Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
October 7, 1996
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
United Church of Christ
700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100
96b-84
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- The continuing relationship between the Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ) and the
United Church of Christ finds the denominations planning for a special observance in 1997.
The churches' chief decision-making bodies will formally reconcile their orders of
ministry at special ceremonies during their biennial meetings.
The reconciliation event is another milestone in the unique ecumenical partnership shared
by the Disciples and
the Cleveland, Ohio-based United Church. The partnership dates back to 1989 when the
Disciples General Assembly and the UCC General Synod declared the churches to be in
"full communion."
Simply stated, the reconciliation of ordained ministers declares that the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ recognize each others' clergy as
genuine (authentic) ministers. In its detail the
reconciliation sets out mutual policies that would authorize Disciples clergy, when
invited, to serve in UCC
congregations and vice versa.
Helping to plan the "liturgy of reconciliation" at the Disciples and United
Church biennial gatherings will be
members of the Ecumenical Partnership Committee. Lay and clergy members from both churches
comprise the group, which meets twice annually.
The reconciling ministries issue was but one of the agenda items discussed when the
committee met here Sept. 26-28. In addition to other partnership-related business, the
group began a discussion on diversity, racism and the inclusive church. The talks are
intended to move the denominations toward becoming "more inclusive, multi-racial,
multi-cultural communities of faith."
The dialogue began with presentations by representatives from racial ethnic caucuses in
both
denominations. Billye Bridges and the Rev. Luis Ferrer, represented African American,
American Asian and Hispanic Disciples. The UCC presenters were the Revs. Bernice Powell
Jackson, Ron Bonner and Felix Carrion.
Carrion, a staff member of the UCC Commission for Racial Justice and Office of Church in
Society, explained
the 1993 General Synod resolution calling for the Cleveland-based church to be
"multi-cultural and multi-racial."
With ethnic minorities comprising only 7 percent of both churches' membership, calling
either multi-cultural or
multi-racial is a "stretch," said Disciples Moderator Janet A. Long, Elyria,
Ohio.
While the terms may seem misleading, they do affirm the presence and gifts of racial
ethnic persons in both
churches, according to Jackson, CRJ executive director. And for her, acknowledging the
diversity present within the Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ is about more
than mere political wrangling -- it is a matter of faith.
"It's not about being politically correct," she said. "It's about us being
faithfully correct. There's no other
reason for us to be here."
- 30 -