wfn.org | Forums Provoke Conversation at NCC 50th Anniversary Event

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National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
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Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227
	50th Anniversary Newsroom - Nov. 8-12, 1999 call 216-696-8490

NCC11/9/99						FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORUMS PROVOKE CONVERSATION AT NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES EVENT

Nov. 9, 1999, CLEVELAND, Ohio - Four major forums prompted discussion at 
the National Council of Churches anniversary meeting around ecumenism and 
theology, public education, faithful living in America, and rock & roll 
culture.  More than 800 people are taking part in the 50th anniversary 
events here.

Churches should keep talking -- even when it's hard - according to the Rev. 
Dr. William Rusch who said the "search for unity has its foundation in 
Jesus."  Rusch, a Lutheran, is head of the NCC's Faith and Order 
Commission.   He led a forum on "Theology and Ecumenism."

Speakers encouraged expanded and new unity discussions and agreements among 
communions. They also noted some obstacles: the notion that ecumenical 
dialog is a 'watering' down of the specific theological expression of a 
particular tradition, the absence of the voice of youth, and strained, even 
hostile, relationships among Muslims and Christians in many parts of the world.

Participants voiced support for the tradition and accomplishments of 
interfaith dialogue, and encouraged the expansion of bilateral and 
multilateral discussions and agreements among communions.

Ecumenical dialogue is "a movement that searches for the will of God in 
life and work," said Dr. Rusch.  It concentrates on unity as God's gift.
	
Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was host to some100 people who talked 
about the influence of popular music on worship and the position of the 
gospel in popular culture. Participants freely roamed the sprawling museum 
that includes four floors of exhibits and plenty music representing 
different eras of Rock & Roll.

There was lively debate about what kind of music is appropriate for the 
worship of God. Dr. Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr., Assistant Professor, Department 
of Music, University of Pennsylvania, encouraged participants to consider 
the history of American religious music and its relationship to blues, jazz 
and rock music.

Thomas Beaudoin, author of "Virtual Faith," was asked if popular music 
could be used to bring more people into church.  He responded with his view 
that having a lot of people in church doesn't mean the gospel is being 
preached.
Instead, Mr. Beaudoin said, the church's challenge is to recognize the 
powerful symbols of popular culture, including music, and acknowledge that 
they often have transforming meaning for people.  The church should give 
respect and dignity to the place these symbols have in people's lives, he 
said.	Public education must become the next frontier of the civil rights 
movement, sid sDavid Hornbeck, and faith communities must lend their voices 
to the struggle. The superintendent of Philadelphia Public Schools spoke in 
the forum on "The Churches' Commitment to Public Education at the Edge of a 
New Century."Mr. Hornbeck called for "genuine school reform that goes 
beyond simply increasing revenues to needy school districts."  He said, 
"Money, by iself, doesn't get the job done." Mr. Hornbeck named "essential" 
components to effective school reform:

* believing that all kids can learn;
* identifying high standards;
* smaller classes and decentralized administrative structures;
* increased professional development for teachers;
* quality early childhood education;
* the establishment of community and support services;
* partnerships with employers and volunteers;
* better facilities, books, computers and other tools;
* increased financial resources.

Only after recasting education's goals, standards and relationships does 
Mr. Hornbeck counsel going after more money.  Once the foundation is sound, 
seek increased funding to build better schools, equip computer labs and 
fill cutting-edge libraries, he said.

A roomful of Christians gathered together with a  Buddhist and a Muslim to 
talk about life together at "Living Faithfully in America: a Multi-Faith 
Conversation." The forum's theme was chosen to evoke discussion on the 
manner in which people see and respect people of different religions in 
their communities.

Dr. Peter Junger, Case Western University, represented the Cleveland Shin 
Buddhist community.  He said Buddhists are often "misunderstood and find 
that not all Americans are hospitable to their religion."  Buddhism teaches 
one to be faithful to one's belief, he said.  The bottom line is "Don't get 
hung up on life and try to see things as they are related to other things.

Imam Fawaz Damra from the Islamic /Center of Cleveland presented a Muslim 
viewpoint.  In America, Muslims are a minority religion in contrast to the 
Eastern world where they are a majority, he said.   All Muslims are not 
united, and take different approaches to interpret their faith.  Dr. Damra 
said, "Muslims cannot live in isolation, but for the first time their faith 
has been under attack and they are always on the defensive in America.

It was a cordial discussion with more questions than answers.  "How do we 
talk about others when they are not in our presence?" - the key test of the 
spirit of inter-faith tolerance, according to one forum participant
In addressing the need for teaching one's own faith, the Rev. Bert Breiner, 
co-director of the NCC Interfaith Commission suggested that " we must learn 
to live faithfully in a multi-faith society and to live in relationship to 
God, humanity and the Bible."

Dr. Damra provided the closing thoughts, emphasizing that despite personal 
links to other lands and people "we are all God conscious people before we 
are American. We must not only act together but influence American foreign 
policy not to have a secular approach but to ground policy in the teachings 
of all faiths."

-end-