“We are in grave danger of losing track of who we (Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are!” the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Christ in the USA, told members of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society and the Council on Christian Unity during the 2009 Disciples’ General Assembly.
Michael Kinnamon, speaking as the Peter Ainslie Lecturer, said we are in “serious times, and in serious times, soft words will not suffice.” That phrase became an antiphonal response as Rev. Kinnamon led the room through his message.
He told them “the pursuit of justice is impossible with a divided church. The National Council of Churches membership has not “joined” but the 34 church groups have made a covenant to seek peace. This is a part of our identity, “not an option,” he said.
The Disciples’ welcome to the Table “isn’t a ‘practice’, it is our identity! We need to extend our hospitality, especially to those the world excludes.”
Kinnamon drew a distinction between “wholeness” and “unity.” “Any group can be unified, but to create wholeness we need a true sense of community.”
Referring to the lecture series’ name sake, Kinnamon said Peter Ainslie wrote, ”War is the utmost in church division.”
“Hostility to war should be as deeply rooted in our conscious as it is with our Quaker brothers and sisters!” he exclaimed. “The flag is not more important than the Cross!”
He outlined four steps Disciples must follow:
- Model our beliefs in our life, especially our justice and anti-racism beliefs.
- Welcome all brothers and sisters including the gay and lesbian community.
- Teach our beliefs to future generations.
- Support and lift up our identity.
He cautioned Disciples not to lose focus of peace initiatives because of the economic downturn. “Quakers would not cut out their peace ministry – it would be like cutting out their heart.”
He questioned why the Disciples would consider reducing support of Christian Unity. “It is not a matter of identity. It is the Gospel.”
By: David Shank