New organization aims to unite five Christian 'families'

In a time of deep religious division and tension, many American churches are joining in a fresh bid for greater Christian unity. After five years of discussion and prayer, church leaders are to meet Wednesday in Pasadena, Calif., in the official launch of an ecumenical body – Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT). Its mission: "to grow closer together in Christ in order to strengthen our Christian witness in the world."

In its inclusiveness, CCT offers a striking contrast to religious dissension in the political arena. The group involves churches from all five Christian "families" – Catholics, Evangelicals and Pentecostals, Mainline Protestants, Orthodox, and racial or ethnic churches – and represents the broadest ecumenical fellowship ever formed in this country.

"Not everyone is in the tent, but it's a major step forward," says the Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the Reformed Church in America and chair of CCT's steering committee. Thirty-six denominations and national organizations have joined, representing about 100 million churchgoers. Eighteen more groups are in the decisionmaking process or participating as observers.

Recognizing that historical divisions have fostered misperceptions and even hostility, and that this has weakened Christian influence, the CCT seeks better understanding and a common voice on important societal issues.

And they aren't wasting time. The agenda for this week's three-day gathering focuses on how the various "families" understand evangelism, and on reaching a consensus on a specific proposal for a poverty initiative.

"There is a strong realization that if we as Christians are to be effective in the world we need to be a common voice," says Bishop Stephen Blaire of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton, Calif. "And addressing poverty is integral to the work and witness of being a Christian."

Ecumenism has a lengthy history in the United States. The National Council of Churches was founded in 1950 (a forerunner in 1908), and includes mainline Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican, and African-American denominations. But the Catholics never joined, and Evangelicals opted for their own National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), which made a rule that members could not also be part of the NCC.

The NCC has emphasized social justice issues, and many Evangelicals have criticized them for being too liberal. The Evangelicals focused on bringing people to Christ and on matters of personal morality.

But times are a-changing, and signs of a new convergence are multiplying. Some prominent Evangelical leaders and churches have added HIV/AIDs and environmental concerns to their agendas.

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