Compromise and the "Super-church"
Dr. Paul A. Crow, general secretary of the Consultation on Church Union, has pointed out that one of the major fears about church union was that of the "super-church." People are afraid that a church union would force uniformity of belief and worship through a bureaucratic structure. They envision the new church as too much of a social agent.
Dr. Crow stated that "church union is either the work of the devil or the excitement of the century." There are many who would agree with the first alternative, it seems!
One of the big "bug-bears" is that of compromise. In order to bring about church union, many feel they will have to compromise belief and traditional forms, which they are unwilling to do.
One writer on church union disagrees that compromise is involved. He has stated flatly: "Those who accuse ecumenical churchmen of compromising the truth are ignorant of what is taking place," and argues that dialogue and understanding, not compromise, are the issues.
Perhaps the problem is one of definition — of what is meant by compromise. But it is difficult to see how some kinds of compromise can be excluded from the situation. The type of church conceived by some would require the abandonment of dearly held ideas of doctrine, structure, and worship — no matter whether you use the term "compromise" or some other.
As one delegate to a WCC conference in Canada said: "An emotional commitment to compromise is necessary." The fear of compromising what they feel is absolute truth revealed from God is one of the greatest fears of those questioning the ecumenical movement.
But those objecting to, or cautious about church union, have not prevented many significant strides from being taken. The amount of ecumenical work accomplished and being accomplished is hard to describe as anything less than impressive.
The Ecumenical Ship Sails On
When the World Council of Churches was born in 1948, it took for its symbol a ship named Oikoumene. Looking at events just in the last decade, the ship of ecumenism seems to be growing both in tonnage and momentum.
The only major Christian groups which have failed to join the WCC are the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention of the United States. But now it seems that the Roman Catholic Church could become a member within five years, according to a Reuters release in mid-January of this year. According to that report, the subject seems very likely to be brought up and discussed in a Roman Catholic synod in Rome this coming October.
Previous overtures from the WCC to the pope,, on his historic visit to Geneva in 1969, had been politely but firmly rejected. The pope had said then that the "time wasn't right." But it seems now the time may be "right" about 1975.
Rome Leads the Way
Strangely enough, as many would view it, the Roman Catholic Church is out in front and leading the way toward church unity. The climate since John XXIII and Vatican II has taken the breath of "progressive" Protestants (and not a few Catholics, too, it seems!,). As Edward B. Fiske, writing for The New York Times put it, some Protestants "have the uneasy feeling that the spirit of his [Martin Luther's) reform has outrun them and is now largely in the possession of Roman Catholics."
Right after the end of Vatican II, Lutheran bishop Otto Dibelius of Berlin commented: "If the Catholic church of 450 years ago had looked as it does today, there never would have been a Reformation." Many Protestants feel the same way and are asking why the need for continued separation. The well-known Protestant ecumenist Dr. Robert M. Brown expressed his feelings that "Protestants cannot indefinitely justify a situation of continued separation."
Speaking in January, 1971 to pilgrims in St. Peter's, Pope Paul acknowledged that a great deal of the blame for divided Christianity lies with Rome. He lamented it was very strange indeed that the churches "menaced by modern irreligion were disunited and often rivals."
Other papal firsts for Pope Paul include the idea of sharing clerical training between Protestants and Catholics (1970), the first meeting between pope and Greek Orthodox patriarch in 500 years (1967), meeting of the first official delegation of Lutherans to come to Rome (1969), the first meeting between pope and the head of the Armenian Orthodox Church since 451 A.D. (1970), and the order to unify all Catholic textbooks to give greater balance and fairness to the presentation of religious controversies (1970).
Even the Knights of Columbus and the Masons, traditional enemies for centuries, are burying the hatchet and encouraging closer rapport with one another!
But with all this activity on the part of Catholics, let's not assume that ecumenical Protestants languish in indolence. They have been hard at work, too.
Protestants Also Busy
The nine denominations in the Consultation on Church Union are working toward a complete union into one church by the late 70's. This union would include such diverse groups as Presbyterian, Episcopal, Church of Christ and Methodist.
In April, 1968 an 11-million-member United Methodist Chinch was formed when the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church came together to make up the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States.
The Church of England and tile Methodist churches in England are working on the initial stages of a union which is hoped to be effected by 1980.
The evangelical churches (sometimes called "fundamentalists") have been the traditional opponents of church unity. Around 40 million strong, they represent a solid majority of the approximately 70 million Protestants in the United States. Yet less than a third belong to the National Council of Churches.
But even the evangelicals are working toward their own unity, whatever they may feel toward other denominations. This work is mainly being done through the white National Association of Evangelicals and the National Negro Evangelical Association, both of which had conferences in Los Angeles in April.
This is only a sampling of the many operations for church unity now in progress. A review of all that has been accomplished is impressive. But how far has the ecumenical movement gone? What work remains to be done? A great deal, despite advances already made. But can the obstacles to final church union be overcome?
Much Left to Be Done
One of the first problems which comes to mind is that of a val. Just what is the goal of church union? What form is the final product to take? Unfortunately, these questions have brought forth different answers from different theologians.
