Dear Friends of Christian unity,
Over the past weeks an important transition has taken place in the life of the Council on Christian Unity that I want to share with you, along with some updates on recent happenings and events that offer renewed hope and energy to the ecumenical witness of our church in these exciting and challenging times.
Transition: In light of the continuing decline in our income over the past several years (a trend that is reflected across the life of our whole church and in most denominations here in the US and Canada), the Executive Committee of the CCU and I had to make the difficult decision this past month to eliminate the position of our administrative assistant by the end of September, a position which has faithfully been served by Rozanne Robertson over the past 13 years. During her tenure with the CCU, Rozanne has been a valuable asset not only to our work in seeking Christian unity, but also as a valued colleague to me. In the coming days I will be exploring new ways and seeking our new partnerships to carry out the essential tasks in our work as we move into the New Year.
Updates: In offering these updates, I will follow the format I used in my last email to you as "Friends of Christian Unity": to provide a brief summary highlighting the event, while pointing you to a specific website where more detailed information or resources may be found.
1. Stone-Campbell Dialogue
The annual meeting of the Stone-Campbell dialogue was held in Austin , Texas on June11-13, 2007. On Sunday evening, June 10, over five hundred persons from the three streams of the Stone-Campbell Movement gathered at Central Christian Church for a service of worship and praise, including the celebration of the Lord's Supper. The focus of the dialogue for this meeting was on the meaning and place of the Lord's Supper in our three churches, with papers presented by Peter Morgan (Disciples of Christ), Paul Blowers (Christian Churches/Churches of Christ) and John Mark Hicks (Churches of Christ). Copies of these three papers may be found at http://www.disciples.org/ccu/programs/stonecampbell/.
2. Roman Catholic Statement on Ecclesiology Issued by Vatican
A recently published Vatican document, Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church, was authorized by Pope Benedict XVI and released by the Congregation on the Doctrine of the Faith on July 10, 2007. That text (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html ) has created concerns and questions about the ecumenical commitments of the Roman Catholic Church. In a statement issued on behalf of the Disciples of Christ, I noted that the document is entirely consistent with the Catholic Church's positions and statements since the Second Vatican Council: "It is nothing new. It represents a restatement of their own understanding of the ecclesiology of the Catholic Church... However, it always causes hurt and pain when we are denied being fully church." For the full news release see http://www.disciplesworld.com/newsArticle.html?wsnID=11729
3. Faith and Order Celebrates 50 Years
A watershed moment for the history of North American ecumenism transpired during Oberlin 2007. The event, On Being Christian Together, marked the 50th anniversary of the first meeting of the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches (NCC), an event that brought together 400 Christians, representing Protestant, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and other traditions, on July 19 - 23, 2007, including Disciples representatives Paul A. Crow, Mary Crow, Jon Hall, Peter Heltzel, Kinsie Mahaffey, Patrice Rosner, and Tom Best. For more information, go to: http://www.disciplesworld.com/newsArticle.html?wsnID=11963.
4. W.A. Welsh Seminar launched as part of Stalcup School of Theology for the Laity
The Stalcup School of Theology for the Laity of Brite Divinity School opened its 30th series on September 8 with the first W.A. Welsh Seminar, which I was honored to present. The seminar was entitled, "New Insights and Understandings in the Quest for Christian Unity Today: It's Not Your Grandfather's Vision Anymore!" These three lectures explored the new terrain of the ecumenical movement as we look to understanding the goal of our efforts at seeking oneness in Christ in today's society and world. For more information on the seminar, go to: http://www.disciplesworld.com/newsArticle.html?wsnID=12071.
5. Re-Shaping the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
At its recent meeting on September 24-25, 2007, the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ took action regarding a major cut in staff of the NCCC in light of its current financial situation. The hope in taking this action is that the NCCC might "re-shape" itself in way that is reflective of the strategic plan approved by the NCCC's General Assembly in 2006 and leaves in place the five commissions that form the basis of the NCCC's programmatic work undertaken by the member communions. The Rev. Michael Livingston, President of the NCC, stated, "This plan moves us forward toward long-term sustainability so that the important ecumenical witness of the Council can continue well into the future." For news release go to: http://www.ncccusa.org/news/070926nccreshapes.html
I look forward to hearing from you in response to this "Update."
With all best wishes for your continued support to and encouragement of the work for Christian unity, wholeness, reconciliation and peace,
Robert