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Expanded Ecumenical Tables

| Reconfiguring ecumenism | Youth/young adults | Cooperation on social issues |

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What are examples of expanding ecumenical tables?

The World Council of Churches, mindful of its special responsibility for the ecumenical movement's "coherence and effectiveness," has given attention to the changing dynamics of ecumenism. In 2004 it gathered a group from the churches together to consult on "Ecumenism in the 21st Century." In a final statement the consultation group pointed to some of the issues, saying, "There are important new ecumenical actors who are not formally included in the existing [ecumenical] structures and there are some in the ecumenical family who do not feel valued by others. Many new ecumenical organizations have been created, giving rise to fears that all of these ecumenical bodies cannot be sustained." Out of its consultation on Ecumenism in the 21st Century a continuation committee developed.

In the U.S., Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the Reformed Churches in America, dealt with some of the issues around expanding ecumenical tables at a symposium about The Future of Ecumenism in the 21st Century.

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Reconfiguring ecumenism

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General secretaries Nduna (ACT), Ionita (CEC), Tveit (WCC), Nyomi (WCRC), Junge (LWF)

Five ecumenical general secretaries share conversation about ecumenism

The brief record of five general secretaries of international ecumenical organizations recently conversing together with leaders of Germany's Evangelical Church (EKD) provides some ecumenical insights. All men, they come from Africa, Europe, and Latin America and they represent action-oriented work, regional ecumenism, world conciliar fellowship, and the ecumenism of single world communions. Their conversation recognizes the need for ecumenism "that brings all sorts of actors together" as well as the need for even a single communion (the World Communion of Reformed Churches) to heal divisions within its own confessional family. As an antidote to competition, it is possible to see a "polycentricity" in ecumenism, one says. The conversation moves outward, too: ACT Alliance has worked with Catholics in Darfur and would like to replicate that cooperation at the interfaith as well as the Christian ecumenical level.

 

"Ecumenism in the 21st century" asks questions about the path to unity

The PC(USA)'s Robina Winbush has been part of a process to continue discussion about where ecumenism is and should be going today. The Continuation Committee on Ecumenism in the 21st Century first convened in late 2007, coordinated under the auspices of the World Council of Churches, is composed of members from over twenty churches and international Christian organizations who are seeking a common vision for the ecumenical movement. They last met in Rome in January 2010, when they formulated questions for broad discussion on future pathways toward unity.

When the committee met in January 2009, it invited six young theologians to join it, among them Chad Rimmer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Erin Brigham, a U.S. Roman Catholic.

 

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  Widely differing groups will again engage in mutual sharing

A Second Global Gathering of the Global Christian Forum (GCF) is planned for October 4-7, 2011 in Indonesia. What is the purpose of such a gathering? It is intended to "create an open space wherein representatives from a broad range of Christian churches and interchurch organizations, which confess the triune God and Jesus Christ . . . can gather to foster mutual respect, to explore and address together common challenges." Some 300 people from all the main Christian traditions, men and women, young and old, from all parts of the world are expected to meet under the theme, "Life Together in Jesus Christ Empowered by the Holy Spirit."

In 2007 a Global Christian Forum first gathered as a visible expression of work that had long been quietly moving forward. Early work toward GCF was fostered by the WCC but developed a much broader focus, became autonomous, and based itself upon "participation" rather than "membership."

Participants had differing views on ecclesiology, mission, and evangelism but together they were able to share their faith. A book, Revisioning Christian Unity, preserves a record of the event, which was held in Nairobi, Kenya. The January

2010 issue of Transformation, the theological journal of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, is devoted to the Global Christian Forum. See also an April 2011 newsletter.

A three-member committee will particularly plan for the Indonesia GCF meeting; it will include Wesley Granberg-Michaelson of the Reformed Church of America (RCA) and Lutheran Kathryn Johnson of Louisville Presbyterian Seminary and the Luitheran World Federation (LWF). Hubert van Beek is the Forum secretary until the beginning of 2012, when Mennonite Larry Miller will replace him.

Regional consultations and visits have occurred since the 2007 gathering.

A continuing committee has included Granberg-Michaelson (far right) and Cecil Robeck (near right, Pentecostal), both also active in Christian Churches Together (CCT) in the U.S. As Granberg-Michaelson retires from leadership in the Reformed Church of America (RCA), he has written about his views about a wider ecumenism; see Unexpected Destinations: An Evangelical Pilgrimage to World Christianity (ISBN # 978-0802866837).

