| Thirty-six denominations and Christian organizations, representing more than 100 million Americans, gathered February 6-9 in Pasadena, California, for the meeting of Christian Churches Together (CCT). CCT began in 2001 with a group of Christian leaders who "expressed a longing for an expanded Christian conversation in our nation." Six years later CCT claims the "broadest, most inclusive fellowship of Christian churches and traditions in the USA." CCT membership is open to all churches, Christian communities and organizations that adhere to its three basic tenants--belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior according to the Scriptures; worship and serve the One God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and those that seek ways to work together in order to present a more credible Christian witness in and to the world.
Thirty-six denominations and Christian organizations, representing more than 100 million Americans, gathered February 6-9 in Pasadena, California, for the meeting of Christian Churches Together (CCT). CCT began in 2001 with a group of Christian leaders who "expressed a longing for an expanded Christian conversation in our nation." Six years later CCT claims the "broadest, most inclusive fellowship of Christian churches and traditions in the USA." CCT membership is open to all churches, Christian communities and organizations that adhere to its three basic tenants--belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior according to the Scriptures; worship and serve the One God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and those that seek ways to work together in order to present a more credible Christian witness in and to the world. This coalition is divided into five "families"--Evangelical/Pentecostal, Historic Protestant, Historic Racial/ Ethnic, Orthodox and Catholic. CCT was inaugurated at a worship service held Feb. 7 at First Church in Pasadena. After words of greeting by Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and First Church pastor, the Rev. Dr. Barbara Anderson, the service continued with statements, readings, and music from each of the five faith families. Anderson recalled the rich ecumenical heritage of the church as exemplified by former pastor and world-renowned leader Eugene Carson Blake. "We have got to learn to work together," said Bishop James Leggett of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church and one of the five CCT presidents. "The task is too big for any one of us," he continued, and "we have learned that we cannot do it alone." The service concluded as the Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the Reformed Church in America and chair of the CCT steering committee, led a commitment ceremony. Representatives of the 36 gathered denominations and Christian organizations signed an agreement to "celebrate a common confession of faith in the triune God, provide fellowship and mutual support, foster evangelism faithful to the proclamation of the gospel, speak to society with a common voice wherever possible and to promote the common good of society." Representatives of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) attending included the Rev. Gradye Parsons, director of operations in the Office of the General Assembly, who signed the CCT covenant for the PC(USA); the Rev. Carlos Malave, associate for ecumenical relations. Evangelism focus CCT delegates, observers and 30 seminary students from around the country spent a full day discussing the perspectives on evangelism from the five "families." John Thomas, head of the United Church of Christ, attributed their weakness in evangelism to a growing rift that had developed between the idea of societal conversion and conversion of a more personal nature. "Don't expect UCC members to be unleashed on Saturday mornings," Thomas warned. "Don't expect us to relinquish social transformation," he added, "but do look for us to become more bold and more self-assured about sharing God's good news in Jesus Christ with the spiritually homeless among us." Granberg-Michaelson shared that "the most crucial issue facing the RCA is whether we can make the transition from being a settled denomination to being a missional church." By putting evangelism within the broader context of mission, he noted, they are able to move beyond the "awkward dichotomy between evangelism and social justice and which takes priority." It is this missional identity of the church that "we need to recover today to anchor our life and empower our evangelism and seek our future," according to Granberg-Michaelson. Father Martin Ritsi, representing the Orthodox family of churches, emphasized the centrality of the church's missional identity. "If we refuse mission," said Ritsi, "we are not denying a duty or a command, but we are denying what we are, what is our essence." Some of the seminary students observing particularly responded to the ecumenical nature of the meeting. Dan Eisnor, a member of the Reformed Church in America and senior at Western Theological Seminary, noted that for him the word ecumenical had always meant debate. "I have been so blessed by the shared vision we have in Christ," said Eisnor, commenting on his appreciation for the group's ability to simply be together. Rachel Medema presented a synopsis of the seminarians' feedback on the day, noting that one of the strengths seen by the seminary students was the opportunity for families to "present their vision of this theme" in a space "without the fear of critique and debate and the need to give an apologetic." Poverty pledge On Feb. 9, CCT issued a statement condemning the "scandal of widespread poverty" in the United States and called for action by both private and public sectors to combat it. "We believe substantial success in reducing domestic poverty requires an overall framework that insists that overcoming poverty requires both more personal responsibility and broader societal responsibility, both better choices by individuals and better policies and investments by government, both renewing wholesome families and strengthening economic incentives," the statement reads. The leaders cite four objectives to address domestic poverty: strengthening families and communities; reducing child poverty; combating racism and ensuring full-time work provides a "realistic escape from poverty and access to good health care"; and strengthening the educational system, particularly public schools. CCT leaders in Pasadena pledged to continue addressing ongoing topics such as poverty at their 2008 annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
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