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Reforming the Church’s Social and Political Witness February 2008 African Methodists Call for Renewal and Transformation ALSO INsiDE: u NCC Receives New, Liberal Social Creed u Israel = South Africa: The Dubious Analogy that Drives Pro-Palestinian Church Activists VOLUME 27 NUMBER 1 Contents Features 8 NCC Receives New, Liberal Social Creed The Institute on Religion & Democracy by Alan F.H. Wisdom and Ralph A. Webb 1023 15th Street NW, Suite 601 Washington, DC 20005 The new creed is a list of 20 broad social and Phone: 202.682.4131 political goals that reads like a laundry list of primarily Fax: 202.682.4136 progressive causes. Web: www.TheIRD.org E-mail: [email protected] PRESIDENT James W. Tonkowich 10 Israel = South Africa: The Dubious Analogy EDITORIAL that Drives Pro-Palestinian Church Activists Alan F.H. Wisdom by Jeffrey H. Walton Executive Editor, Vice President for Research and Programs Speakers at the Sabeel conference faulted Israel for Erik R. Nelson injustices, while apparently holding the Palestinian Managing Editor leadership blameless. Loralei G. Coyle Director of Communications STAFF James D. Berkley Programs Director of Presbyterian Action Anglican Action . Ralph A. Webb Nalani E. Hilderman Senior Executive Assistant 12 The Archbishop of Canterbury’s “Worst of All Worlds” John S.A. Lomperis 13 Episcopal Church Works to Bring Iraqi Refugees to the United States Research Associate 14 The Anglican Church of Nigeria: Bearing Burdens Near and Far . Faith J.H. McDonnell Faith J.H. McDonnell Director of Religious Liberty Programs Steve R. Rempe Presbyterian Action . James D. Berkley Website Coordinator 16 A Not-so-Fair Food Fight David P. Sheaffer Director of Development 18 Presbyterians May See through the FOG Rebekah M. Sharpe Administrative Assistant UMAction . Mark D. Tooley Mark D. Tooley Director of UMAction 20 United Methodists Look Toward Pivotal General Conference . John S.A. Lomperis Jerald H. Walz 22 Recipe for Renewal and Transformation of Global United Methodism in the New Vice President for Operations Quadrennium (2009-2012) Jeffrey H. Walton Communications Manager Articles Ralph A. Webb Director of Anglican Action 3 From the President: African Vitality . James W. Tonkowich 15 Religious Liberty: Bearing the Burden for Nigeria’s Persecuted Church . Faith J.H. McDonnell 19 Role Reversal . Joel Belz 23 IRD Diary: Standing on Shoulders . Jerald H. Walz COVER The Rev. Jerry Kulah delivers his Africa Declaration to the “A Hope and a Future through Our Wesleyan Heritage” conference last October. (IRD/Rebekah M. Sharpe) FROM THE PRESIDENT African Vitality by James W. Tonkowich ast December, Gene Robinson, the Episcopal Bishop of New and the other works of the great ecumenical councils. Oden writes: Hampshire, said regarding his upcoming “marriage” to his Lmale partner: “I always wanted to be a June bride.” “Always”? Global Christianity has benefited incalculably from these me- Really? ticulous works of African exegetes and moral theologians… . That bizarre gender-bending—all too common today—is a Through their debate the ecumenical councils were prepared symptom of a deeper spiritual malady in the churches in America. to confirm universally patterns of Christology and triune The problem is not homosexuality—or any other kind of sexuality. reasoning that were first defined in Africa. Rather there is a crisis of authority. We live in a culture that has de- spaired of knowing what Francis Schaeffer called “true truth”—that The vitality and influence of African Christianity was so is, those things that are true for all people at all times and are not strong that, for example, as Oden notes, “There is little doubt that subject to personal whims, idiosyncratic spiritualities masquerad- Irish Christianity sustained strong African and monastic motifs in ing as Christianity, and “every wind of doctrine.” its piety, hagiography, and temperament.” The mainline churches in America have been infected by this And African Christianity remains vital and influential. malady in a significant way; the evangelical churches to a lesser ex- “What the Holy Spirit is manifestly doing in Africa today,” tent, though the signs are not promising. But the African churches writes Oden, “is very different from engineering institutional merg- are a different story. ers through negotiation or strategic planning”—the very thing that In October 2007, a group of African United Methodist bishops is breaking down in the contrived, bureaucratic ecumenism in the and other leaders issued a document entitled “Recipe for Renewal West. “Rather, through grace the Spirit is quietly awakening faith. and Transformation of Global United Methodism in the New Qua- That faith is surely manifesting itself in the works of love, for love is drennium (2009-2012): Declaration to 2008 General Conference” what faith does.” This is the true and ancient ecumenism to which (see p. 22). African Christians made such substantial contributions many In their declaration the African leaders write regarding centuries ago. marriage: Many of the same modern