Posted on 06/29/2011 7:38:42 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The three main bodies in Christianity, representing about 90 percent of Christians worldwide, released a "historic" agreement Monday on how Christians should conduct themselves when witnessing in a religiously diverse context.
Leaders from the World Evangelical Alliance, the World Council of Churches and the Vatican’s Pontifical Council on Inter-religious Dialogue were in Geneva on Monday to launch the document entitled, "Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct."
The document, a result of five years of cooperation, provides a biblical mandate for evangelism and outlines a set of ethics on Christian conduct in missions.
It is the first time that bodies representing evangelicals, mainline Protestants and Catholics have joined together to endorse a major document.
"This is a historic document, a historic moment and a time for Christians to awake once again to our calling to mission and unity, always bearing in mind the ways in which Jesus calls us to do so," the Rev. Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, secretary general of the WEA, said at a press conference at the Ecumenical Center in Geneva.
The top evangelical leader also said the document was a "major achievement" because it shows the world that Christians across different backgrounds and traditions can work together.
There are three main parts that make up the Recommendations for Conduct.
The first part provides a biblical basis for Christian mission, asserting that Christians should follow the "example and teaching of Jesus Christ and of the early church" in their witness and that "conversion is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit."
The second section outlines 12 principles Christians are called to follow in witnessing of Christ in a manner consistent with the Gospel. These include: acting in God’s love; living with integrity, compassion and humility; rejecting any form of violence; and offering respect to all people.
The document concludes with six recommendations to all Christians, church bodies, mission organizations and agencies.
They are: study the document; build respect and trust with people of all religions; strengthen religious identity and faith while at the same time deepening knowledge and understanding of different religions; advocate justice and respect for the common good; call on governments and representatives to ensure religious freedom for all people; pray for the well-being of neighbors, recognizing prayer is integral to the Christian life and of Christian mission.
The Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC, commented, "We send this document to each of our constituencies with the hope that they will see these recommendations as an inspiration to design their own codes of conduct, relevant to their own particular contexts."
Christian leaders involved in the language of the document said it is in part a response to the accusation that the Church and missions seek to “unethically” convert non-Christians. The text seeks to resolve some of these misunderstandings, they said.
Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran, president of the PCID, said the recommendations "will help us reduce unnecessary tensions and to present the truth of God in a credible way to the world around us."
"Conversion cannot be imposed on anyone," Tveit stressed. "I hope this is a clear message [we convey] through this document."
Tauran added that there was "no hidden agenda" behind the spirit of renewed missionary activity embodied in the document but rather it is to "encourage people in a pluralistic world to live together in a better climate of mutual dialogue and respect and sincere friendship."
The team comprised of consultants from the WEA, WCC and PCID first met in Lariano, Italy, in May 2006 to discuss the document. The text was finalized during a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, in January of this year.
What a waste of time. Just read your Bible and you’ll know.
Somehow Mystery Babylon comes to mind!
Marching ever more rapidly toward a one-world religion.
EXACTLY! That’s what the ecumenical movement is!
I would have thought that those few basic things would be known to the greenest of disciples yet here these leaders are saying it took years, YEARS!, to work them out.
Anyhow, great work fellas, you’ve produced a document. Get it bound in red leather and put it on the shelf.
Have you heard anything about Rick Warren trying to merge Islam and Christianity together=chrislam?
I read that on a thread the other day. It was talking about Jack Van Impe’s departure from TBN because of an episode on Islam and that.
Anyway, it’s interesting (and stunning) how these things are taking place. I expect Islam or a morphed version of it to be the final result of these mergers.
When someone pulls that on me, I remind that person that Jesus was meek yet he could, and did, get mad at times. Righteous indignation is not a sin.
Tell me about it, you'd think that this bunch had never cracked open a Bible before. This just makes me want to roll my eyes at these morons and ask them when was the last time that they actually studied under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is basic Discipleship 101 stuff, I wonder how long it would take them to accomplish something on the doctrines of Salvation or Justification or anything else which actually requires some serious study.
Actually chrislam was founded by Tela Tella in the 1980s in Nigeria. Rick Warren is just a “useful idiot”
Ping
'The first part provides a biblical basis for Christian mission, asserting that Christians should follow the "example and teaching of Jesus Christ and of the early church" in their witness and that "conversion is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit."'
The second has problems. When Paul spoke to Agrippa I sure respect was given, but the today people seem to equate respect with not being nonconfrontational and sniveling.
The second section outlines 12 principles Christians are called to follow in witnessing of Christ in a manner consistent with the Gospel. These include: acting in God’s love; living with integrity, compassion and humility; rejecting any form of violence; and offering respect to all people.
I did read much of the last point. I saw where they were going and I didn't wan to ruin my day.
The "Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue" is charged with relations between the Church and non-Christian religions. Not for relations between different groups of Christians. That is the responsibility for the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
I have looked through the document on the WCC Website and see that it is dealing with missionary activity. That would fall under the aegis of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples or the Pontifical Mission Societies. And there is nothing mentioned on either of those two websites either.
Likewise, there is nothing discussed in any of the Vatican press offices, either the new portal, the Vatican Information Service, or Radio Vatican.
If there is a document signed, the Vatican would be crowing about it and I see silence. So this does not make sense to me at all.
Anyone who claims to speak for the Evangelical community is a charlatan.
It doesn’t work like that, Sparky.
At least they’re not Galatians or Ephesians!
This Baptist knows that there’s only one church made up of all the children of the Lord. I pray that we never forget that our true enemy is not a Christian.
It’s a good Biblical tradition: just think how long it took Paul, Peter, Barnabas, Mark, Appollus, Timothy and all the rest of those brothers to agree on circumcision, “unclean food,” new moons and whether to preach to the Gentiles!
But that's the point, it's already been agreed upon and settled. This bunch of yahoos is reinventing the wheel and claiming that it's some great accomplishment on their part.
Leaders from the World Evangelical Alliance, the World Council of Churches and the Vatican’s Pontifical Council on Inter-religious Dialogue were in Geneva on Monday to launch the document entitled, "Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct."
Does this reporter really think that the "World Evangelical Alliance" represents, in any meaningful sense, the world's evangelicals?
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