Views and Vibes at Ventnor

The big news around Atlantic City last month was the impending opening of the first of several huge gambling casinos that are expected to revitalize the area’s ailing economy. Virtually unnoticed was an important religious consultation held in adjacent Ventnor. Amid surroundings and names made popular by the game Monopoly, 170 participants from forty denominations and twenty-three countries took on the world’s ills. At times they seemed intent on dismantling and replacing political and economic systems that create and perpetuate suffering, injustice, and social evils. For nearly four days they attempted to come to grips with the question stated in the conference theme: “Liberation, Development, Evangelization: Must We Choose in Mission?”

The consultation was the fifth and last in a series on “The Future of the Missionary Enterprise.” It was held at the independent Overseas Ministries Study Center, which sponsored the event jointly with several Protestant, Roman Catholic, and ecumenical groups.

The keynote address by Uruguayan Methodist Emilio Castro, director of the World Council of Churches’ Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, offered an answer. Speaking on the topic, “Towards a Liberating Evangelism: Beyond Polarizations,” he stated that “there is a growing consensus among Christians on the reciprocity between evangelism and Christian service, between proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and participation in human liberation.” To support his contention he quoted from the evangelical-drafted Lausanne Covenant of 1974 and the conclusions reached at a meeting of Orthodox theologians meeting in Bucharest that same year. He also referred to documents from the Bangkok and Nairobi WCC assemblies and a Vatican encyclical.

Acknowledging that questions do arise as to how “the various aspects of Christian obedience relate to each other,” Castro insisted that liberation, development, humanization, and evangelism are all essential parts of the same mission. No single aspect can be permanently pursued apart from the others without damaging the whole, he suggested.

In another speech, development ethicist Denis Goulet, author of A New Moral Order, asserted that Christian ethical teaching in some instances has provided legitimacy for economic systems and practices. This, he alleged, is partly the reason for the underdevelopment of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He called “existing global arrangements structurally unjust,” and he urged Christians to devise ethical strategies to create a better world.

A panel on “World Capitalism and World Mission” pitted Methodist pacifist Douglas Hostetter and others against Melvin Loewen of the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development. Hostetter contended that multi-national corporations are basically evil, that capitalism is antithetical to Christian teach ing and values, and that socialism offers a more Christian alternative. If Christians fail to dissociate themselves from capitalism, said Hostetter, it will “seriously hurt [their] witness and the image of the Gospel.” Loewen, a last-minute replacement for evangelical development specialist Paris Reidhead, who was detained in Sudan, replied that all those present who had checking or savings accounts were “capitalists”; that what is needed in underdeveloped countries is low interest capital; and that his agency is doing its best in working through existing governments in the Third World to provide assistance at national and local levels.

In the open forum that followed the presentations, various criticisms of existing development programs were directed at Loewen. Referring to himself as the “dartboard” of the panel, Loewen repeatedly asked for suggestions as to how better to accomplish the task of development. The response of Joel Gajardo of Chile, a National Council of Churches executive, seemed to catch the mood of a sizable number of participants. Disregarding the plea for suggestions for change within the existing system, he echoed the judgment of Loewen’s colleagues on the panel that the capitalistic system is corrupt and must be replaced.

Other issues came into sharper focus midway through the consultation when American Waldron Scott, general secretary of the World Evangelical Fellowship, and three Third World representatives spoke directly to the question posed in the conference theme. Scott briefly alluded to the historical developments that have helped shape the “social action” and “gospel proclamation” dichotomy that is such a prominent part of the thinking of conservative evangelicals in North America. He insisted that an increasing number of evangelicals are becoming aware of—and ministering to—the needs of the whole man. Seizing the offensive, he cited Emilio Castro’s words: “conversion to Christ demands militant discipleship.” Evangelicals, he said, do not see enough emphasis on this conversion to Christ in the writings and work of ecumenists.

The other three speakers called for the liberation of the oppressed people in their lands. They were: Mortimer Arias, former Methodist bishop of Bolivia; Sister Virginia Fabell, a Catholic missionary from the Philippines; and Sipo Mzimela, a South African student who gave a scathing indictment of missions in Africa.