developments can be seen in the other churches of the Global South and across Asia, but historically Faithfulness to the Word of God requires that we… declare: Africa has a unique relationship to the Church catholic. African That God created sexuality for lifelong marriage between man intellectuals built the framework for much of what we still define as and woman only (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:18-24); therefore any attempt orthodox. by the Church or some of its members to embrace or accept The United Methodist document concludes: and practice other forms of union is to deny God’s omnipo- tence and omniscience, and hence suggest that the Almighty When the Baby Jesus was threatened by a vengeful King God was in error when he instituted marriage between one Herod, the Holy Family fled to Africa for sanctuary (Matthew man and one woman for life. (Emphasis in original) 2: 14-15). Today, the Church in Africa offers itself as a sanctu- ary for God’s Word for the renewing of his Church around the The critical phrase is “Faithfulness to the Word of God world. requires that we … declare,” for everything rises or falls on the authority of Scripture and our faithfulness in submitting to that In the midst of the spiritual chaos that characterizes the authority. Church in the West, this is an offer we need to welcome, looking Will Africa be the bulwark for orthodoxy that we desperately again to the spiritual and theological vitality of African Christian- need? A bulwark not only for United Methodists in the West, but ity—modern and ancient. for Anglicans, Presbyterians, Catholics, and evangelicals as well? If so, it will not be the first time. In his new book How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind, theo- James W. Tonkowich is the President of the logian and IRD board member Thomas Oden argues that what we Institute on Religion & Democracy. know as Christian orthodoxy was forged during the first Christian centuries not in the Middle East or in Europe, but in Africa. Augus- tine, Athanasius, Origen, Cyril of Alexandria, Anthony, Pope Vic- tor, and others were the exegetes, theologians, and activists whose efforts resulted in the Nicene Creed, the Definition of Chalcedon, FEBRUARY 2008 | FAITH & FREEDOM 3 International Briefs New Global Christian Forum Venezuelan Bishops Help Defeat Meets in Kenya Chávez’s Bid to Enhance Power Church leaders from 72 nations gathered The Venezuelan Catholic bishops in Limuru, Kenya, November 6–9 for a played a part in rallying voters to new Global Christian Forum. “We have defeat President Hugo Chávez’s bid here what might be described as a new to consolidate his power. Chávez’s Andrew Alvarez/AFP Photo Pentecost,” said the Rev. Cecil Robeck, proposed package of constitutional a U.S. Assemblies of God minister changes would have empowered the and professor at Fuller Seminary in Venezuelan president to appoint California. directly many formerly independent Prominent leaders in attendance national and local officials, to install at the forum included the Rev. Samuel a “socialist economy,” and to seek Kobia, General Secretary of the World re-election for an indefinite number Council of Churches; Bishop Brian Far- of terms. rell, Secretary of the Pontifical Council In an October statement entitled for Promoting Christian Unity; Dr. “Called to Live in Freedom,” the James Legget, Chairman of the Pente- bishops criticized Chávez’s proposals PEacEFUL PROTEst A Venezuelan Catholic costal World Fellowship; the Rev. Clifton as “morally unacceptable in the light woman protests against the Chávez regime Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the Presbyte- of the social doctrine of the church.” in a solemn march. Catholic bishops played a significant role in the defeat of constitutional rian Church (U.S.A.) and President of the “The alarm bells should not only “reforms” Chávez desired, which would have World Alliance of Reformed Churches; be ringing in our neighboring coun- removed presidential term limits. and Dr. Neville Callam, General Secre- tries, but Venezuelans must wake up tary of the Baptist World Alliance. to face the prospect of constitutional reform,” said Archbishop Roberto Lückert of Pope, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Warn of the Decline of A joint message from the partici- Coro, Vice President of the Venezuelan Bishops Conference. Christianity in Europe pants explained: “Our desire has been Chávez has described the narrow defeat of his proposal as a “pyrrhic victory” The spiritual leaders of the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox to create an open space wherein the for his opponents, threatening to enact the changes by other means. Archbishop churches have criticized the growing secularization of Europe, warn- representatives from a broad range of Lückert has urged Venezuelans to fight such an attempt by electing strong state and ing that Christians face obsolescence by abandoning their historic Christian communities and inter-church municipal officials. teachings and traditions.
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