The four Anglican provinces with a presence in continental Europe agreed to set common goals and plan to collaborate more closely in the future following a May 16-18 meeting in Spain.

The four jurisdictions — the Lusitanian Church of Portugal, the Spanish Episcopal Church, the Convocation of American Churches in Europe (Episcopal) and the Diocese of Europe (Church of England) — were represented.

Also present were observers and staff from the Missions Agencies, the Anglican Consultative Council, Lambeth Palace, as well as ecumenical representatives from the Roman Catholic Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Old Catholic Church, and the Lutheran Church of Sweden.

The official report stated that the separations felt in the Anglican bodies increasingly “hindered their common mission in continental Europe.” The College of Anglican Bishops in

Continental Europe and its new commission will be instrumental in achieving unity in theological education and youth ministry, the report said.

The enhanced cooperative effort is in part a response to resolutions from the 1968 and 1998 Lambeth conferences on parallel jurisdictions.

The report also emphasized the desire to move in a united way when establishing new work as was the desire for the complete interchangeability of ordained persons.