A group of Catholics and Evangelicals is releasing the fruit of a new ecumenical dialogue on August 28, the Feast of St. Augustine. “The Gift of Being Christian Together: An Ecumenical Statement of Fidelity and Recognition” is a one-page document that identifies areas of common ground among the two largest Christian groups in the world. It has been recommended by the US bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and endorsed by the North American Baptist Fellowship. “At the most basic level, Catholics and Evangelicals share a love of Jesus Christ,” says Alexei Laushkin, founder of Kingdom Mission Society, an evangelical organization that helped spearhead the effort. That is a starting point for a number of other common areas delineated in the document, which can be found online at thegiftofbeingchristiantogether.org
Roman Catholic efforts were led by Nathan Smith, ecumenical director for Glenmary Home Missioners, a Catholic society of priests, Brothers and lay coworkers who work in evangelical-dominant areas of Appalachia and the South. Smith and Laushkin led a working group of Christian theologians from 6 traditions (Roman Catholics, Methodists, Reformed, Wesleyans, Anglicans and those in the Free Church tradition).
The dialogue group included Catholic theologians Dr. Jonathan Ciraulo, PhD (St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology), author Dr. Dawn Eden Goldstein, JCL, STD, Rev. Walter Kedjierski, PhD (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs), Dr. Alan Mostrom, PhD, (Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology), Rev. Ignatius John Schweitzer, OP, STL (St. Joseph’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY).
“The group spent time highlighting ways that members of the two groups (Evangelicals and Catholics) can see another as being Christian. The effort was not focused on particular theological differences so much as a starting point: that each communion affirms the Lordship of Christ and the call to more closely align our lives to the Gospel,” says Smith.
Between St. Augustine’s feast, August 28, and the Feast of Christ the King, November 24, Smith and Laushkin are recruiting participation not only from Evangelical and Catholic institutions, but also from everyday Christians from those traditions. They established a website, thegiftofbeingchristiantogether.org, to disseminate the document and to gather signatures of support.
“The feasts of St. Augustine and Christ the King both have ecumenical significance,” explains Smith. “Christians see Christ the King as the center of unity,” he says. “It is then that we profess the Lordship of Christ. And St. Augustine is much beloved by Evangelicals and Catholics.” His writings are important, for example, in St. Thomas Aquinas’s writings and as well as in Reformation theologian John Calvin’s” he says. “More important, Augustine dwells on the interior life, the conversion and change of heart that opens the door for unity.”
During this time beginning at the Feast of St. Augustine, churches will be recruited to have liturgical events that resonate with their tradition on November 24 to highlight the theme of unity. One recommended practice is to light their churches with red lights around November 24 as a sign of solidarity with modern Christian martyrs. “Let’s put an emphasis on the evangelism that has often been the cause of their martyrdom,” says Laushkin. Congregations are also encouraged to recite the Nicene Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and to pray for Christian unity, along with sharing the document with their congregations.
The Christian Forum of Switzerland has translated the document into French and is using it for a study group this fall, according to Smith.
Smith hopes for practical positive outcomes from better understanding among Catholics and evangelicals. “For example,” he says, “it’s not uncommon for families to have both Catholics and evangelicals, or Pentecostals or other Christians within that one family. I’ve spoken to people in our mission whose kids marry evangelicals, and now they tell their parents that they’re not Christian, because they’re Catholic.” That causes a lot of division, he says. “’The Gift of Being Christian Together’ gives some language as to how we might see one another, even though we’re different, as being Christian. It provides a starting point for further conversation.”
Contact:
- Nathan Smith, Director of Ecumenism, Glenmary Home Missioners, nsmith@glenmary.org
- Alexei Laushkin, Kingdom Mission Society, alexei@kingdommissionsociety.org
- thegiftofbeingchristiantogether.org
- John Feister, Director of Communications and Marketing, Glenmary Home Missioners, jfeister@glenmary.org
