We know the very heart of God is the unity of His Church that we will all be one. Paul has said it very clearly in Ephesians 4 that the believers 'make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace' (v. 3) and the fundamentals of unity involves i..one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and the Father of all. The church needs to have unity of Spirit. Paul urges the church to be 'one in spirit and purpose' (Phil 2:2).
What then would bring unity? Is it ideological acceptance? Implementation on a practical level? Is it organizational alliance of a council? Is it the Ecumenical Movement?
Ecumenical Movement came from the Greek word 'oikoumene' meaning 'this inhabited world'. Though ecumenism began as early as 1517, but the modern ecumenical movement began in 1910 after the revivals that swept Europe and North America, from the outgrowth of the missionary movement among denominations for world evangelism. In 1948, the World Council of Churches assembled in Amsterdam, with the primary concern on the relationship of churches to one another. There are presently the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the National Council of Churches (NCC), aiming to bring churches of all denominations towards 'one world one church'.
The Ecumenical Movement is a huge controversial in the Christian world, especially the disagreements from the Evangelicals. The issues concerned certain basic truths, beliefs and doctrines. They question the doctrinal standards, that the ecumenical movement has often settled for the lowest common denominator. Besides theological issues, the evangelicals also disagree with the church issue, what structure of church government, form and function of the ministry be? Questions concerning the sacraments also causes severe tensions because that was what the reformists fought for in the 16th century. One teleological issue is the ultimate goal of this movement, is it an organic merger of all denominations into one superchurch?
We should always remember what Erickson advices, "Where Christians do disagree, whether as individuals, churches, or denominations, it is essential that they do so in a spirit of love, seeking to correct others and persuade them of the truth, rather than refute them or expose them to ridicule. Truth will ever be linked to love."
So, will the Ecumenical Movement unite the church in the world?
A house that divided will not stand. Erickson has a point in his advice that is disagreements happen in churches or among them but such disagreements can be resolved in a manner that is in a manner that is in accordance to the spirit of love, and corrections can be carried out in an understanding manner. The problem that hinders such resolution is the "defensive" mechanism evident within the system of the churches. Is it possible that pastors can be disturbed by comments made by members and try to subdue it with a value judgment and critical attitude? How about the lack of knowledge on the doctrinal beliefs or various practices of churches of different denominations? Churches around the world are often divided on matters such as these. Can the Ecumenical Movement work towards the organic merger of all denominations into one "super-church?" If this happens then can the distinctiveness between churches of different traditions and heritage be preserved and kept on for generations to come. Every church would claim that they are historically founded at some point in this time and it is common to hear that it is the intention and ideas of their founders that became the measuring rod for their conduct today. To do away with this and to merely blend or lump all churches together into one organic establishment is simply unthinkable. Yet, though the Ecumenical movement might not reach their objective, they ought to observe that currently churches toady do believe in cooperating with one another rather competing against each other. The size of a church matters for the sake of statistics of Christians worldwide but there is one common goal for all churches especially those of the Evangelical movement which is to witness people giving their lives to Jesus. With this common goal, such cooperation is called for. In the face of persecution albeit an intense one then maybe one church movement may need to govern it all but yet does this really matter? Faith is not granted by establishments but it comes from an individual's discovery of God and the profession that follows suit. Churches are to be united, believers are "one" body in Christ and to me though the Ecumenical Movement's ideal may not materialize, why is there a worry for this when Christians worldwide can accept one another in harmony? Makes sense right?
ReplyDeleteWith much oppositions from certain sectors mainly the evangelicals, the ecumenical movement may seem rather unpromising to achieve its objectives in a very near future though many churches have joined in. However, if we put aside all the different practices and methods of doing church as all denominations have, even the differences in certain theological disputes, and focus on God's Agenda and His Great Commission to us, then the church can unite and work together with One Spirit and Purpose...to win the world for Christ.
DeleteCan we equate Unity with the Ecumenical movement? Being United as one body and being united as one "super-church" may in fact be two very different things. Can the 6000 over denominations in the world come together under one body and feel rightfully represented?
ReplyDeleteOr in the case of Mitt Romney, a Mormon, try to unify the land and get the backing of Evangelicals and Catholics alike, by banking on our "Judeo-Christian" heritage?
This is a big thing and unity in Christ is always good, as God desires us to be One. But just imagine... to be a 'super-church' is like going back in history...the age of the catholic church before the reformation. Scary isn't it? I'm just wondering where this movement is heading towards?
DeleteHmmm, tough question eva. One scary thing about ecumenical movements and other 'unity' movements, is that it has the dangerous potential to unite people under the sway of certain individuals who are at the 'top' of these movements. Fine if these individuals are in line, but what if they go astray? This thought came to me as I stumbled upon David Jang while reading up for our Religion and Cults class http://www.apologeticsindex.org/2755-david-jang).
ReplyDeleteWho really is this 'key influencer in the World Evangelical Alliance"?
"David Jang has become an increasingly influential figure in Asian and now American evangelicalism. He and his followers have founded media outlets and a Christian college and are key influencers in the World Evangelical Alliance. But many say he leads a group that has encouraged the belief that he's the 'Second Coming Christ.' Is there any truth to the allegations?"
- excerpt from http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/september/david-jang-second-coming-christ.html
To say the least,I feel the cliché 'unity in diversity' still seems to represent the type of unity the Church is to head towards. The focus needs to be on what unites us as opposed to what divides us.
I agree with you Umeng, surely unity in diversity is still the best way forward, like a body with many parts. What certain factions are concerned about this movement is that will everything go back to the governance and power of a dominant representative?
DeleteNot an easy question to answer!
ReplyDeleteHad a discussion recently with a leader of mine regarding the different denominations/churches in today's society as well as the issues that may arise from this. I believe that a lot of strife and conflict occurs within the Christian circle and between denominations because at the core of it, where people are involved, there will be flaws despite the best of intentions.
We agreed however, that different denominations/churches may not necessarily be a bad thing as they cater to the needs of different people of all walks of life. I agree with you Eve, that when unity in diversity occurs, it proves to be a very strong tool to further God's kingdom. I am unsure if the Ecumenical Movement would necessarily equate to the kind of unity that Christ talks about in the bible regarding His bride, The Church.
Will have to think about this further and read more about the Ecumenical movement to make a more informed judgement, I don't think I know enough at present. Thanks for the post!
It is not an easy question to answer, but it is a good question to ask. Will the Ecumenical Movement unite the church in the world?
ReplyDeleteJust a question to ask, is christian unity man-made? I guess there is no man or movement can unite the people of God. It has to be God that unites the church in the world.