In a question-answer period, the first four questioners addressed their remarks to Waldron Scott, who seemingly had to bear responsibility not only for his own presentation but also for the weaknesses of “evangelical evangelization.” Sensing the direction the remarks were taking, conference host Gerald H. Anderson of the study center took the floor. He underscored the validity of a concern for evangelization that seeks to win men to Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Although statements of his own United Methodist denomination include evangelism as a primary purpose, said Anderson, one who reads the annual reports finds it all but impossible to believe that evangelism gets priority.

Part of the time at the consultation was devoted to small-group Bible study, analysis, and strategy, and these sessions attracted high interest. They gave the conference a spiritual undertone that provided a needed measure of balance to the liberation and development themes, according to some observers.

No attempt was made to finalize any set of consultation conclusions. Rather, in a final plenary wrap-up session, three speakers—none of them an evangelical—were given about twenty minutes each for closing comments on “Where do we go from here?”

Emilio Castro reiterated his belief that liberation, development, and evangelization belong together and that there is growing agreement on this point. He urged missionaries to “enter the struggle of mankind” lest the credibility of the Gospel be lost. Echoing others at one point, he stated flatly: “Capitalism is inconsistent with Christianity.”

United Presbyterian Robert McAfee Brown, professor at Union Seminary in New York, spoke of “a new perspective on liberation” that he had gained from the conference. He pleaded for acts of solidarity with the oppressed in their struggles for justice—not only the struggles of such groups as the blacks in South Africa and the masses in Latin America, but also those of the movements for women’s rights and homosexuals’ rights in America.

The former president of the Catholic Paulist Fathers, Thomas Stransky, thought that the consultation had been strong on moralisms but weak on analysis. His words evidenced a pastoral concern and were more cautious: “Once you succeed in getting on a tiger’s back, you must think carefully about your next move.” He said he did not feel that the degree of consensus was as great as some speakers had supposed, an opinion also voiced by Scott. The Paulist leader expressed concern lest additional divisions be exported to the Third World. He emphasized the importance of the Word of God in formulating beliefs and actions. There ought to be openness, he said, toward conservative evangelicals “who are struggling with their tradition.” Many evangelicals are rethinking the question of wholeness in mission, he commented. Leadership in the church’s mission in the 1980s will come from the conservative evangelical camp, he predicted, prompting many expressions of surprise.

The consultation itself provided some reinforcement for the validity of Stransky’s analysis and peek into the crystal ball. The Bible teacher for the consultation was the president of Denver’s Conservative Baptist Seminary, Vernon Grounds. Knowing beforehand that he would be criticized by other evangelicals for participating, he nevertheless accepted the invitation to deliver daily Bible expositions on the general topic, “Towards a Socialized Spirituality.” (Indeed, criticism was published and circulated in conservative circles before the consultation began.) Some evangelical participants thought that Grounds’s meditations tended to highlight more weaknesses of evangelicals than of ecumenists. But all seemed agreed that his fidelity to Scripture and his rigorous hermeneutic were an evangelical model for addressing issues of mission that increasingly must be faced.

There was general agreement among participants that much had been learned from the Ventnor experience, and that any future consultations held out the same promise. Grounds defended evangelical participation on that basis: “The consultation affords an opportunity for evangelicals to learn firsthand the dynamics and directions of the ecumenical movement, as well as the issues, problems, and challenges which we face as we carry on the task of world evangelism.”

Beyond that general agreement, however, assessments varied. Gerald Anderson undoubtedly spoke for many—but not everybody—when he concluded that there “was a consensus that the tasks of liberation, development, and evangelism are all integral parts of mission.” The meanings attached to the conference’s theme words and the source of those meanings were important underlying issues for evangelicals, and that is one reason why in their minds consensus did not exist.

As for future consultations, says a seminary missions teacher, if in their desire for unity ecumenists somehow prescribe consensus, significant evangelical participation will become unfruitful and perhaps misleading. If evangelicals are given a full voice, and dialogue allows for difference and division in a spirit of respect, the possibilities of participation are enhanced, he says.

