Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, 111: Paper #111

This is not page-turning reading; nor is it innovative and exciting theology. It is a significant source document for those who wish to understand the agreements that have both reflected and shaped convergences in Christian doctrine and practice over the last several decades. Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (BEM) is the product of study and conversation by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, including twenty years reviewing various drafts and culminating in the approval of the document in its present form at a meeting in Lima in 1982. The document is in three sections, each in numbered paragraphs, with some sparse additional commentary. In the years since its release, it had influenced not only the ecumenical conversation among churches but liturgical reform and doctrinal development within churches. If there is any modern document that can claim to have an influence approaching that of the Apostolic Fathers of the early church, this is it!