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Evangelicals talk with Latter-day Saints in Utah

A group of individual evangelicals met with one of the Twelve Apostles of the Latter-day Saints (LDS) Church in March, when the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) had a board meeting in Salt Lake City. One of the group, Presbyterian minister and Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw, had addressed the LDS earlier and is quoted as saying then, "It's a terrible thing to bear false witness ... We've told you what you believe without first asking you." The March conversation looked at what the LDS believe about salvation; the group also discussed how to understand language that may mean something different in the two traditions. A "non-profit 501(c3) ministry," Standing Together, intends to promote LDS / Evangelical scholarly dialogue; it is credited with lowering the cycle of confrontation between the two. It describes its mission as being a "catalyst for uniting the Utah Christian community through relational efforts of prayer, worship, and strategic evangelism." Its founder and president, Gregory Johnson, was raised in the LDS church and has been a minister of Utah Baptist and Evangelical Free congregations.

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The "Great Emergence:" what is it?

In a book titled The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing (ISBN # 13-978-0801013133), Phyllis Tickle offers a view of Christian history in which there is a major shift in the Church every 500 years. For those who have just celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, her look at the "emergent church" offers her analysis of what will take the central place in the next period. Phyllis Tickle was invited to speak about this at the 219th General Assembly (2010).

 

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Youth and young adult participation

PC(USA) giving opportunity supports ecumenical formation

Extra Opportunity #E052119 supports participation of church leaders (mostly young adults) in ecumenical formation activities—attendance at seminars, workshops, and other educational opportunities. Donations to the fund may be made online.

New Fire and FaithConnectsUs aim to ignite a youth movement

Beginning before the Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), there has been an effort to re-ignite a nation-wide U.S. movement of young adults who have special interest in expressing Christian unity—not only across denominations but also among different ethnicities and genders. This has resulted in "New Fire" meetings of young adults and the establishment of a web site by and for ecumenically engaged young adults. A spectrum of organizations have become involved as partners, including the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), Christian Churches Together, Sojourners, the National Council of Churches, and the World Council of Churches. See the report of the 2008 New Fire ecumenical days, page 8 of the National Council of Churches' 2008-2009 report, and the flyer for the New Fire 2010 gathering on November 7-9. Use the web site for up-to-date information on what is happening ecumenically in which young adults may have a special place.

A "Young Ecumenical / Interfaith Leadership Initiative" plans pilot project

Young adults and leaders from the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), New Fire, and World Student Christian Federation in the U.S. have joined together to begin a program that will connect young adults with members of the National Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious Staff (NAEIS). The young "fellows" will be directly supported by the local ecumenical or interfaith organization and trained by IFYC, New Fire and SCM-USA; the goal is to create a movement of young ecumenical / interfaith leaders who can have an impact on their campuses and communities. One of the initiaters of this effort in its pilot stage is David Fraccaro (pictured), who previously coordinated New Fire and now works with IFYC.

Youth body in the WCC now functioning

"Echos - the Commission on youth in the ecumenical movement," new since the last WCC Assembly, is made up of 25 young adults (35 years old and under). They work on leadership skills for younger WCC participants as well as networking and establishing consultation with the council. An American in the group, Jennifer Leath of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), also has been a part of the Pentecostal-WCC joint consultation. Leath points to a "delicate dance" in the church. She points out that leaders of churches who are given the authority that makes them perceived as powerful by society tend to be older; however, at the same time, churches need to maintain a prophetic and youthful voice.

Young adult stewards programs are important component 

Young adult stewards at National Council of Churches general assembly meetings assist with hospitality, registration, audio-visual and technology, communications, and logistics. They also interact with church leaders in attendance. Selections are made from applications. In 2010 Presbyterian Mary Elizabeth Prentice-Hyers was one of those chosen. A stewards program is also a vital element in World Council of Churches meetings.

Ecumenical cooperation on social issues

Micah Challenge, working on Millennium Goals, has broad support

The theological commission of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) issued a statement written by participants in a mini-consultation held in July 2007 saying that "a purely privatized faith . . . [that] has no wider implications for society must be rejected." The Micah Challenge, working on the Millennium Goals, is an initiative of the WEA together with the Micah Network of more than 300 Christian relief and development organizations. In the U.S., the challenge has been endorsed by a broad grouping including Bread for the World, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), and World Vision.

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Viewpoint: now looking at racism and unity

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