wfn.org | Stone-Campbell Dialogue plans expansion

["Communication Ministries" <wshuffit@cm.disciples.org>]

Date: January 14, 2002
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Curt Miller
E-mail: cmiller@cm.disciples.org
on the Web: http://www.disciples.org

02a-2

	NASHVILLE (DNS) -- Members of the Stone-Campbell Dialogue
held their fifth meeting December 2-3 at the Disciples of
Christ Historical Society in Nashville, Tenn.

	The Dialogue meets twice a year, bringing together almost
two dozen ministers, historians and academicians from the a
cappella Churches of Christ, the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) and the Christian Churches/Churches
of Christ. The Dialogue serves to deepen understanding
among the three groups and to foster a constructive
atmosphere for discussing both their differences and their
common concerns. 

	Dr. Mike Armour of Dallas chaired the December meeting,
which centered on the textual studies of John 17 and 1
Corinthians 1:10. This marked a new phase of the Dialogue.
Previous gatherings aimed at helping the groups become more
familiar with one another. Those gatherings focused on
papers which traced historical and doctrinal developments
in each stream of what is commonly called the Restoration
Movement or the Stone-Campbell Movement. 

	"The time had come," Armour noted, "for us to take our
fuller understanding of each other into careful textual
study. We decided to begin by looking at the principles of
unity outlined in Scripture."

	The papers focused on two pivotal passages, Christ's
prayer for unity the night of His betrayal and Paul's
admonition for Christians to be like-minded. 

	The December meeting also laid the groundwork to expand
the Dialogue to local settings across North America. "It
was our intention from the beginning," Armour explained,
"for the current configuration of the Stone-Campbell
Dialogue to be temporary. Our ultimate goal was for our own
dialogue to give way to similar conversations in hundreds
of local communities."

	As a step in that direction, the next meeting of the
Dialogue, slated for Louisville, Ky. June 17-18, will
include interaction with elders and ministers from the
surrounding area. These congregational leaders will help
identify ways for dialogue at local levels to move forward.
Elders and ministers from all three elements of the
Stone-Campbell heritage will participate. 

	As an aid to local initiatives, members of the
Stone-Campbell Dialogue have already assembled papers from
their previous meetings and published them in a recent
issue of Mid-Stream, a journal produced by the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ). Robert Welsh, who heads the
Disciples' Council on Christian Unity, proposed this idea a
year ago. 

	"By putting the papers in one volume," Welsh said, "we
provide a simple way for people to begin local
conversations, using our papers as a starting point for
discussion."

	In several communities in North America, a capella
Churches of Christ, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
communities and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ are
already pursuing joint action. These early initiatives are
primarily aimed at simply getting to know one another after
decades of division. 

	Based on the experience of the Stone-Campbell Dialogue,
this is an essential first step. Only after bonds of trust
and friendship were established could participants in the
Dialogue discuss their differences frankly and
constructively. They therefore are encouraging local
leaders to move slowly at first, building relationships and
spending time in prayer together before pressing detailed
discussions of their historical differences. 

For further details: 
Robert K. Welsh - 317-714-2585

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