wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Worship proposal sparks debate as WCC mulls

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Worship proposal sparks debate as WCC mulls Orthodox concerns  
02327
August 29, 2002 
    
Worship proposal sparks debate as WCC mulls Orthodox concerns  
  
by Jerry Van Marter  

Geneva - The question of how Christians seeking to unite can worship together when they have widely differing liturgies and ceremonies triggered vigorous debate Thursday at a meeting in Geneva of the main governing body of the World Council of Churches.  
	A proposal to do away with the term "ecumenical worship" at WCC gatherings and instead distinguish between "confessional common prayer" (the formal liturgies of member churches) and "inter-confessional common prayer" (services which blend liturgical elements from a number of Christian traditions) dominated discussions.  
	On the table was a pivotal report designed to repair relations between the world's largest ecumenical body and its Orthodox member churches at its Geneva gathering.   
	Three years in the making, the report of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC, drew more than 20 speakers at the central committee hearing and 25 more participants were waiting to speak when time ran out after more than 90 minutes of discussion.  
	Earlier in the week at the central committee meeting it was announced one of the most contentious issues for Orthodox members - the ordination of women - would be tackled next year at a consultation organized by the WCC's Faith and Order Commission.  
	Neither the Roman Catholic nor Orthodox churches ordains women. Although the Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC it has been since 1968 a full member of the Faith and Order Commission, while about 20 Orthodox churches belong to the WCC.  
	The 40-member special commission was created by the WCC's assembly in Harare in 1998 to address growing dissatisfaction by its Orthodox member churches, who have charged the WCC with "Protestant domination" of its theological and social agenda, and decision-making style.   
	Protestant member churches have generally embraced the increasingly informal worship style of WCC gatherings, which combine liturgical elements from a variety of traditions.   
	On the other hand, the Orthodox - whose identity as churches is closely tied to their formal liturgical style and content - have become deeply troubled by what had come to be coined "ecumenical worship".  
	"This [proposal] doesn't mean to 'outlaw' the word worship in any sense," insisted Orthodox Church in America theologian Peter Bouteneff. "It is a plea for a precise naming of worship services so no false signals are given to some traditions and cultures. If we name these liturgies for what they are, then all of us can worship with integrity and our prayers can breathe freely." 
	Bishop Margot Kaessmann of the Evangelical Church in Germany, an influential central committee member who said she was drawn into the WCC 20 years ago by the worship services at the WCC assembly in Vancouver, Canada, said: "I don't think what we have here is a forward-looking document." She called the worship proposal "almost a document of fear".  
	"If in the WCC we can't celebrate ecumenical worship, I don't think I want to be involved any more," she said.  
	Still, Leonid Kishkovsky of the Orthodox Church in America praised the proposal as a way of providing "a broad ecumenical space rather than trying to force everyone into a single mould." 
	Yet Ruth Bottoms of the Baptist Union of Great Britain said, "I'm sad we have to be so careful about this - the world, which is in so much pain, needs us to pray together."  
	The spirited discussion of the worship proposal nearly overshadowed another far-reaching proposal - to move the WCC from majority-rule to consensus decision-making - a proposal that prompted much pre-meeting debate.
	The special commission's report defines consensus as any one of the following: unanimity; most are in agreement and the minority gives consent; various opinions are acknowledged and recorded; no agreement, thus postponement; and agreement that no decision can be reached.  
	"This is a structured process for seeking a common mind," explained Eden Grace of the Friends United Meeting, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), "which is, after all, what Scripture calls us to."  
	Echoing frequently heard misgivings, Abigail Ogunsanya of the Church of the Lord (Aladura) Worldwide, said, "If we have to wait for all the churches to agree, then we will not speak in timely fashion."  
	But, reminded that consensus does not mean unanimity and given a provision in the report to create "mechanisms" to break logjams, most central committee members seemed willing to give the new model a try.  
	"The consensus model is good," said Trond Bakkevig of the Church of Norway, "but we need training in how to use it."    
	Agnes Abuom of the Anglican Church of Kenya, one of seven WCC presidents, said she welcomed the consensus model. "We have struggled with power issues in Africa - this represents the common good for all."  
	Another governance proposal - to create a 14-member "parity committee," half-Orthodox and half non-Orthodox - drew more fire. Critics argued that the proposed committee - which would carry forward the work of the special commission and advise the WCC on reaching consensus on various issues - would pre-empt existing structures.  
	"How can we have a committee with the same rights as our executive committee?" queried Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durres and All Albania. "From an administrative point, this needs to be reconsidered."  
	During the next three days, four different central committee subgroups will be looking at the report. Final action is scheduled for early next week.
	"To some this is too much change and to others it is not enough," said Special Commission co-moderator Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Ephesus, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, who is also a WCC president. "This report is not the final and comprehensive word, but it is a significant and major step." 
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