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Agency acts cautiously on Christian Churches Together

Sep. 27, 2005

NOTE: Audio, photographs and a related report, UMNS story #538, are
available at http://umns.umc.org.

By Linda Bloom*

SEATTLE (UMNS) - In the wake of concerns expressed by the historically
black Methodist denominations, United Methodists continue to take a
cautious approach regarding involvement in a new ecumenical
organization.

Differing viewpoints about the organization, called Christian Churches
Together, were expressed at a panel discussion during the Sept. 22-25
annual meeting of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and
Interreligious Concerns.

While the United Methodist Church has opted for provisional membership
in Christian Churches Together, the African Methodist Episcopal Church
and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church have decided not to join at
this point. The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is requesting
observer status.

All four denominations are part of the Commission on Pan-Methodist
Cooperation and Union. Noting that connection, the Commission on
Christian Unity passed a resolution recommending the Pan-Methodist
members "act together in respect to membership in the Christian Churches
Together and that the United Methodist Church take no further steps
toward full membership in the CCT in the absence of substantial
concurrence by the other denominations in the Commission on
Pan-Methodist Cooperation and Union."

United Methodist Bishop William B. Oden of Dallas, the denomination's
ecumenical officer, told United Methodist News Service that the church
is committed to traditional ecumenical structures but is also open to
new entities.

The choice of provisional membership, he explained, "affirms that a
broader table is needed in our time but also affirms continued close
ties to the historic black Methodist churches."

The purpose of Christian Churches Together is to draw closer together in
Christ for the sake of the world, according to the Rev. Wesley
Granberg-Michaelson, chief executive of the Reformed Church in America
and chairperson of the Christian Churches Together steering committee.

The National Council of Churches represents only about a third of U.S.
churches, and Roman Catholics and most evangelicals and Pentecostals
won't join, Granberg-Michaelson explained.

"For the sake of our mission and witness, we have to seek those broader
avenues of unity," he said.

Church leaders began exploring the idea of a "broader table" in
September 2001 and issued a vision statement of Christian Churches
Together the following April. Since then, 31 churches and national
Christian organizations - including mainline Protestants, Orthodox,
Catholics, Pentecostals and evangelicals - have formally decided to
join.

But a launch of the organization was delayed last June "to continue the
productive and positive conversation with churches and organizations
actively considering joining," according to a statement from the June
1-3 meeting in Los Altos, Calif.

The CME church is one of those still on the fence, according to Bishop
Thomas Hoyt, who oversees the denomination in Louisiana and Mississippi
and serves as president of the National Council of Churches.

He believes that Christian Churches Together will be good for a lot of
people, "but for the black church, there is still a sense of suspicion."
That suspicion is based, in part, on concerns that some of the religious
groups do not recognize the ministry of women, have not sufficiently
dealt with issues of racism and social justice, and do not understand
the black church and "where we are hurting."

The black Methodist denominations have joined many ecumenical
organizations, such as the NCC, and Hoyt said he had trouble seeing the
need to start another just to "unite with organizations that won't join
with us (in the NCC)."

AME Bishop E. Earl McCloud of Atlanta, a member of the Commission on
Christian Unity and chairperson of the Pan-Methodist commission, agreed
with that sentiment.

"I am clear that Christian Churches Together is going to weaken the
National Council of Churches," he said. "I'm clear that another
ecumenical body is going to overflood an already flooded ecumenical
landscape."

McCloud referred to Christian Churches Together as "a bunch of white
men" with a conservative agenda, but Granberg-Michaelson disputed that
characterization.

Established ecumenical groups, such as the NCC, "are unable to be a
place that is inclusive of the wider Christian community,"
Granberg-Michaelson said. "Millions of Christians feel marginalized by
that." Creating a new table is the only way to broader diversity, he
said.

Oden noted that while there are "many questions" about Christian
Churches Together, the new organization provides an opportunity to
dialogue with groups the United Methodist Church has never had an
opportunity to dialogue with before.

At the same time, United Methodists remain totally committed to the NCC
and Pan-Methodism. "We have no other choice because we're family," Oden
said.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.

News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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