The World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has always sought to tear down the manmade barriers known as denominationalism which seem to frustrate the work of the Holy Spirit in calling men, women, and children to repentance and salvation and membership in the universal body of Christ . . . "to call the churches to the goal of visible unity in one faith and in one eucharistic fellowship" (ix). To this end, the WCC began a new theological work in 1982, "Towards a Common Expression of the Apostolic Faith Today" (vii). Following the publication of a provisional document in 1987, and a number of subsequent meetings between then and 1990, the WCC's Faith and Order Standing Commission published Confessing the One Faith: An Ecumenical Explication of the Apostolic Faith as it is Confessed in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (381), Faith and Order Paper No. 153 (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1991).

Although the WCC seeks to unify all major denominations which constitute the Church today (or at least cause them to recognize and accept one another), a number of prominent denominations tend not to associate with the work of the WCC, presumably because they find ecumenism a threat to their stature or independence as a church. Notably, in America, this includes the Southern Baptist Convention and a variety of Pentecostal denominations. However, over the course of the various major meetings which underlie the publication of Confessing the One Faith, even the Southern Baptist C

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ery major contention put forth by the authors is well-reasoned and demonstrates that there can be a unity of thought, if not practice, among the denominations. The glaring revelation which is time and again made apparent is that we Christians have a unique capability (free will?) for subverting the will of God for His Church by substituting our own conventions for those clearly revealed in scripture. Just as the Nicene Creed was desperately needed in its time to put down the Sabellians and Arians who, in their own minds, thought they had the "answers" to the mystery of God, so, too, is an ecumenical effort such as Confessing the One Faith needed in this day to "put the brakes" on the rampant formalism, legalism, and unholy doctrinarianism in far too many of the churches of the world today. The growing, vibrant churches which are attracting thousands of individuals to their worship services (instead of dozens) are simply and honestly communicating the love of God for His created world and His creature, mankind; a One God, one world, one humanity, one salvation theology which is clearly visible in the Nicene Creed and in Confessing the One Faith. Apart from the minor theological distinction regarding baptism as it may relate

Category: Philosophy - T