Once the Global Methodist Church formed and the schism was not quite as disastrous as expected, this action was inevitable. I'm happy for our Methodist brothers and sisters.
I'm personally very interested in seeing the outcome of the proposed full communion between the United Methodists and the Episcopal Church (similar to the current communion between the Lutherans and Episcoplians). I think as the mainline continues to profound shake up (I won't call it a terminal decline just yet), I think the more liturgical churches that are also LGBT affirming need to band together.
Don't disagree per se; but don't Methodists and Episcopalians have.... differing understandings of the Eucharist ?
I believe they both officially teach a vague and somewhat ambiguous notion of the Real Presence. I know some Episcopalians are concerned about apostolic succession, but that was resolved with the Lutherans vía co-consecration of bishops.
Yes, this is basically correct - they both teach that *somehow* the presence of Christ is really in the Eucharist. How exactly depends on who you're asking, which is fine.
I'm a very high church/Anglo Catholic type and I'm completely fine with Methodists and lower-church people having a different view of the Eucharist, as long as they care about the importance of that sacrament, which I know Methodists do.
I agree. Theologically I’m much closer to a Catholic than a Methodist, but they definitely care about the Eucharist, and we can get them in on the historic episcopate over time.