CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE MUST UNDERLINE CHURCHLY UNITY BASE
By J. Grant Swank, Jr.
MichNews.com
Jun 28, 2005
Reuters announced the formation of a new group, Christian Churches Together in the USA, seeking to unite believers.
Michael Conlon’s piece focused on Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox representatives forming a Christian union of some sort. But what was remarkably missing was doctrinal foundations for the group.
"U.S. Christians Nearing a New Unity" was the headline. I searched the report for a theological underpinning to the venture; but there was none.
Until the group pronounces publicly for all believers to read that doctrinal base upon which it proposes to rest, there will be legitimate suspicions as to what this group is all about.
The World Council of Churches for years has lost out to the biblically moored because of diluting its theological base. If that occurs again with this new group, it’s bound to falter just as the WCC has faltered.
The report states that nothing is finalized within the group unless all representatives agree on it.
Does that mean that all representatives agree on the divinity of Jesus, the Bible as divine revelation without question, the existence of both heaven and hell, salvation through Jesus Christ’s atonement on Calvary, the need for each individual to experience a personal commitment to Christ as Redeemer, and so forth?
It is hoped that this new group is grounded upon a genuinely solid biblical understanding; otherwise, evangelical Protestants and devout Catholics and traditional Orthodox adherents will not think of becoming a part of still another ecumenical group that lauds social service while ignoring the biblical, divinely inspired mandate.
With some of the mainline denominations going apostate today, all the more grassroots biblical believers are wary of what may be going to unite this conclave with that.
The Episcopal Church of America stands out as foremost in apostasy in blessing the practicing homosexual lifestyle as God-ordained. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America is in the same pocket as is the United Church of Christ (Congregational). The United Methodist Church continues wrestling organizationally with this issue. Certain Presbyterians are faced with the same conflict.
Biblical believers are warring against satanic inroads in these various denominations. Roman Catholicism is having its own problems with the New Age adherents planted in many parishes as well as educational institutions. Compromise on biblical teaching and orthodox Catholic traditional teaching is rampant in some quarters.
"A coalition that would for the first time unite the major Christian faiths in the United States is taking years to coalesce, but its organizers say that's a good sign and are not discouraged. One day the group could speak with a single voice on important issues in a country of 296 million where historically three of every four people claim to be Christian or at least identify with that faith."
The fact the news release states that "Bible Belt Baptists and black Protestants" is a positive signal, but not a guarantee. Nevertheless, in the same release there is a caution sign: "Bishop Christopher Epting, ecumenical officer for the U.S. Episcopal Church, said the effort had been ‘strengthened ... by our consensus decision to make sure that we have significant representation’ from every sector before a formal launch."
Time will tell if this move is of God or the devil.
Email: joseph_swank@yahoo.com
Reportes at: MichNews.com
