News from the Council
From winter to spring: Eight amazing weeks of ecumenical activity and advance!
Dear Friends of Christian Unity,
As I look back over the past two months, I can’t recall a time in my ministry with the Council on Christian Unity that has involved as much activity and advance in so many different arenas related to our church’s efforts in seeking Christian unity as a powerful witness to the unity of humankind.
For those who say that the ecumenical movement is no longer vital, I would invite them to journey with me these past eight amazing weeks that have involved:
- to the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches with 4000 representatives from 348 churches from around the world meeting for the first time in a Latin American context to pray, discuss, reflect on the future of the ecumenical movement, and give new direction to the work and program of the WCC – all framed in the context of the Assembly’s theme: “God, in your grace, transform our world”;
- to a meeting of fifteen official representatives from the three churches of the Stone-Campbell movement (the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the a cappella Churches of Christ) at the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in Nashville, Tennessee, to plan a “Great Communion Celebration” in October 2009 to mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of the Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address – a celebration that we hope will take place in thousands of local communities all across North America and around the world;
- to a meeting of the Coordinating Council of Churches Uniting in Christ in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Patrice Rosner, an ordained minister in the Disciples of Christ, was elected to serve as the new Director of CUIC as its nine member churches and two “partners in dialogue and mission” seek to give concrete reality to their commitments to engage in mission together, especially around combating racism in the church and in society, as they work on the critical issues of full communion and to achieving the recognition and reconciliation of ordained ministries;
- to an historic gathering of representatives of 34 different Christian communions in Atlanta, Georgia – involving Historic Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Historic Racial/Ethnic, Evangelical and Pentecostal churches – where Christian Churches Together in the USA was formally inaugurated (an achievement many had felt would never happen!), while exploring a topic that cuts across all doctrinal, ecclesial and theological differences in examining the causes and solutions to addressing poverty in this nation today;
- to working on a study guide for congregational use by Disciples in understanding the issues and challenges involved in Interreligious Engagement and Interfaith Dialogue, building upon the report that was received last summer at the Portland General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on this important topic [this study guide will be made available on the CCU website in early May after a final review and adoption by the CCU Board that is meeting on April 28-29].
I was recently invited to present an overview of the work and ministry of the Council on Christian Unity at a class at Christian Theological Seminary. In that presentation, I recalled that the founding mandate of the Council on Christian Unity in 1910 was "to watch for every indication of Christian unity and to hasten the time by intercessory prayer, friendly conferences, and the distribution of irenic literature, until we all attain unto the unity of the faith." Every indication! This mandate is still a guiding vision for the CCU – one that speaks courageously of a catholicity in mission and methodology.
I celebrate the amazingly rich diversity of approaches and partners that are involved in all these efforts to give vitality to our church’s quest for oneness in Christ. And, Disciples are not only involved in these initiatives; we are there providing significant leadership as we witness to a welcoming, inclusive, loving God.
Winter is giving way to spring here in Indianapolis these past weeks: signs of new life are clearly visible in the budding of trees and the new growth of flowers breaking through soil that so recently was cold, frozen, hard. Similarly, the “winter of ecumenism” is, I believe, giving way to a springtime of new life and growth in our quest for Christian unity.
I love this time of year!
With best wishes,
Robert
NOTE: Specific web-links to news releases and stories that give fuller reports on each of these events and activities:
