Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
96b-67
August 2, 1996
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- "Communication is the beginning of understanding," according to an old adage. If that is true, a new vista of understanding has been opened with a small European Lutheran body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. Archbishop John Vikstrom and two other Finnish Lutheran officials visited here July 30-Aug. 2 to begin a dialogue with representatives of the Disciples. Vikstrom and the Revs. Risto Cantell and Ilkke Makela were guests of the Rev. Paul A. Crow Jr., president of the Council on Christian Unity. The archbishop delivered a public lecture July 31 on "Challenges to the Christian Church in Finland today." "This visit breaks new ground for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)," said Crow. Although involved in past Disciples/Lutheran relations, these talks with the Finnish Lutheran body are unique, according to the Disciples ecumenical officer. Dialogue with Disciples participants quickly surfaced several areas of "common ground" including an emphasis on Scripture, understandings concerning the Lord's Supper and the meaning of baptism, Christian unity and the churches' heritage in the Reformation. The Disciples of Christ emerged as a response to divisions among Christians resulting from the American Revolution, said the Rev. Richard Harrison Jr. A church historian, he is president of Lexington (Ky.) Theological Seminary. Disciples founders "tried to find common ground among Christians through the New Testament," he said. And as Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone were former Presbyterians, this movement also became identified with Reformation-era traditions. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran tradition, is hailed as the "father of the Reformation." The former Roman Catholic priest began the movement as a response to elements of Catholic practice he found objectionable. "We speak of ourselves as the Reformers of the 19th century," said Harrison. The Lutheran prelate praised the Disciples' singular, longstanding commitment to Christian unity. "I have never seen a church where the ecumenical dimension is so central and important to its identity," said Archbishop Vikstrom. "I understand why the Holy Spirit has given you this special gift." The Lutheran church also shares the Disciples' regard for the "oneness of the church," he said. "It is a given unity" and "the task of us to manifest in different ways." Like the Disciples, Lutherans see themselves as "not the only church, but part of it," said Risto Cantell, executive director, Department for International Relations. The Lord's Supper, which Disciples celebrate weekly, "embodies its commitment to the unity of the body of Christ," said Harrison. While early Disciples understood Holy Communion in the Reformed tradition, the break with Presbyterians occurred around its frequency and proper administration, he added. Strong lay participation in church life also was an area of agreement between the religious bodies. The Lutheran emphasis on "the priesthood of all believers" is congruent with Disciples' tradition of strong lay involvement. While the churches' baptismal practices differ significantly, the Disciples ecumenical heritage allows them to affirm Lutherans' perspective. Disciples practice "believer's baptism" by immersion, while Lutherans often are baptized as infants and later confirmed. Disciples congregations, however, recognize the validity of other modes of baptism. The use of creeds has long been a "hot-button" issue for Disciples. But it is the abuse of creeds as tests of fellowship, not their content, that founders rejected, according to Harrison. The dialogue, said Crow, can facilitate Disciples understanding around several issues in the life of the denomination: the role of theology in the church, the use of creeds to confess the faith, and apostolic continuity. A weakness among the Disciples of Christ, he said, has been a reluctance to claim relationship with the "early church." The talks can help immensely in that area, said Crow.
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