Watching the process of amending WCC statements

-

In the last business sessions the fine tuning of the wording of the statements and messages from the Assembly provides a fascinating insight into the complexities of the interaction, not just of language but of theological emphasis, contextual concerns, ethical stances and so on.

The paragraphs of the statements are projected on screen and worked on one by one with contributions from delegates on phrasing, grammar and sometimes on deeper issues of emphasis. Especially when a statement is about, for example, the search for peace in the Middle East the contributions can become quite emotional and the desire to be even handed can conflict with the desire for a statement to be strong in favour of positive action on behalf of suffering groups.

Similarly, the statements that are more concerned with theology can produce contributions that remind one of the argument over whether the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and with the Son... or proceeds from the Father and the Son and with the Father and the Son...., the famous Filioque Clause that was part of the age old split between the East and the West. One wonders what would have happened had the council had the use of the kind of technology and techniques available today, using consensus decision making perhaps. Would the split have been avoided or might there have been a much earlier fragmentation into differing traditions? Answers on a post card......

At the end of the day, though, if the drafting process is effective, the statement can be accepted as one which reflects the broad feeling of the Assembly and in some cases it voices a very strong sense of support for important issues around the theme of Justice and Peace. The question then becomes how those statements are received by both the member churches and by the wider community. In the days of the programme to combat racism that produced both a high profile for the statements and some strong reactions against the WCC. Time will tell whether the statements from Busan are received in anything like the same way.

 

Popular posts from this blog

Unity Day at the Assembly

-
Image
The Unity Day at the Assembly is really the core of the Assembly because without the search for unity the entire enterprise would not be happenng at all; we would all simply be going our own ways or engaging perhaps in disconnected gatherings focussed on separate issues. Most of the work for the documents that are being worked on has been done by the Faith and Order Commission over years so it is perhaps hard to see how the Assembly can make any substantial difference but some of the statements that are produced are worked on in the ecumenical conversations and there is a careful process of discussion and reflection on the appropriateness of the documents and the ways in which the churches can be asked to reflect and receive the them. The term 'receive' is an important one to explore because it means much more than simple accept and file away or display on the mantelpiece. it means to think about how it can create change within our own thinking and churches. The ecumenic
Read more

5 Denominations Ecumenical Officers' Consultation

-
Ecumenical officers from the Baptists, Church of England, Methodists, Roman Catholic and United Reformed Churches came together for 48 hours at the Swanwick conference centre from 11th to 13th October. This was primarily a conference focussed on the Edinburgh conference of 2010 but with a retrospect to the first conference in 1910. What where the characteristics of the Church and society reflected in the first conference, how have things changed over the century in between and where are we now? The standard of input was extremely high and the papers are being made available on the CTE website. One of the noticeable aspects of the meeting was that some people commented on the becalmed state of ecumenical relations in the UK. This was responded to by referring to the changed nature of the dynamics of Ecumenism which is becoming increasingly diverse, moving into areas that were not originally on the agenda. There is progress towards closer relationships between the URC and the C of E,
Read more

Day 2 of the Assembly

-
Image
  Day 2 of the Assembly began as each day does with prayer and bible study. The bible studies are either in large plenary sessions or in small groups where there is the scope for shared reflection. This was the one that I chose and as one of the only native English speakers ended up facilitating. The text, within the context of the Assembly theme considered the creation story of Genesis 2, we shared both our undersatanding of the passage and our own thinking about its elevance in our modern context. Perhaps unsurprisingly our small group ended up thinking of the responsibilty for the creation that we are given as a valuable gift emerged as the most important aspect. In the morning plenary we were addressed by the Prime Minister of South Korea which was followed by a conversation between a number of speakers and a young theologian who put questions to them about the future of the ecumenical movement and its connection with the issues that challenge the wider world. At lunch
Read more