WCC: rationale & mission

    Cards (8)

    • rationale/mission 1
      • WCC came through merging of life & work/faith & order commissions in 1948: statement of purpose grew from initial formulation to “carry out the work of the world movements for faith and order and life and work”
      • Brings together 349 denoms.: over 110 countries
      • Toronto 1950: central committee stated that it‘s not/must never become superchurch: its mission isn’t to negotiate union, but to bring churches into living contact
    • rationale/mission 2
      • WCC states that “it is a community of churches on the way to visible unity in one faith an one Eucharistic fellowship, expressed in worship and in common life in Christ”
      • uses statement of JC as its rationale: “that all of them may be one, father… may they also be in us so that the world may believe you have sent me” (Jn 17:21)
      • aim of WCC is to pursue “visible unity of the church”: involves renewal and changes in which member churches pray, worship, discuss, & work together
    • general assemblies
      • made up of mainly protestant churches: Orthodox Church is an active participant: Roman Catholic observers attended the Third General Assembly in New Delhi (1961) & Pope John XXIII invited WCC observes to Vatican II (1963)
      • Tenth General Assembly in busan, South Korea (2013) focused on issues of justice & peace
    • continuation committee on ecumenism in C21st
      • held a ‘continuation committee on ecumensim in the 21st century’ (2007-2012): reopened questions of the vision & agenda of the ecumenical movement; across 3 meetings reported the movement had lost some of its common vision & structure due to the changing religious landscape but affirmed that the theological foundation of the search for the full visible unity of the church & its common witness to the world as rooted in scripture
    • elements of visible unity
      • common acceptance of apostolic faith
      • common sacramental life
      • mutual recognition of all members & their ministries
      • common mission in spreading the gospel
      • participation of all churches locally & internationally in agreed structures
      • common service to the world so that all might believe
    • work of WCC in unity, mission, & ecumenical relations
      devoted to pursuit of visible Christian unity and strengthening relationship between christian churches; also includes the commission of faith & order which is responsible for the document ‘baptism, Eucharist, and ministry’
      challenges:
      1. WCC sees its mission as fostering solidarity/respect for people’s dignity & focusing on social justice projects— this is a ’watering down’ of the focus on evangelism
      2. not all churches are members of the WCC; Roman Catholic & number of evangelical/pentecostal
    • work of WCC in witness and diakonia (service)
      Recognises that Christians share areas of social responsibility; 2 main goals:
      1. Offer a highly public ‘prophetic voice’ which calls awareness to areas the churches need to pay special attention. Eg. Peace building in Sudan/syria/korean peninsula; observers may be sent to Palestine
      2. Bring Christian’s together o live out Christian values of social responsibility; diakonia refers to care of the poor and oppressed, eg. In areas around climate change, global health, womens’ rights, & water rights
    • work of WCC in ecumenical formation
      • ecumenical formation is area of study, training, & education so that knowledge & convictions of ecumenism can take shape in the livers of individuals and churches
      • WCC provides training & education opportunities throughout the world but has its own institute in Bossey, Switzerland
      • sponsors seminars to counteract tendency of an inward orientation in church bodies & sustain the vibrancy of the ecumenical vision— that Christians may be one in fiath, communion, witness, & service
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