October 25, 2023

Rev. Paul Tché, who is the Ecumenical Officer for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), calls Christian Churches Together “an ecumenical space,” and I like that definition.  CCT is not a conciliar group who gathers to make decisions.  Instead, it brings together the widest table of US-based Christian communions and organizations possible, with five “family groups” representing: The Roman Catholic Church, The Orthodox churches, the Evangelical and Pentecostal churches, the Historically Black churches and the Mainline Protestant churches.  The focus is on receptive ecumenism and learning from each other, and it is a model that is both being utilized globally and is working to make unity visible in those places.

The annual Forum for CCT was held October 3-6, 2023, in Savannah, Georgia.  The base for the gathering was the Holiday Inn Express, but several local churches offered worship and meeting space, including the First African Baptist Church, Christ Church Episcopal, St. Paul Greek Orthodox Church and First Zion Baptist Church in Riceboro.  Eight United Methodists were present: Rev. Dr. Edgardo Colon Emeric, Miles Baker Hunt, Rev. James Ownes, Rev. Scott Hagan, Rev. Michael Culbert, Rev. Michael Bolin, Albert Williams III and Rev. Dr. Jean Hawxhurst. 

The event began with a Heads of Communion breakfast, where denominational updates were shared and personal connections were made.  Those present included: David Talley (USCCB), Karen Georgia Thomas (UCC), Walter Kedjierski (USCCB), Angelique Walker Smith (Nat. Bapt. Convention USA, Inc.), Wendy McFadden (Brethren), Dianna Wright (PCUSA), Nicolas Kazarian (Greek OC in America), Tom Wothuis (Christian Reform Church in NA), Neil Routh (RCA), Teresa Snorton (CME), Harold Hunter (Pentecostal), Sergei Kapral (OCA), David Barr (Antiochian OC NA), Funmi Adeyemi (Redeemed Church of God), Jeffrey Leath (AME), Rock Fremont (ICCC), Laura Osborn (RCA), Suzanne Dillahunt (ELCA) and Jean Hawxhurst (UMC).

During the opening plenary an overview was offered by the CCT Executive Director, Dr. Monica Schaap Pierce.  Moderator, Fr. Walter Kedjierski offered welcome and encouragement.  And, I offered a training on discernment using he processes of consensus-building, which is a part of the CCT ethos.  A new applicant for membership, which CCT calls Partnership, was highlighted: Bridge of Hope, whose vision is to end homelessness through Christian neighboring.

The first Family to address the annual theme of “Waters that Unite and Waters that Divide” was the Roman Catholic Family.  Dr. Kimberly Belcher of Noter Dame taught that for Catholics.  She taught that baptism is complete only in our death.  “Receiving baptism and living in it is a lifelong responsibility of a Christian… Baptism recognizes Christ in the Recipient and thus recognizes the diversity of the Body.”

The Mainline Protestant Family was the second family to offer a presentation on the theme.  Rev. Dr. Edgardo Colon Emeric of Duke Divinity School offered the address with the focus on how “baptism breaks boarders.”  He shared that he has learned much from the Roman Catholic-United Methodist dialogue including:

1. Dialogue with others calls Methodists to become more Methodist,
2. There are significant challenges to unity,
3. What unity is isn’t clear,
4. The Ecumenical Movement is too nostalgic for the early days of the movement, and
5. There is apathy about the divisions of the church. 

At the same time, there have been significant breakthroughs. There is a new sense of what “we” means in the church, because of decades of dialogue.  Baptism declares faith.  Now there is a need of a “Theology of Failure,” because we have failed to live out our baptisms and have treated our baptisms as insignificant.  Acknowledging failure teaches humility, boldness and the need to re-focus vision.  Our baptismal liturgy renounces sin and confesses faith.  This is a good model for us.

The address was offered in Christ Church Episcopal, where Fr. Michael White also spoke to the group.  He explained the church was the oldest house of worship in Georgia, being founded in 1733.  John Wesley was the third rector of the congregation, and his two years of service did not go well.  He wanted to do missionary work but could not because of the demands on him from the members.  He also fell in love with Sophie Hopkey and had to flee in the middle of the night, because she married someone else, he was hurt, and he passed her by in the line to receive Communion.  Sophie’s father was the magistrate of Savannah and was angered.  Wesley was followed by George Whitfield, who founded the first orphanage in the colonies, named Bethesda, which is still functioning currently. 

The Orthodox Family presentation was offered by Rev. Fr. Aphram Faham, who talked about the doctrine and practice of Orthodox baptism.  He pointed to Gen. 1:10, Gen. 7:17, Exodus 14:22 and 2 Kings 5:14 as significant passages.  Baptism is a sacrament by which we are born to new life and regeneration.  In the Orthodox Churches infants are immersed three times, and they are naked.  In their communion if a person is not baptized they are not permitted to receive Communion and cannot be married by a priest.  In emergency situations (eg. the infant may die) the mother can baptize the child.  They have separate rites for males and females. The liturgy for females uses Psalm 29, and the liturgy for males uses Psalm 45.

Following the presentation the full group traveled to St. Paul Greek Orthodox church where we were treated to a Greek meal and an evening service of vespers.

Ms. Kimberly Thomas presented on behalf of the Evangelical/Pentecostal Family.  She shared per personal story of the diversity within her own family, and she named “the love of the Lord as a unifying power.”  Unity, she explained, is kingdom advancement.  Baptism is for the remission of sins and is an outward expression of a commitment to Christ.  She named the seven spheres of society: family, business, arts, government, religion, media and friends.  And, she said that what happens in each of those spheres after our baptisms is what is important. 

Rev. Dr. William Watley shared on behalf of the Historically Black churches.  He shared about how slaves from Senegal (through the “Door of No Return”) were taken to Brazil and were broken there.  The baptism of these slaves gave the colonialists permission to “correct” them.  On the other hand, the role of the Black Church has been to teach people they are worthy and loved.  “We emerge,” he explained, “because of the power of the Word,” and that “being forced into separate churches was a curse we turned into a blessing.”  He also said, “Ecumenists are, by praxis, people who look outward, and are sometimes seen as weird by the institutions that birthed them.”

In addition to the family presentations, there were other addresses.  Chief Se’khu Hadjo Gentle from the Yamassee Tribe shared about their connection to the local land.  “Yamassee” was the name of their tribe before White people mistreated them and began to call them “Seminole.”  He said, “When se step on the ground, our Mother the earth, all our feet are connected and we are one.”

Rev. David Cole, who is the leader of the North American Pentecostal Association spoke during one of the morning prayer services.  He astutely named the failures of the Ecumenical Movement as involving the tensions of the following:

1. Believers vs infant baptisms
2. Spirit vs Water baptisms
3. Matthew 20:19 vs Acts 2:28
4. Pronouncements in the name of the Triune God vs in the name of Jesus, and
5. One, universal baptism vs rebaptisms

The Historic Black Church family also presented a formal report, which contained the following recommendations (summarized here):

1. There be a year-long exploratory period between CCT and the historically Black churches,
2. The current family president will remain in place during his exploratory period.
3. Current Steering Committee members will also remain in place during this period.
4. A one-page document will be created by Dr. Walker-Smith, Fr. Kedjierski and Dr. Schaap Pierce that answers the question of: “What is the value added of CCT to the Historically Black Family and why should they remain participants?

These four recommendations were affirmed by consensus by the group and will now be sent to the Steering Committee for their discussion and discernment, with the note that the 2023 forum sends their encouragement to approve them.

Additional decisions discerned included:

1. Some sort of video about baptism and our experience during the forum will be created by volunteers and Dr. Schaap Pierce and will be put on the website.  Highlights of the video will include the hospitality received and the young adult engagements.
2. CCT will collect resources from Participants about the stewardship and justice of water.  A committee will be formed to collect these.
3. A brief statement will be made by CCT about water justice.  This statement maybe included as an opening to the anthology named above.
4. Presentations from the forum will be posted on the website, if the presenters concur.