The Layman – October-November 2007 Volume 40, Number 3 – Posted November 13, 2007

True ecumenism needed now throughout the Church Crisis is the operative word within many of the Christian communions in North America today, whether it be a crisis of faith regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ; a lack of trust in denominational leadership; “creative” theological interpretations of Scripture; a waffling on moral issues; or declining gifts to what many regard as failing institutions. Within this crisis mode, as respected theologian Thomas Oden has said, “our churches suffer from private, subjective and idiosyncratic versions of the faith that do not find their root in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture, as confessed in the historic ecumenical creeds.” The leadership of the church, he said, “has been distracted by false gospels. Our finances have been misspent. Our mission efforts have at times become reduced to social service projects lacking clear proclamation of the One on behalf of whom we offer compassion. Our continuity with the historic consensus of faith is imperiled. Our theological institutions have been plagued with false teachings from speculative Scripture studies to permissiveness to neo-pagan witchcraft to channeling to voodoo and to sexual relativism.” The solution, according to Oden, is that Christians once again must “become re-grounded in apostolic and classic ecumenical teaching. Only a new grounding in ancient ecumenical wisdom can avert the mistakes made by modern ecumenical leadership. Modern ecumenism began in mission, then lapsed into bureaucracy and politicization. The new ecumenism is returning to the wellsprings of unity in apostolic truth and ancient ecumenism as a basis for rebuilding.” Contrast Oden’s eloquent plea for true ecumenism with Clifton Kirkpatrick’s call for a continuation of modern ecumenism. The stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), speaking at a recent meeting of the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical Relations in Louisville, said we need to “find ways to agree together on universal norms of human rights that include the right of people to choose their own religion.” Despite chronic financial problems and tensions between and within many denominations, Kirkpatrick said, “Tremendous signs are present of the life and vitality in the ecumenical movement today. There are struggles – funding, for example – but justice for God’s people in the world is strong.” The difference between Oden’s vision of true ecumenism and Kirkpatrick’s vision of unity in shifting political alliances is clear and to the point – one openly confesses classic Christian teaching in good conscience without evasion or dilution and celebrates the unity it already has in Jesus Christ, while the other is a top-heavy bureaucracy driven by politics within an atmosphere of secular and cultural accommodation. We call on all Christians to embrace true ecumenism, based on the classic teaching that Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth and the life – which is the only unity. As Oden said, “The promise of the Spirit is to guide the Church into all truth. The Spirit, even today, is reliably reminding the faithful of the Good News of the Kingdom.” The Layman Editorial Board

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