Rejoicing at the WCC
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is overjoyed. It has managed to get more denominations, including even Rome, under one roof, at its Global Christian Forum than ever it could under the auspices of the WCC. And almost as big a catch as Rome are the Pentecostals. Their leader has even proclaimed the forum to be a “new Pentecost”. The Pentecostals are mushrooming while the WCC’s members, though they boast that they are the mainline churches, are actually shrinking. The WCC sees the future as charismatic. Rome for her part comforts herself that she is absorbing the charismatic movement as she has absorbed so many movements in the past.
The secret of this forum’s success is that the churches could meet there without belonging to anything. In particular, although it was held under the auspices of the WCC, they did not have to join the WCC which has got bogged down in internal politics, left wing hang ups and American money (because the others won’t pay their dues), and is struggling to survive as a major ecumenical player.
Yet the WCC admits that about the only tangible achievement of the conference was its final communiqué which says nothing in particular.
As with most conferences, it is not what is said in the official sessions that counts but what is said in private conversations and gatherings behind closed doors. The problem facing the top brass of the ecumenical churches is not how to agree with one another but how to get the rank and file of the churches to follow them. That will have been the real topic of the conference.
The end result will be fragmentation of the churches with noisy ecumenical elements coming together and small faithful remnants breaking off on their own. The ecumenists think in terms of numbers: little so-called ‘schismatic’ groups do not much worry them, as yet. We remember asking a leading ecumenist about a little Scriptural denomination in their country. Oh, he sneered, “It is so small” and he could see no point in discussing it further.
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.” II Timothy 2:19.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment