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Epilogue

In sum, we call evangelicals to recover the conviction that God's story shapes the mission of the church to bear witness to God's kingdom and to inform the spiritual foundations of civilization. We set forth this call as an ongoing, open-ended conversation. We are aware that we have our blind spots and weaknesses. Therefore, we encourage evangelicals to engage this call within educational centers, denominations, and local churches through publications and conferences.

We pray that we can move with intention to proclaim a loving, transcendent, triune God who has become involved in our history. In line with Scripture, creed, and tradition, it is our deepest desire to embody God's purposes in the mission of the church through our theological reflection, our worship, our spirituality, and our life in the world, all the while proclaiming that Jesus is Lord over all creation.

This call is issued in the spirit of sic et non; therefore, those who affix their names to this call need not agree with all its content. Rather, its consensus is that these are issues to be discussed in the tradition of semper reformanda as the church faces the new challenges of our time. Over a period of seven months, more than 300 persons have participated via e-mail to write the call. These men and women represent a broad diversity of ethnicity and denominational affiliation. The four theologians who most consistently interacted with the development of the call have been named as theological editors. The board of reference was given the special assignment of overall approval.

Conveners: Robert E. Webber, Myers professor of ministry, Northern Seminary; Philip C. Kenyon, director, Grow Center for Biblical Leadership, Northern Seminary.

Theological Editors: Hans Boersma, Packer professor of theology, Regent College; Howard Snyder, professor of world mission, Asbury Theological Seminary, and university professor of world Christianity, Spring Arbor University; Kevin J. Vanhoozer, research professor of systematic theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; D. H. Williams, professor of patristics and historical theology, Baylor University.

For a collection of Web links to information about "A Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future," a list of signatories, and a follow-up conference, go to christianitytoday.com/go/aefcall. "A Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future," © Northern Seminary 2006, Robert Webber and Phil Kenyon. Permission is granted to reproduce the call in unaltered form with proper citation.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also posted today is an interview with Robert Webber and Phil Kenyon.

Other electronic copies of "A Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future":

Download the call (Microsoft Word format):

Download the Call (.PDF):

Read and Sign the call:

Find information about an Ancient Evangelical Future Conference (December 7-9, 2006).

More information on "A Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future" will soon be available at Ancient Future Worship.

Read the related 1977 document "The Chicago Call: An Appeal to Evangelicals".

An excerpt from Webber's Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality Through the Christian Year is available on our site.

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September 2006, Vol. 50, No. 9