Edited by Rev. Charles Blair, D.D., Chairman; Rev. Lou Montecalvo, Co-Chairman; With contributions by members of the Christian Unity Committee of The Coalition on Revival; Dr. Jay Grimstead, General Editor; E. Calvin Beisner, M.A., Assistant to the General Editor
The Christian World View of Church Unity. Copyright 1986, The Coalition on Revival, Inc. All rights reserved. The Coalition on Revival, P.O. Box 1139, Murphys, California 95247
PREFACE
Christians possess a unique oneness because we belong to Jesus Christ. Belonging to Him, we belong to one another. Just as there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5), so also there is only one Head and only one Body.
The unity of the redeemed is not only doctrinal and organizational, but also relational and attitudinal. Our task is not to produce, but to acknowledge and express through relationships, the spiritual unity that already exists in Christ's Body, the Church. We cannot fully understand and practice Christian unity so long as "we know in part, and we prophesy in part" and "we see in a mirror dimly ." We will only express our unity perfectly after "the perfect comes" (1 Corinthians 13:9, 12,10). However, we do expect that the unity of the Spirit Christ prayed for in John 17 will include a unified commitment to living under the lordship of Christ as expressed in obedience to His inerrant, written Word, and a commitment to historic, orthodox doctrine. We should speedily tutor into a more healthy and Biblical view of Christianity and unify those with whom we unite who question these basic unifying essentials.
The Present Situation
For too long many Christians have accepted as normal, healthy, even "biblical," that Bible-believing churches, pastors, and Christian leaders ignore each other, fail to get personally acquainted and pray with each other, and seldom support each other or seek together God's will for their region.
Would an observer at a typical local ministerial meeting ever suspect that these men were called on to lay down their lives for each other and share each other's burdens? Would he suspect that they were engaged together in the same mighty, life-and-death battle of cosmic proportions that requires a united front in standing for God's truth and righteousness? All too often, no. This deplorable situation must be changed.
We do not propose to disregard denominational or doctrinal distinctives, to unite all churches under one organizational umbrella, or to join all of a congregation's life and ministry with other local churches. But our ministries must reflect the truth that we are all part of Christ's one Body, serving the same Lord, indwelt by the same Holy Spirit, and laboring to accomplish the same Great Commission.
Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.... By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34,35). Therefore we must make nothing a requirement for fellowship that God had not required for our being accepted "in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6).
* * * * * *
Statements of Affirmation and Denial
Basis of Unity
1. We affirm that true Christian unity must have a doctrinal basis. We deny that true Christian unity can be expressed and experienced apart from a doctrinal foundation.
2. We affirm that true Christian unity must be based on a doctrinal foundation that includes historic Christian doctrine as revealed in the inerrant Scriptures and expressed in the Apostles' Creed. We deny that true Christian unity can be divorced from the foundational truths of the Christian faith.
Witness of Unity
3. We affirm that believers should strive to present a united and harmonious witness before a skeptical and critical world of unbelievers. We deny that a united and harmonious witness can be assumed, and that disunity and division ought to be accommodated.
4. We affirm that endless divisions among Bible believers should be avoided. We deny that divisions among Bible-believers please God or benefit His work on earth.
5. We affirm that Christ's command for the witness of unity requires us to pursue ways to enjoy and employ our union with Christ for His glory. We deny that obedience to this command of Christ can be claimed while we ignore active pursuit of ways to manifest this union we have in Christ.
Fellowship of Unity
6. We affirm that it is God's will for pastors to have fellowship with other Christian leaders who are committed to scriptural Christianity by getting acquainted, praying together, discussing current issues of concern, and developing a relationship of love, trust, and accountability. We deny that it is scriptural for pastors and other Christian leaders to remain personally or emotionally aloof from other Bible-believing leaders.
7. We affirm that pastors and Christian leaders in any local city or county ought to seek God's will for what he wants done in their area, and that the normative scriptural pattern is for them to do this in fellowship rather than independently. We deny that any one Bible-believing church or organization is capable of accomplishing all that God wills in any given area if other Bible-believing groups minister in that same area.
8. We affirm that it is wise and appropriate for God-fearing pastors and leaders of good reputation (Galatians 2:2) to form a local fellowship to give a united witness on what is harmful or what is wholesome and edifying in their locality. We deny that any agency has the authority to prohibit any fellowship of Christian leaders to exercise the responsibility God has entrusted to them, and that they can rightly refuse their responsibility to work together against evil in any form.
9. We affirm that national or statewide organizations that exist to promote evangelism or to solve social and political moral evils should seek to get the cooperation of local pastoral fellowships before proceeding with their programs locally. We deny that any Christian and/or parachurch organization from a national or statewide level should seek to solve local problems without receiving the approval and cooperation of existing pastoral fellowships.
A Call to Action on Church Unity
General Actions
Because of the preceding convictions, we call upon all men and women who name Christ as their personal Savior and Lord to join us in:
1. examining earnestly these affirmations and denials in the light of God's Word to see if they are true, and informing us directly of those points in which they believe we have departed from Scripture or logic;
2. re-examining, and asking God to examine, our own theories and practices of Christian unity so that we may see where we are falling short;
3. confessing sins of division, disunity, and self-interest; asking forgiveness of God and those parties offended; repenting; making whatever restitution is necessary; and aggressively seeking unity;
4. praying for God to fill all of His people with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in order that we may bring our personal lives and our theories and practice of Christian unity into closer conformity to His revealed will on a permanent and consistent basis;
5. seeking guidance from our brethren and local church authorities as to how we can mutually support and influence one another to make our practices of Christian unity glorifying to God.Having dealt with our own personal sins and failures, and placing ourselves accountable to the Bible and to the brethren, we now commit ourselves to:
1. influencing any known Christians or Christian associations with whom we work to consider seriously our affirmations and denials with the goal of enlisting their responses;
2. influencing others who agree with our affirmations and denials to implement these proposals in their work toward Christian unity;
3. mobilizing and networking our Christian resources and working in concert with the other spheres both inside and outside COR, to see the behavior of the Body of Christ and our nation changed to approximate more closely the view of reality and morality presented to us in the Holy Scriptures;
4. determining how we can support and encourage one another in God's work and witness in this unbelieving world.
Specific Actions
To these ends, we make the following commitments:
1. issuing a call to Bible-believing pastors and leaders who can agree with these affirmations and denials to turn from independence and superficial relationships to serious heart fellowship, to seek God's will together, to present a united Christian front, and to hold each other accountable to live and minister in accord with biblical standards;
2. establishing monthly prayer fellowships of pastors and Christian leaders in every city where they are willing to meet together to pray for each other, to share their hearts, to hold each other accountable for living and ministering Biblically, and to seek God's plan of action for their city;
3. explaining in writing our vision for local leaders' and ministers' fellowship groups and showing others how to start and nurture such groups to full effectiveness;
4. encouraging pastors within these fellowships to work to prevent and heal wounds in the Body—especially when Church members seek to change affiliation from one congregation to another, by checking with the staff of the previous church to see why they left and to ensure that every effort is made to resolve any conflict involved;
5. locating and using local denominational and interdenominational fellowships and other Christian organizations to facilitate such unity.
