Ecclesial Identity and Ecumenical Decisions in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.a.)

PRECIS Ecumenism is never an abstraction; work always prods particular churches to make specific decisions about distinct proposals. decisions of a particular church are not generic responses to theoretical possibilities. Distinctive elements of proposals elicit decisions that grow out of a church's ecclesial identity; they may also remind a church of neglected aspects of its ecclesial identity. Recent decisions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) provide insight into the relationship between ecclesial identity and decisions. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) understands itself as a particular expression of the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church. For this reason the church's Book of Order articulates a strong commitment, beginning with the acknowledgments, The unity of the Church is a gift of its Lord, [1] and Visible oneness... is an important sign of the unity of God's people. It is also a means by which that unity is achieved. [2] church's constitution understands the relationship between the church's God-given unity and its obvious division in a way that mandates vigorous ecumenism: [W]hile divisions into different denominations do not destroy this unity, they do obscure it for both the Church and the world. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), affirming its historical continuity with the whole Church of Jesus Christ, is committed to the reduction of that obscurity and is willing to seek and maintain communion and community with all other branches of the one, catholic Church. [3] Church documents sometimes express pieties that are confined to neglected pages, but the commitments of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are lived Out in engagements locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. These commitments are not confined to abstract affirmations, for they are discernible in patterns of engagement in dialogues and generous participation in councils and agencies. Indeed, the scope of the church's commitments and engagements leads some internal critics to speak of the Presbyterian Church's ecumenical promiscuity. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)'s commitment to the search for the visible unity of Christ's church is not a recent phenomenon that merely reflects contemporary institutional enthusiasm; commitment has always been a central element in the Reformed tradition. Our forebear John Calvin deplored church division, believing it to be the bitter fruit of sin. Schism within a church and separation among churches were considered unfaithful and a hindrance to the gospel. Calvin's deep conviction about the unity of the church in each place was coupled with fervent hope for the unity of the church in all places; he understood that a united church in Geneva, separated from evangelical churches in Germany or England, was not a faithful witness to the gospel. Calvin wrote to Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, This other thing is also to be ranked among the chief evils of our time, viz., that the Churches are so divided.... Thus it is that the members of the Church being severed, the body lies bleeding. [4] Not content with bemoaning division, Calvin suggested that, [t]o put an end to the divisions which exist in Christendom, it is necessary to have a free and universal council. [5] Indeed, his eagerness for a council of unity led him to the exuberant pledge that, could I be of any service, I would not grudge to cross even ten seas, if need were, on account of it. [6] Calvin's heirs have not followed his lead in all matters, but his impulse has endured through the centuries. From the outset, expansive ecumenism has been a deep feature of the ecciesial identity of Reformed churches, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). That is why some recent Presbyterian actions have appeared puzzling, particularly to those who are accustomed to the denomination's leadership in initiatives. …