Title: Council forwards new unity proposal
Date: December 1, 2000
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
00b-66
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- If approved in July, a proposed resolution drafted by ecumenical bodies of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ will enable the churches' participation in a new wide-ranging relationship to "express our oneness in Christ."
The Disciples' Council on Christian Unity endorsed the resolution, "Churches Uniting in Christ," during a recent board meeting in Indianapolis.
"Our Disciples-UCC partnership is already a contribution to the CUIC process, in modeling a new approach to church union in this new day," said the Rev. Robert K. Welsh, president of the Disciples' Council on Christian Unity.
The recommendation now goes to the Disciples' Administrative Committee and General Board for forwarding to the 2001 General Synod/Assembly. Both churches' chief plenary bodies will vote on the resolution in their second common gathering, July 13-17, 2001, in Kansas City.
The Indianapolis-based Disciples and the Cleveland-based United Church of Christ would become the last two churches to approve the CUIC proposal. The new relationship among the nine participating churches will be inaugurated Jan. 20, 2002, in Memphis.
Churches Uniting in Christ calls for mutual recognition of each other's members and ministries, shared mission to combat racism and to promote unity and wholeness.
In addition to action on the CUIC resolution, the CCU board of directors discussed plans for joint activities during the July synod/assembly. The councils have scheduled a unity dinner, will develop resources aimed at interpreting the CUIC proposal, and will sponsor joint workshops during the biennial meetings. The councils also will jointly sponsor a sermon contest, with the winning entries being recognized at the synod/assembly unity dinner.
In other action, CCU board members discussed the Disciples' joining the conversation between the United Church of Christ and the Alliance of Baptists. "This is good use of the partnership to improve church-to- church relationships," Welsh said.
He called the potential dialogue with the Baptist Alliance a new day for Disciples. "We seek to be open to every indication of the Holy Spirit calling us to unity." Yet another opportunity to broaden the Disciples' unity witness may come through a proposed conversation with one of the historic African American denominations in CUIC. This proposed conversation stems from an idea suggested by the Rev. Jack Sullivan Jr., regional minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Northwest, and member of the CCU board.
The proposal for a church-to-church relationship with an African American ecumenical partner is "an opportunity to engage in a very different kind of conversation, especially because CUIC is focusing on combating racism," Welsh said.
CCU directors also discussed findings from a visioning conference held earlier in the year. The board recommended specific action in three areas of work for the council in coming years: ecumenical formation and education, especially with youth, young adults and seminarians; identifying the marks of ecumenical congregations; and lifting up the Disciples' gift of the eldership to the wider ecumenical community.
Board members also approved a fund-raising initiative to endow a "Chair in Christian Unity" in a national program that provides Spanish language theological courses for seminarians. The Disciples chair would become part of the Hispanic Summer Program, which includes 36 seminaries across the United States. Three Disciples theological institutions, Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas, and Lexington (Ky.) Theological Seminary are members in the Hispanic summer program.
Board members also approved adoption of the new executive search policy from the General Board of the church aimed broadening the pool of applicants for church wide leadership positions. The council is already using the process to call its new associate ecumenical officer.
-- end --