The Church Press And Pressing Issues

Florida is among the fifteen holdouts that have not ratified the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and that state of affairs led to some emotion-laden moments at the recent annual meeting of the Associated Church Press in St. Louis.

The membership of the sixty-two-year-old ACP is made up mostly of main-line Protestant publications, many of them run directly or indirectly by people who espouse liberal viewpoints. Some Protestant churches and agencies have vowed as a matter of protest or pressure not to hold meetings in non-ERA states. Even where official action has not been taken many individuals have adopted the policy for conscience reasons.

Next year’s ACP convention was scheduled to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in conjunction with the much larger Catholic Press Association convention, resuming a fraternal practice that was interrupted this year for the first time since 1969. A number of participants at the ACP meeting, however, informed their fellow delegates that they will be unable to attend next year’s convention unless it is shifted elsewhere.

In the considerable debate that consumed one afternoon of the three-day convention, some editors said they were for the ERA but against boycotts, some felt that commitments to the Florida hotel and the Catholic journalists ought to be kept no matter what, and others hinted that as journalists they ought to avoid the appearance of anything that smacked of taking a stand on either side of a controversy. Still others said that they don’t care so much about the ERA issue as about respecting those who do and making it possible for them to attend the ACP in good conscience.

It was this last position that ultimately seemed to sway the ACP board into canceling the Florida arrangements, despite an advisory straw vote that showed members favoring Fort Lauderdale 25 to 23. In a resolution explaining its action, the board said that a separate convention would help the ACP “to develop further its identity,” and it affirmed that the ACP “in its broad consensus supports fundamental human rights as articulated by the Equal Rights Amendment.” That provision came close to outright endorsement of the ERA, something that many editors insisted should be avoided in the interest of maintaining an image of objectivity. Toronto and San Antonio were specified as candidate cities for next year’s meeting.

In the annual competition, four publications received awards of general excellence: Canadian Churchman (national monthly newspaper of the Anglican Church of Canada), Youth Magazine (ecumenical monthly published by United Church Press), These Times (monthly outreach publication of the Seventh-day Adventist Church), and Liberty (a Seventh-day Adventist bimonthly dealing with religious-freedom issues and church-and-state matters).

Among the numerous publications that received “best” awards in designated categories were Colorado Episcopalian (best editorial); Christianity and Crisis, Christian Century, Journal of Current Social Issues, New World Outlook, and Worldview (best feature articles); United Methodist Reporter and Worldview (best news stories); and CHRISTIANITY TODAY (best department—news).

Speakers included Wesley G. Pippert, an evangelical who covers the White House for United Press International, and famed sex researcher-therapist William H. Masters. Pippert emphasized the pursuit of truth, and Masters explored issues of sexuality along amoral lines. Masters did indicate that homosexuals are made, not born. Homosexuality, he affirmed, is a learned, culturally determined orientation, not a natural one. He said that his conclusions on the topic, detailing ten years of research, will be published next year.

ACP membership and finances have lagged in recent years, but Donald F. Hetzler, ACP’s part-time executive secretary, reported that a measure of stability has been achieved. Membership recruitment and grant-funding for special projects are priorities for the coming year, he announced.

Jesus ’78

By bus, van, and auto they came, nearly 55,000 of them, to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Under leaden and sometimes drizzly skies they gathered, singing, laughing, praying, shouting, listening, and sometimes crying, through nearly eight hours. They were charismatics mostly, with the Roman Catholics outnumbering the Protestants, and they were one in the Spirit, they kept reminding themselves. They felt it, too, especially when Andrae Crouch sang, “Amazing Grace,” and they all joined in, raising their hands toward heaven. It all happened with the national media looking on.

The Saturday rally last month was cosponsored by Dan Malachuk’s Logos publishing organization and by the People of Hope, a Catholic charismatic community in Convent Station, New Jersey. Speakers included evangelist Ruth Carter Stapleton, Jim Bakker of the PTL television network, and several Catholic charismatic leaders, along with Catholic bishop Peter L. Gerety of Newark and Cardinal Terence Cooke of New York. In their talks, they emphasized unity among Christians and the need to reach out to others.

