CHURCH UNITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26556, 3 September 1947, Page 6

CHURCH UNITY

VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING DIVERGENCIES UNDERSTOOD Special to the Daily Times WELLINGTON, Sept. 2. “We have found a surprising degree of unanimity existing among the churches, and if some have come to understand more clearly the differences that divide us yet, we can look forward hopefully to a greater unity in the Church,” stated the Very Rev. A. K. Warren, Dean of Christchurch, yesterday in a sermon at the closing service of the Faith and Order Conference of the National Council of Churches. For the past week the conference has been in session at Marsden School, Wellington, and has been attended by 165 representatives of the eight constituent churches of the council—the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Congregational Churches, the. Associated Churches of Christ, the Salvation Army, and the Society of Friends. Differences of Interpretation Working in sectional groups which brought reports to be considered and ratified in the plenary sessions, the conference discussed topics of faith and order, concentrating more especially on those matters where a divergence of -interpretation is known to exist.

While many apparently irreconcilable differences were brought to light, it was obvious from the outset that there was a desire for co-operation and mutual respect and tolerance that made frank discussion easy and augured well for the success of the ecumenical movement. There was a large field of doctrine where the churches stood together, and this formed the basis of an affirmation of unity agreed to unanimously by the conference. The major differences of opinion were to be discovered in the methods held to be essential to the right administration of the churches’ order and the proper mode of guaranteeing the apostolic succession of the ministry. At the same time, a large measure of agreement was discovered on matters dealing with admission to membership in church functions and the place of the ordained ministry, the nature of the Church in its relation to the world and to its Founder, and the meaning and purpose of the Sacraments. The importance of theological and ecclesiastical agreement was fully realised when such matters as transference, of membership from one church to another were discussed. Basis for Future Study A statement containing the resolutions agreed upon by the whole conference is to be published as a declaration of what has already been attained and as a basis for further study and discussion. But more significant than the resolutions agreed to was felt to be the desire for unity, mutual helpfulness and discussion and the ability of the churches to consider their points of disagreement with frankness and without rancour. Mention was made of the first meeting of. the World Council of Churches in Amsterdam next year and of the ' branches of the National Council of Churches which would meet throughout < New Zealand. There was no thought of an immediate union of churches, but the National Council of Churches through its activities could create an environment in which the reuniting of churches could be discussed.