Dear Friends of Christian Unity,
Over the past six weeks there have been several new developments within Churches of Christ Uniting (CUIC) that I want to share with you - both as an update on this important ecumenical commitment in the life of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and as a vivid example of the way that the ecumenical movement seems to be moving these days.
First, the steps in movement forward:
A major consultation exploring the theme of Episcope took place in St. Louis on October 2-4, involving 50 representatives of all member communions and Partners in Mission and Dialogue. The consultation focused on understanding the ministry episcope (oversight) from the different perspectives and expressions in CUIC communions as we consider the mutual recognition and mutual reconciliation of our ministries in CUIC. The "results" of the event pointed both to areas of shared affirmation and to better understanding of the hard problems that must still be addressed if we are to move forward in the mutual recognition and reconciliation of our ministries. [NOTE: All papers, bible studies, and the summary statement from this consultation will be published in the CCU journal, Call to Unity, and should be available by the end of the year.]
At the meeting of the Coordinating Council of CUIC that took place immediately following the Consultation on Episcope, we welcomed the Moravian Church, Northern Province as the tenth communion to join CUIC as a full member communion, moving from being a "Partner in Mission to Dialogue" since the founding of CUIC in 2002.
On October 24, the "heads of communions" of CUIC came together in New York City to explore how they might together make a more committed witness on behalf of CUIC and its member communions to the benchmark commitment of this relationship (as adopted at the founding of CUIC) in combating racism both in our churches and in our society. From this gathering, a formal appeal was sent to the United States Congress on October 26 calling for the increase in the federal minimum wage, thus putting "this important matter of economic and racial justice in a prominent place in the national debate and to act upon it when Congress returns after the elections." The leaders also committed themselves to work together in developing other common statements on behalf of CUIC, including a pastoral word to the churches that might be read in all member communion congregations on Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday in January 2007.
But, there also have been steps in movement backward (or perhaps, to the side):
At the meeting of "heads of communions" in New York, there was a conversation about where they saw their own churches in relation to the proposal of the Mutual Recognition and Reconciliation of Ministries (MRMRM) - and a possible revised draft of that proposal that would be developed in light of the official responses by the member communions to "Draft 7" over the past year. In this discussion, several communion heads shared that they felt there was little likelihood of gaining approval to any "revised" proposal.
Out of personal conversations that I have had in recent weeks, including discussions during the Consultation on Episcope," there are several significant issues that I hear being raised related to the MRMRM: (a) deep concerns over the theological and ecclesiological implications of the proposed recognition and reconciliation; (b) a concern voiced by the historic African Methodist Episcopal Churches that they did not see their ministries, especially their bishops, honored in the current text; (c) a dis-ease over bringing any proposal to the churches at a time when the vast majority of members, pastors, and congregations simply did not understand what was being proposed -- and why?! The major concern, however, relates to the perceived lack of any real commitment to addressing the issues of racism by the member communions in CUIC. No matter what proposal on reconciling our ministries would be offered, the more urgent (though mostly neglected) concern is in not taking seriously our commitment to working on those issues of systemic racism that remain at the heart of our continuing and separated life as churches here in the United States.
A 'mini' plenary is thus being proposed to look at where things stand; to assess where and what CUIC should be doing in the next period; and, to seek God's guidance into the future of this relationship that (from my vantage point in having worked with COCU for most of its 40 years of "consulting about church union" and with CUIC in its five years of "seeking to manifest our full unity in Christ in the areas of mission, especially in seeking to overcome racism, and ministry") is essential to the calling of the church in our nation to witness to God's gift of authentic community based upon full reconciliation and justice for all persons in Christ.
When many Disciples think about the movement of the "ecumenical movement" -- which, admittedly, is not a huge crowd on most days! - they often imagine a movement that is linear: advancing pretty much from point A (the place of division) to point B (a place of growing unity and oneness in our life as Christians and churches). Unfortunately, that is not always, if ever, the way things go. It is, rather, more of a dance: a couple of steps forward, a couple of steps backward, and some steps to the side.
My prayer for the "on-going movement of CUIC" is that God will be at work to enliven our dance; to direct all of our steps to greater faithfulness; and, especially to encourage us to take all of our partners more seriously in where they are, and where we have too often stumbled or stepped on feet that have already endured too much pain.
It's the dance of ecumenism.
Robert Welsh