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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3232 notes).

Note 3231 by UMNS on Oct. 15, 1996 at 15:49 Eastern (4282 characters).

SEARCH: United Methodist, ecumenical, Christian Unity,
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Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT:  Ralph E. Baker                         517(10-71B){3231}
          Nashville, Tenn.  (615) 742-5470           Oct. 15, 1996

Wesleyans have ingrained ecumenical spirit
British Methodist leader tells commission

by Robert Lear*

     DAYTON BEACH, Fla. (UMNS) -- Religious descendants of John
Wesley have an ecumenical spirit in their genes, a British
Methodist theologian told United Methodism's Christian unity arm
Oct. 11 here.
     Wesley's theme of grace for all people is an  "anthem more
meaningful to Methodists than the 'Star Spangled Banner,'"
asserted the Rev. Kenneth Cracknell, currently research professor
in theology and mission at Brite Divinity School in Ft. Worth,
Texas.
     "Because of John Wesley we know the church must not get in
the way of the Kingdom," Cracknell said in an address to the
denomination's Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious
Concerns (CCUIC) as it met Oct. 11-14 to organize for the 1997-
2000 quadrennium.
     Bishop Roy I. Sano, Los Angeles Area, was elected president
of the 38-member commission that has its headquarters in New York
City. The Rev. Patricia M. Toschak, Minneapolis, Minn., was named
vice president and Ruth A Daugherty, Lancaster, Pa., secretary.
The Rev. Bruce W. Robbins is chief staff executive.
     Most of the meeting here was devoted to reviewing commission
emphases and looking to such future events as the 8th Assembly of 
the World Council of Churches.  The international assembly in 1998
in Harare, Zimbabwe, will mark the WCC's 50th anniversary.
     United Methodism will have 25 delegates to the assembly, one
of the largest denominational delegations. The Rev. Kathy
Bannister, Bison, Kan., a member of both the WCC Central Committee
and the Assembly planning body, said a major issue is how the WCC
can proceed in a world "quite different from the world in which it
began."
     The ecumenical organization now has 332 member churches in
more than 100 countries representing virtually all Christian
traditions. CCUIC approved asking the General Council on Finance
and Administration to release approximately $371,000 in funds
earmarked for the assembly toward a United Methodist "fair share"
asking of $600,000.
     Other major blocks of time here were devoted to the National
Council of Churches and the Consultation on Church Union.
Representatives of two other member churches of the Consultation
were seated as directors of CCUIC -- Carol Closson, Allentown,
Pa., United Church of Christ, and Marion Henley, Chicago,
International Council of Community Churches.
     Robbins, CCUIC general secretary, told the commission
directors that "people are concerned about a lack of vision" in
today's world. He called for addressing such issues as
intergenerational divisions, urban-rural, Bible study and
relations with other faiths.
     CCUIC is mid-term on a four-year program emphasis on
educating and resourcing, inter/intra-denominational
relationships, conciliar relationships, interfaith relationships
and emerging issues. Other topics targeted for consideration
include interdenominational dialogues, resourcing annual
conferences, youth, chaplaincy and Native Americans.
     In other business the commission elected eight at-large
directors. Two vacancies remain to be filled.
     A search committee will be named to find a successor to the
Rev. Jean Audrey Powers who retired Sept. 1 as associate general
secretary.
     The commission will hold its next meeting April 3-6 in
Madison, N.J.
                              #  #  #

     * Lear is retired news director of the Washington office of
United Methodist News Service now living in Wernersville, Pa.

Elected at-large members and their conferences were:

Precious Bell Craft, California-Nevada 
Ruth A. Daugherty, Eastern Pennsylvania
Richard Grounds, Oklahoma
The Rev. Lucia Guzman, Rocky Mountain
Thelma Johnson, West Ohio
Abass Kamara, Western Pennsylvania
The Rev. Tweedy Sombrero, Desert Southwest
Rosabeth Ward, Virginia

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