Louisville (DNS) - Dr. Bertrice Wood, Director of Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC), began a recent meeting of the Coordinating Council of CUIC with the positive assessment that, "Churches Uniting in Christ is finding momentum in relation to solid work that has been done this past year in the three primary areas of its life: local/regional initiatives, racial justice, and the reconciliation of ministries."
Meeting in Louisville in the national offices of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on October 24 and 25, 2003, the Coordinating Council heard reports from its three Task Forces and began a process of strategic planning for the future:
The Rev. Kathy Reeves of the PC (USA) detailed a number of initiatives for increasing the awareness of, and participation by member churches of CUIC in local communities around the country. Pilot programs are being developed in Denver, Los Angeles, and Memphis involving local religious leaders and councils of churches. There is also a new initiative from the Task Force to build relationships with seminaries and the theological communities in the CUIC member communions, especially in exploring the development of a common polity course that might be offered.
Dr. Wood outlined plans for an important conference on racial justice slated for March 29, 2004, in Chicago. The theme of the conference is "Eradicating Racism: Liberating Tomorrow's Children." Dr. Steven Charleston, president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA, is to be the keynote speaker.
The Rev. Lydia Veliko of the United Church of Christ reviewed the work of the Ministry Task Force which is seeking to address the thorny issues related to the reconciliation of ordained ministries among the CUIC communions. The draft text of a proposal for the reconciliation of ministries was presented and discussed. Based upon a new timeline approved at this meeting, it is hoped that the proposal will be available to be transmitted to the member communions in mid-2005 for official consideration and action.
The Rt. Rev. Arthur Kennedy, ecumenical officer for the National Bishops Conference of the Roman Catholic Church, was welcomed at this meeting as an official observer to CUIC, and the Rev. Christopher Skidmore, a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and staff member of the Kentucky Council of Churches, was welcomed as a special guest.
Member communions have been steady in their support of this unity initiative, and a balanced budget is projected for 2004. The Coordinating Council also embarked on a process of developing a strategic plan that will remain on the agenda for its next meeting planned for the Spring.
An updated Liturgy of The Lord's Supper will soon be available on the CUIC Web site.
The Rev. Suzanne Webb, interim regional minister for the Ohio Region, and Dr. Robert Welsh, president of the Council on Christian Unity, serve as the representatives of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on the CUIC Coordinating Committee. Bishop Melvin Talbert of the United Methodist Church serves as the current president of CUIC.
Churches Uniting in Christ was inaugurated on January 20, 2002, by nine member communions; it has been joined by two other churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Northern Province of the Moravian Church, as "partners in mission and dialogue." The aim of CUIC is full communion, not a merger of churches but a mutual sharing in mission and the recognition and reconciliation of the churches' ordained ministries. Each communion retains its own identity and decision-making structures, but all have pledged before God to draw closer in sacred things - including regular sharing of the Lord's Supper and common mission, especially in combating racism.