Paulist Fathers: Ecumenism and Interfaith


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U.S. Catholic Bishops to Join Historic New Christian Alliance

by Thomas Ryan, C.S.P.

Roman Catholic bishops in the U.S. voted on November 17, 2004 by more than a 2-to-1 margin to join the broadest Christian alliance ever formed in the country. Called Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A., the alliance will link American evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Orthodox Christians, African and other minority churches, and Roman Catholics.

Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT) began in September, 2001, with a meeting of church leaders in the US who explored the need for expanding fellowship, unity, and witness among the diverse expressions of Christian faith today. They lamented the absence of any one place where representatives of historic Protestant, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Evangelical, and Orthodox churches come together officially to strengthen their unity in Christ and empower their mission.

In their subsequent meeting in Chicago in April, 2002, they drafted the Basis Statement of faith:

"Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A. gathers together those churches and Christian communities which, acknowledging God's revelation in Christ, confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior according to the Scripture, and in obedience to God's will and in the power of the Holy Spirit commit themselves to seek a deepening of their communion with Christ and with one another; to fulfill their mission to proclaim the Gospel by common witness and service in the world for the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

In the next step, an expanded group of 55 denominational and other church leaders met at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California in January, 2003 to draw up an Organization Plan which was approved by consensus. It was to this proposal and plan that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops gave its assent. When 25 denominations and organizations that have thus far been involved in the process make a positive decision through their appropriate governing bodies to belong to CCT, this new initiative will be formally launched. There are now 23, so the inauguration is expected to take place early in 2005.

The Organizational Plan acknowledges that "we have different histories and convictions on some key issues," but identifies four activities through which Participants in Christian Churches Together can strengthen their witness: "Rejoicing in our faith in the Triune God; discerning the guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer and theological dialogue; providing fellowship and mutual support; affirming our commonalities and understanding our differences."
As they do this, they trust that the Holy Spirit will show them the way to "fostering Christian evangelism faithful to the proclamation of the gospel; speaking to society with a common voice whenever possible; promoting the common good of society."

At least once a year, a General Assembly will gather usually for two and a half days for fellowship, prayer, theological discussion and discernment of potential areas for common witness.

Christian Churches Together will sponsor various Forums, national and regional, on diverse topics such as evangelism, worship, and public policy. National Christian organizations that share Christian Churches Together's purpose and theology will be invited to participate in these Forums. The role of CCT's minimal support staff will be to set up Forums on approved topics.

There will be two categories of participation: Participant churches which include national church bodies and associations of churches which are national in scope; and participant national Christian organizations, allowed to make up no more than 20% of CCT participants.

All participants in CCT will be expected to uphold Christian Churches Together's theological affirmations; support the organization, both financially and through personal participation; share in fellowship, prayer and dialogue with other participants in CCT; and join others in common ministry.

The General Assembly will consist of recognized senior leadership or designated representative of each participant group plus an additional representative for each five million members in their church or association of churches. Twenty per cent may also be heads of participant national Christian organizations.

The Steering Committee will consist of 18-24 members. Each of Christian Churches Together's five families (Evangelical/Pentecostal; Historic Protestant; Historic Racial/Ethnic; Orthodox; Roman Catholic) will have three members each on the Steering Committee.

Though the U.S. Catholic constituency (67 million) will give the Catholic Church a more numerous representation, that will not translate into control by the majority. In a decision-making process designed to emphasize listening and discussion, decisions in every setting of CCT's life will be by consensus. For every decision, representatives from each of the five families must be present. One "no" vote is sufficient to stop any proposed action.

In Topical Forums, any declarations, policy proposals, or other actions that develop out of the Forums sponsored by CCT will be done, not in the name of Christian Churches Together, but in the name of whatever churches, national Christian organizations and individuals choose to sign on to that specific item. Common action in the name of Christian Churches Together can only be done by consensus of the General Assembly.

CCT has not taken the decision that it is its role to press towards visible unity by working to overcome doctrinal differences. As it is not ordered towards pursuing full visible unity-a goal Evangelicals do not share--the theological work of the National Council of Churches' Faith and Order Commission will continue to go forward under NCC auspices. Both the NCC and the National Association of Evangelicals will continue as the CCT evolves.

Said Dr. Ann Riggs, Director of the NCC's Faith and Order Commission, "The way it's set up, the Roman Catholics had to join to make it work. If they hadn't, it wouldn't have gone forward." That significant hurdle has now been cleared. The vote came just three days in advance of the 40th anniversary of Vatican II's Decree on Ecumenism, and fittingly embodied its spirit and intention.