CHAPTER 1
Responding to God's Call for a New Way of Living
Rosemarie Wenner, Warner H. Brown, Jr., And Bruce R. Ough
Seeking the unity of Christ's church and fostering interreligious relationships is at the heart of United Methodism. What is distinctive about our heritage and hope is our belief that all of God's children are precious, and with deep respect we seek to find ways by which we can "deepen and expand the ecumenical and interreligious ministries of The United Methodist Church."
Often we affirm familiar words from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians pleading for unity in the body of Christ. Each of us is expected "to lead a life worthy of the calling" of Christ and to do so "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." This calling is to "maintain," not create, unity. Unity is God's creative initiative; it is a gift of God through Christ. We are the stewards of this gift. This calling is not just personal but corporate, as we avow that "there is one body and one Spirit, just as you [are] called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:1-6 NRSV).
Breaking from Past Paths
We seek to respond to God's call for a new way of living that breaks dramatically from past paths that too often have prized divisiveness and championed schism and separation rather than unity and relationships. When we remember our own church history, we are painfully aware of past splits, often because of racism, regionalism, and tribalism. We know that even today healing and reconciliation still are urgently needed.
When we look globally, we recall how too often people of differing religious perspectives and persuasions have become alienated from one another and how families and communities have been devastated because of religious misunderstandings and misdeeds. Seeking and maintaining Christian unity and interreligious relationships are not options, but theological obligations of our faith because we affirm a God of love and follow Jesus, the Christ, who transcended narrowness of spirit and always pressed for greater inclusivity.
The ecumenical movement of the twentieth century sought to shatter the exclusiveness and barriers Christians often erected by doctrines, polities, practices, prejudices, and institutions. The rigidity of boundaries between persons of different world religions began to be reexamined. Inspired by people like the Methodist layman and Nobel Peace Prize winner John R. Mott, the modern ecumenical movement gained momentum among Protestants. Mott emphasized unity for the sake of mission and urged interreligious dialogue, not diatribe, as he pressed for world peace.
From the 1960s forward, there has been an unprecedented degree of activity bent on enhancing religious understanding, cooperation, and unity. Roman Catholic ecumenical activity has been centered in the Vatican's Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, while the 345 member churches of the World Council of Churches represent roughly 500 million Protestant and Orthodox Christians in 110 countries. Perhaps due to the ecumenical DNA of Methodists, three of the seven general secretaries of the World Council of Churches since its inception in 1948 have been Methodist: Philip A. Potter of the West Indies (1972–84), Emilio Castro of Uruguay (1985–92), and Samuel Kobia of Kenya (2004–2009).
In recent years new efforts have been made to include Christians who belong to evangelical or charismatic churches and congregations in the ecumenical conversations. There have been two global gatherings (Nairobi, Kenya, 2007, and Manado, Indonesia, 2011) and the journey continues in order to broaden and deepen encounters on the way to Christian unity. United Methodists are involved and serve as bridge builders. At the recent global gathering in 2011, Bishop Joaquina Nhanala of Mozambique represented the Council of Bishops.
A recent survey revealed that around the world, United Methodists are engaged in grassroots efforts to promote Christian unity and interreligious relationships. Bishop Christian Alsted of the Nordic-Baltic Area describes United Methodists everywhere as being "bridge-builders, always connecting the gap between Catholics, Orthodox, Baptists, and Pentecostals." Bishop Rodolfo A. Juan of the Philippines describes his pastors as being "inclined to ecumenism" and "very open and friendly" to persons of different religious traditions. Bishop Nkula Ntanda Ntambo of the North Katanga Area of the Congo reports, "We work hand in hand with Catholic, Muslim, Pentecostal and indigenous religions. We respect one another and share prayer meetings, encourage dialogue, and in time of war work together for peace."
Four Key Dimensions of Christian Mission
United Methodists have identified four key dimensions of Christian mission that focus on making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. They are integral to the gospel expressions of our Methodist missional DNA and are shared in differing ways by other Christian communions of faith. Effective implementation of these ministries is enabled as we embrace attitudes and actions reflecting a quest for Christian unity and interreligious relationships.
United Methodists are focused on leadership development, congregational vitality, ministry with the poor, and global health. All are interrelated; none has priority over another. First, our vision and mission is a commitment to develop principled Christian leaders for the church and world. Around the world the church has emphasized loving God with one's mind and educating persons to meet their God-given potential. Ensuring a clergy and laity that are equipped with biblical and theological knowledge, who live lives of ethical integrity and intentionality, and who are oriented outward toward the world are basic to our understanding of the church.
Illustrative of our commitment has been the establishment around the world of schools, colleges, universities, and theological seminaries that have educated, not only United Methodists, but Christians of many persuasions, as well as persons of other faiths. Fostering understanding, engagement, and respect of persons with differing religious traditions always has been a hallmark of Methodism.
This commitment is further demonstrated by the response of United Methodist laity and clergy...