Dr. John O'Brien discussed this problem in an article in Saturday Evening Post. To some Protestants, he said, the goal is "simply the unity of all believers in the lordship of Christ, transcending all differences in creed, ritual and church organization. They would establish unity by the simple expedient of removing denominational labels, with the differences still remaining. To Catholics, most of the Eastern Orthodox and many Protestants, unity means much more: a substantial oneness in faith and worship."
We mentioned the question of compromise earlier. If the goal is only the removal of denomination labels, then there is no worry about compromising one's traditional beliefs. But unity of faith and worship is going to require some serious soul-searching and eventually a willingness to give up anything which stands in the way of unity.
This would be anathema to many churches. They point to the early New Testament Christians who willingly faced martyrdom rather than give up or compromise their faith. To barter about their basic beliefs would, to them, be a betrayal of their Lord and Master and the thousands of martyrs down through history.
An Uphill Struggle
Catholics and Protestants alike admit the biggest single factor in the way of unity is the papacy. Pope Paul himself, in speaking before the Secretariat for Christian Unity in 1967, stated plainly that the pope "is without doubt the most serious obstacle on the road of ecumenism."
A few Protestant leaders have accepted the idea of a single Christian spokesman and leader along somewhat the same lines as the pope. These include Episcopal Bishop C. Kilmer Myers, who called on all Christians to accept the pontiff as "chief spokesman for the Christian community of the world," and the late bishop Pike. But even these men generally balk when it comes to the question of infallibility.
Another great obstacle to Protestants is the adoration of Mary. In some ways this is almost as hard to accept as the authority of the pope. The Assumption of Mary into heaven is rejected by almost all Protestants, yet this doctrine was established by an officially "infallible" pronouncement of Pope. Pius XII in 1951. Is this question possibly resolvable without one side or the other giving in completely?
Many Protestants find a common point of meeting with the Catholics through the fact that they branched off from the Catholic Church during the Reformation. But a significant number of denominations claim a history totally independent of the Catholic Church. To them, Catholic Church history is that of a false church — at least many have felt that way in the past.
For example, the question of reunion with Rome was put to Leslie K. Tarr of Central Baptist Seminary. His reply was: "Our ecclesiastical homeland . . . bears little or no resemblance to the modern Roman Catholic Church. The Baptist, or Anabaptist, movement predated the Reformation and looks back not to Martin Luther but to apostolic times for its origins."
And the early Presbyterians, although friendly with other reformers, claimed descent from the Scottish Culdees, who had vigorously opposed Rome.
All Have Their Problems
One question is sometimes quite embarrassing to ministers and theologians: How can the Protestants and Catholics get together when the Roman Catholic Church is split asunder and when there are 11 different groups calling themselves Lutherans in the United States alone?
How can the pope expect Protestants to agree with him on such issues as birth control when his own priesthood is split and splintered over the same questions? A leading U.S. news magazine titled an article: "Catholic Church Moves Toward Biggest Crisis in 400 Years," soon after the pope's pronouncement on birth control. Pope Paul has had his hands full in keeping his own church united.
Just recently the issue of women in church offices has made headlines. How can the Catholics, Anglicans, and Orthodox, who refuse to ordain women, get together with the Lutheran groups who now permit it? This is just another one of the multitudinous problems.
The various obstacles tend to fall under four major headings (part of which were laid out by Michael Rogness in The Church Nobody Knows) which can be summarized as follows:
1. Lack of a clearly defined goal of union. Some see unity in "the Lordship of Christ" alone. But others are sure that nothing short of unity of worship and belief is acceptable.
2. Doctrine and belief. Some believe, for example, that the only acceptable form of baptism is by immersion. They cannot tolerate such rituals as sprinkling or pouring which other religious groups use.
3. structure and organization of the church. Protestant churches are generally founded on the principle of democracy and the sovereignty of the local congregation. To accept the Roman Catholic structure of cardinals and bishops, with the pope over all, would be to sail their cherished traditions down the river.
4. Culture and form of worship. Part the disunity in the United States is the result of different national backgrounds. For example, a group of Lutherans immigrating from Sweden would find themselves uncomfortable in the "culture" of German Lutheran immigrants. A Pentecostal feels very out of place at a Roman Catholic mass, while an Anglican would find himself somewhat ill at ease in a Southern Baptist prayer meeting. In many areas, different churches tend to cater to different social groups.
But can such innumerable competing and disagreeing sects, denominations and religious groups all make up the Church which Jesus Christ founded?
Can the disunited churches of today be the true Church of God? Note the admonition of the Apostle Paul: "I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you."
These are all questions and thoughts which flood into one's mind as he views the contemporary religious chaos and confusion and the attempts at some semblance of unity.
What Are the Possibilities of Church Unity?
Despite the significant steps taken toward unity, the end of the road is not immediately in sight. The differences are too great, and the willingness to compromise not strong enough. And in spite of the majority for church unity, there is always the determined minority to whom the ecumenical movement is completely un-Christian.
So, the way things look now — whether you are for it or against it — only some great, overpowering event could effect church unity. Only a miracle could unite Christendom.
The question is, who will perform that miracle?
For a further discussion of these questions and their answers, write for our free articles, "Why So Many Denominations?" and "Should You Join A Church?" These and many other theological questions are also discussed in the monthly publication of the Ambassador College Graduate School of Theology, TOMORROW'S WORLD. You can receive a year's free subscription by writing to Ambassador College, in care of the address nearest you listed on the inside front cover of this magazine.