wfn.org | ABCUSA: Christian Unity Committee Celebrates Ecumenical

["CHANDLER, David" <David.Chandler@abc-usa.org>]

Relationships

American Baptist News Service (Denver, Colo. 6/28/05)--The Committee on
Christian Unity of the American Baptist Churches USA General Board,
meeting here today, prayed, reflected and celebrated its ongoing
ecumenical connections and relationships.

General Secretary the Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley dialoged with the committee
about ongoing denominational involvement with the Church of the
Brethren, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship and the North American Baptist Fellowship of the
Baptist World Alliance.  Conversations with these groups have centered
on how we might do mission and ministry more effectively together.

Medley also reported about the Conference on World Mission and
Evangelism in Athens, Greece, that he attended in May.	Other American
Baptist participants included the Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley, National
Ministries' associate executive director for Church in Community
Transformation, and Julie Justus and Natalie Hanna, who were also
present as youth stewards.

The Rev. Rothangliani Chhangte, director of Ecumenical Formation and
staff to the committee, reported on ongoing ecumenical relationships
with the Baptist World Alliance, the National Council of Churches, the
World Council of Churches, Christian Churches Together in the USA and
the National Association of Evangelicals.

The committee encourages American Baptists to be in prayer for the
Baptist World Alliance Centenary celebration in Birmingham, England,
July 27-31, 2005, and for the 9th General Assembly meeting of the World
Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Feb. 14-23, 2006, which
will involve Christians from 120 countries and 340 denominations.

One of the products of the committee's work is the publication of its
new brochure, "Your Guide to Ecumenical Life," which highlights the
historic ABC ecumenical partners as well as provides some specific
suggestions for local church and wider ecumenical involvement.	Also
available, on CD, is the Powerpoint presentation that the committee made
to the General Board last November.

The Committee on Christian Unity is supporting the efforts of the Office
of Cooperative Christianity and Brad Berglund, an American Baptist
pastor, in co-sponsoring an ecumenical trip for young adults to Geneva,
Switzerland and the Taize Community in France in June 2006.  The trip
will include a walking tour of Old City, Geneva, a visit to the World
Council of Churches and the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, a tour of
the beautiful countryside of Switzerland and a week of prayer and
worship with the Taize Community in southern France.  For more
information contact Rothangliani Chhangte at
Rothang.Chhangte@abc-usa.org.

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA
x2077 / (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

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