Given the trials and tribulations the Anglican Communion has endured the past few decades, it’s no surprise that the work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) doesn’t frequently appear in the headlines. This is a shame, though, because ARCIC is one of the longest-standing Anglican ecumenical dialogues, and it continues to do important work. I’ve had the privilege of serving on the Commission for the past three years. I’ve learned a tremendous amount during that time, and it has profoundly shaped my understanding of ecumenism.

Most people know very little about ARCIC, if they know about it at all. Yet whether it’s parishioners I’m speaking with at coffee hour or academic theologians I’m catching up with at conferences, they all tend to ask the same set of questions: What issues are you trying to sort out now? What exactly happens at ARCIC meetings? Is the effort still worthwhile, given how far apart Anglicans and Catholics have become on issues like sexuality and women’s ordination? Do ARCIC members really think reunion is possible?