission of new local churches, where there is already an Ecclesiastical Province, member of WCCAC.

- The admission of new local churches, where there is not yet an Ecclesiastical Province, member of WCCAC.

- The admission of already existing Ecclesiastical Provinces and Higher Ecclesiastical Bodies to WCCAC.

1. THE ADMISSION OF NEW LOCAL CHURCHES, WHERE THERE IS ALREADY AN ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE, MEMBER OF WCCAC (Art. 30.1)

For the admission of new Local Churches where there already exists an Ecclesiastical Province member of WCCAC, the following procedure is to be followed:

1. The Local Church deals directly in the formalities of this process with the bodies of the Ecclesiastical Province to which it will be incorporated.
2. The Local Church will have to fulfill the minimum requirements that the present Constitution establishes in Article 20.1.
3. A document in which the Local Church confirms that it totally and unconditionally accepts everything included in the present Constitution with respect to faith, sacramental practice, ecclesiastical organization and discipline must be signed.
4. It must meet all the requirements that the Ecclesiastical Province, into which it will be incorporated, has established for such cases.
5. The incorporation is consummated by the formal act in which the Episcopal College of the Ecclesiastical Province in which it is incorporated recognizes this Church as a member Local Church and its bishop is incorporated into the College of Bishops of the Province.
6. At the time when the Local Church is regarded as a member of the Ecclesiastical Province and the same is officially reported to the Executive Secretariat of WCCAC, the recognition that the Local Church in question is a member of WCCAC commences.

2. THE ADMISSION OF NEW LOCAL CHURCHES, WHERE THERE IS NOT YET AN ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE, MEMBER OF WCCAC (Art. 30.2)

For the admission of new Local Churches where an Ecclesiastical Province member of WCCAC does not exist and the creation of a new Ecclesiastical Province is intended, the following procedure must be followed:

a.      The first step is to make contact with a Local Church or Ecclesiastical Province member of WCCAC or directly with the Executive Secretariat of WCCAC so that it may make contact with an Ecclesiastical Province that will accompany and support the process of growth.

b.      Next, the Local Church or an Ecclesiastical Province that will accompany the process of growth sets it up as a Mission.

c.      With the support of the Local Church or Ecclesiastical Province the process continues until the minimum requirement that two Local Churches be formed, each of which must comply with everything prescribed in Article 20.1 of the present Constitution, is met.

d.      If during the time of the Mission a standing Episcopal presence be necessary in order to fulfill what such a ministry involves, auxiliary bishops can be elected, following the procedure established by the Statutes of the Ecclesiastical Province of which the Mission is a part and to whose College the auxiliary bishops will eventually be incorporated.

e.      Once the growth prescribed in item “c” of the present numeral (Article 30.2.c) has been achieved, the Executive Secretariat will be informed so that the Board of Directors may name a commission, coordinated by the Executive Secretary and consisting of members of the Ecclesiastical Province that has followed the process of growth and that knows the specifics of the situation. Finally, a report will be made for the Board of Directors with recommendations.

f.        When the Board of Directors approves and the Honorary Advisory Committee ratifies the recommendation of the creation of a new Ecclesiastical Province and of the Local Churches that will comprise it, this fact is presented to the General Council.

g.      The General Council gives final approval to the creation of the new Ecclesiastical Province and the Local Churches that will form it and accepts them as members of WCCAC.

h.      Before the acceptance and the creation of the new Ecclesiastical Province and the new Churches take effect, the representatives of the newly constituted Local Churches and the new Ecclesiastical Province must sign a document in which everything included in the present Constitution with respect to faith, sacramental practice, ecclesiastical organization and discipline is totally and unconditionally accepted.

3. THE ADMISSION OF ALREADY EXISTING ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCES AND HIGHER ECCLESIASTICAL BODIES TO WCCAC (Art. 31)

1. Situation:  The case can arise in which various Local Churches already organized with a primate and a College of Bishops or even the case in which existing communions that include several primates and Colleges of Bishops apply to be members of WCCAC.
2. The Churches with a primate and a College of Bishops will be able to choose to become members recognized as an Ecclesiastical Province.  The Communions that have several Ecclesiastical Provinces and, eventually also several primates and Colleges of Bishops will be able to choose to become members recognized as Higher Bodies of Communion.
3. Proceedings for admission:
   1. The interested parties will be presented to the Executive Secretariat by a member Local Church.
   2. The Executive Secretariat will inform the Board of Directors so that it may name a commission, coordinated by the Executive Secretary, which must make a detailed investigation into the current ecclesiastical situation, the statistics, statutes and ecclesiastical status of those who have presented the request.
   3. If the commission discovers that certain requirements must be fulfilled before the admission process can proceed, it will inform the interested parties and, if these are willing to fulfill the same, a reasonable time will be given before a second investigation is begun.
   4. At the end of the investigation—of the second investigation, if there is one—a detailed report will be made for the Board of Directors with recommendations with respect to the appropriateness of accepting or not accepting the request presented.
   5. When the Board of Directors approves the recommendation of admission and the Honorary Advisory Committee ratifies it, the request is presented to the General Council with the necessary information and recommendations so that it may consider approving the admission.  If the Board of Directors approves recommending the admission and the Honorary Advisory Committee does not ratify the recommendation, the request is still presented to the Council, indicating all that has taken place.  If the Board of Directors does not approve recommending the request for admission, the same is declined although it will be possible for the interested parties to present it on a future occasion; provided that there is some basis for the possibility that whatever prompted its first refusal has been overcame.
   6. The General Council gives the final approval of the admission of the new Ecclesiastical Province or of the Higher Body as members of WCCAC.
   7. Before the acceptance takes effect the representatives of the recently admitted Ecclesiastical Province or Higher Body, as the case may be, must sign a document in which all that the present Constitution includes regarding matters of faith, sacramental practice, ecclesiastical organization and discipline is accepted totally and unconditionally.