Of mounting significance, no issue stands more to the forefront of religious world affairs than does the forthcoming Amsterdam meeting of the first constituent assembly of the World Council of Churches. At this writing one hundred and thirty-six church organizations in forty countries have accepted the invitation to participate.
General church conferences and the religious press are teeming with discussion concerning this historic meeting, as witness the General Conference of the Methodist Church held in Boston beginning April 28, and the remarkably significant statements voiced by Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam on the opening day. The Christian Century and the Watchman-Examiner lead the religious press in favorable comment and promotion. For the benefit of readers of THE MINISTRY we shall also review the Christian Advocate and the Zion's Herald.
Powerful and apparently Christian and humanitarian arguments were used to support plans for church union. The consensus seemed to be that the time has arrived to arise and unitedly challenge and exert a telling Christian influence on international affairs. Seventh-day Adventists recognize the right of religion to exercise its influence in stemming the tide of religious oppression. However, when a united body of churchmen gather to speak before the governments of the world on behalf of basic Christian principles, that is one thing; but the actions taken, or the plans laid, to implement these suggestions involve grave danger. Powerful religious bodies may eventually speak for minority groups who do not wish to be spoken for. For when a great body speaks, it apparently speaks for all.
Among topics listed for discussion, both before and during this great gathering, to be held at Amsterdam in late August are the following:
"Is the church the only hope for the individual and society in the present troubled world?
"Is the church the exclusive channel of salvation?
"Does the church need a new, spirit of faith and repentance if it is to fulfill God's will in this present world?
"The redemption of the world from sin through the blood of Christ.
"The question of nominal Christians in the church." —Supplement to Federal Council Bulletin, February, 1948.
Also listed among the sixty topics for discussion are many worthy problems on soul-winning methods and responsibility of the church in the present disordered world situation. There are, however, several subjects to be developed which we will need to watch closely:
"Can the church ever be united effectively in view of basic differences within it?
"Is the Word of God an exclusive record of God's revelation to man?
"Should the church bring political pressure to bear in the attempt to solve present political problems?"
Bishop Oxnam, speaking before the Council of Methodists in Boston, glowingly predicted the place of a united church in today's world.
"United action in many fields would follow rapidly. Our foreign or overseas mission could become one within the world organization and fellowship. We could have a common hymnal. There could be a Protestant daily paper. With that strength we could take up the modern media of radio and of television, and use them both for the glory of God! Visual education would cease to be the sorry attempt of amateurs who enter a field calling for the highest art. A united Protestantism could summon the talents of the greatest artists of the earth, and from the screen would come the message of our Lord. There could be a united system of higher education, unitedly supported, in which we would train the lay leadership of our church, the teachers of our colleges and universities, and, in united theological seminaries, the ministers of the church.
"The union of American Christianity would electrify the world and accelerate the trends toward union in every continent."—Christian Advocate, May 13.
A further excerpt of this significant address is here included as reported in the Zion's Herald, for May 5:
"The primary purpose that must lie beneath all attempts to achieve the reunion of the churches is that the Gospel may be preached and practiced more effectively, that salvation may come to man and to society.
"The reunion of Christendom can never be achieved by one part of the Holy Catholic Church insisting that all other parts shall deny their Christian convictions and shall discard their creative contributions in order to return to a part of the Church Universal. First steps toward union must be taken by the Protestant communions. The Protestant churches must continue the present brotherly and inspiring co-operation with the Eastern Orthodox churches until such time as Protestantism is itself reunited. They may then consider union with Eastern Orthodoxy, which it is prayerfully hoped may be consummated. When the full union of Protestantism and of Eastern Orthodoxy is accomplished and the Christians of the world belong to but two great churches, the leadership of that day may be Christian enough and creative enough to kneel before a common altar, beg forgiveness of the Christ for disunity, and, sharing in the bread and wine of Holy Communion, rise in His spirit to form the Holy Catholic Church to which all Christians may belong."
Whatever merit there may be in the united church voice speaking in behalf of moral issues, there is always the danger that this power will be exercised on less humanitarian questions. We note two statements in the Christian Century which give some cause for concern:
"The World Council Assembly will have significance not only because of the statements it adopts; the program it fashions for continuing action may prove even more important."
"Plans to place the international activities of the churches in world affairs on a continuing basis will be considered."-0, FREDERICK NOLDE in Christian Century, May 5.
Clarence Tucker Craig reviews the Amsterdam conference in the May 15 issue of this same magazine. Here emphasis is laid upon the preparation of a doctrinal statement which would be mutually acceptable by the great Christian bodies. Although he recognizes that there are disagreements and fundamental differences among Christian organizations, he points out that this doctrinal statement would rather "concentrate upon the point where we are already in substantial agreement."
"On many aspects of the nature of the church there is fundamental agreement among Christian bodies, though there are areas in which disagreements are still strong. These differences have been studied during the past ten years under the auspices of the Faith and Order movement, one of the streams of ecumenical work which are flowing into the World Council. Amsterdam, however, will not deal directly with our differences. Rather it will concentrate upon the points where we are already in substantial agreement.
"Yet in the Assembly preparations some attention had to be given to the various emphases in the doctrine of the church. The first of the volumes written for Amsterdam sets forth five representative interpretations, the work respectively of a Swedish Lutheran, a Russian Orthodox, an American free church man, an Angelican bishop and a Swiss Reformed theologian. Each of them speaks out of the background of his experience for an ecumenical church of the future. If, on the basis of these statements, the Assembly can make progress toward a synthesis, the work of the Faith and Order conference which is to meet early in the 50's will be considerably lightened."
Aside from the peril of church union to minority groups such as Seventh-day Adventists, whose very life and existence depend upon the promulgation of a distinctive faith, there is the attempt to circumscribe our missionary activities that will be imposed by the power of a united church. Dr. Craig fully recognizes these complications. He both asks and answers the question for us.
"Churches should therefore be represented in the World Council on a national basis. On the other hand, many churchmen feel that any Christian's primary tie is with those who share his insight into God's truth, not with those who happen to live near him. To this comes the reply, The task of Christian evangelism must be faced by geographical religions, and there must be unity if God's word is to be effectively preached."
This geographical limitation, as well as apportioning radio time, would seriously circumscribe the work of a group which profoundly believes in the gospel commission to preach the message in every land.
Certainly Seventh-day Adventists would be the foremost in supporting moves to ensure religious freedom and a bill of human rights. We do not desire to misjudge noble motives on the part of fellow Christians, but our cause for alarm lies in the tendency of human nature to misuse power when once it is freely given.
