RESOURCING THE CHURCH FOR ECUMENICAL MINISTRy A ...

Christian Churches Together in the USA, and
Churches Uniting in Christ). For a communion
relatively small in numbers, this is remarkable.
There is more. Disciples participated honorably in
the missionary expansion of the Church in the 19th
and earlier 20th centuries in India, Africa and Asia.
But in recent years they have actively encouraged
these mission-founded churches, and others in
Europe and Australasia with Disciples’ heritage, to
enter church unions. The United Church of Christ
in Thailand, the Church of Christ in the
Democratic Republic of Congo, the United
Reformed Church in the United Kingdom—these
and more embody the Disciples commitment to the
visible unity of the Church. Disciples have also
fostered many local, national and regional councils
of churches, for example in the USA and in India.
And more: though Disciples in the US have not
entered into a church union, they have formed a
far-reaching partnership with the United Church
of Christ in the US. In an arrangement which may
be unique worldwide, the two churches have
established a common board for world mission. For
Disciples this has truly been a century—and more—
of witness to the cause of the unity of the church.
Why spend time and energy—not to mention
financial resources—in reviewing our
ecumenical present and future? Should we
not just congratulate ourselves, and continue
on as we are?
Ironically, the very intensity and depth of our
ecumenical engagement prompts the following
questions: Given that we are so engaged and
prominent ecumenically, why another “visioning”
conference on Disciples’ ecumenical life? Why
now? Why spend time and energy—not to mention
financial resources—in reviewing our ecumenical
present and future? Should we not just congratulate
ourselves, and continue on as we are? The planners
of this conference had the courage to answer, “No.”
They recognized that the life of our church, and of
the ecumenical movement, is a journey, a work in
progress. They recognized that it is precisely when
things are going well that one is tempted to forget
this, that one must constantly re-examine and reevaluate
the situation.
The fact is that our own church is changing, and it
Best • The Journey Ahead
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is essential to review our ecumenical life in view of
that. It is imperative that we involve a wider range of
persons—not just a loyal group of professional
ecumenical staff and enthusiasts—in our
ecumenical life. This is true in the context of local
congregations, in the various regions, and within
the General Ministries of our church. And it is all
the more important as the present generation of
leaders approaches retirement, and the next
generation has to be widely won to the cause.
Thankfully our church is being enriched by new
populations of Disciples, both from within the US
and from around the world; this is a blessing, but
for many of these new Disciples the ecumenical
cause is not self-evident, and the ecumenical case
has to be argued anew.
For many of these new Disciples the
ecumenical cause is not self-evident, and the
ecumenical case has to be argued anew.
It is also important to re-examine our ecumenical
life because the ecumenical movement itself is
changing. Some have said that it has suffered due to
its very success—that the excitement of 100, or even
30, years ago has waned as ecumenism has become a
recognized “field” and the pioneering generations
of enthusiasts, working too often in the face of
indifference or even suspicion, have been replaced
by professional ecumenists who are only too well
integrated into the bureaucracy of their churches.
There are many positive changes as well: churches
are taking ecumenical lessons to heart; they are
discovering new possibilities in their common
confession, worship and witness. Fresh theological
and ecclesiological insights have opened new
perspectives on classic church-dividing issues. And
the traditional ecumenical movement is facing new
challenges as a host of new partners (today,
especially evangelicals and Pentecostals) brings new
concerns and issues to the discussion.
A Journey of Wholeness
These points bring us to the second aspect of the
conference theme, a journey of wholeness, and to the
results of the conference. These were summarized
in a preliminary draft Report produced and
discussed already during the meeting. In its final
form the Report will serve as a basis for
recommendations for the Council on Christian