“Nobody could have gotten us together on this eve of Pentecost except the Spirit of God,” remarked Gerety.

Treasure Texts

Bible scholars have disclosed that Greek Orthodox monks on Mt. Sinai two years ago found thousands of parchment and papyrus fragments of early Christian texts, some dating from before the year 300. The stash was behind a wall in the monastery. Included are eight missing pages from the fourth-century Codex Sinaiticus, a priceless Greek Bible manuscript now in the British museum. The monks have kept the lid on their find, allowing relatively few remnants to be microfilmed. Rivalries among scholars, church factions, and governments are part of the reason for the foot-dragging. Western Bible researchers fear for the treasure’s safekeeping, especially if another Arab-Israeli conflict erupts.

Religion in Transit

Dismissed: a suit filed in federal court by professional atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair seeking to prevent the use of the words “In God We Trust” on currency.

Accredited: the 700-student Northwestern College in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, an independent evangelical school founded in 1902 as a Bible institute by the late fundamentalist leader W. B. Riley, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Evangelist Billy Graham served as president from 1947 to 1952. It virtually closed in 1965 and did not reopen as a college until 1972. William Bernsten is its current president.

Closed: the sixty-year-old, 172-student Vancouver Bible College in Surrey, British Columbia, by the denomination that took it over in 1957, the U.S.-based 750,000-member Baptist General Conference. A BGC spokesman cited spiraling deficits, administrative deficiencies, and few BGC students. College president Bob Anderson expressed anger at the action, which he bitterly labeled “un-Christian.”

Founded: the Society of Christian Philosophers, at an organizational meeting in Cincinnati of about eighty professional philosophers with Protestant and Catholic affiliations. Episcopalian William Alston of the University of Illinois was elected president.

Resigned: Kenneth Opperman as president of Toccoa Falls College. Health and faculty unrest were contributing factors. The Christian and Missionary Alliance school gained national attention last November when a dam above the campus burst, killing thirty-nine. Reporter Gaylord Shaw of the Los Angeles Times used the Toccoa Falls tragedy as a peg for a series of articles on dam safety that recently won him the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.

Americans contributed $16.54 billion to religious causes in 1977, up from $14.85 billion in 1976, reports the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel. Religious giving, it said, accounted for 47 per cent—the largest chunk—of the total $35.20 billion given to charity last year.

Brigham Young University warned that it may withdraw its membership from nine eduational organizations involved in a boycott of states that have not ratified the Equal Rights Amendment. President Dallin H. Oaks of the 25,000-student Mormon school says the boycott is questionable legally and contemptible morally. His remarks were directed at national associations of psychology, political science, theater, personnel administration, and the like.

World Scene

Evangelist Bill Thomas, a black American serving with the European Baptist Federation and a CHRISTIANITY TODAY correspondent, conducted a five-night preaching mission last month at a Baptist church in the Weissensee section of East Berlin. More than 600 persons, mostly young people, packed each service. Many made public decisions and were counseled by church leaders. Pastor Gunther Sachse says Thomas is the first outsider granted a visa to hold a local-church campaign in East Germany.

The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren has been authorized by the government to print 80,000 copies of a hymn-book. Dutch church members are helping to raise the funds for the $250,000 project. The Czech church has some 270,000 members in 220 churches and 300 other meeting places, according to unofficial estimates. Western observers consider the announcement significant in light of recent religious repression in Czechoslovakia.

Despite severe pressure from the outside (including attacks in the press) and some internal disagreements, delegates at the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan voted 255 to 49 to have C. M. Kao serve another term as general secretary. The assembly also voted overwhelmingly to accept a controversial declaration on human rights issued by the church’s executive committee last year. Church leaders have been at odds with the nationalist Chinese government.

Protestant and Roman Catholic churches in Brazil are distributing at least one million copies of an ecumenical edition of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, complete with Bible references and official church pronouncements. Conservatives feel the action amounts to a veiled attack against the government.

Sharp theological debate about baptism is underway in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark. Theologian Peter Hojen believes faith should be a prerequisite for baptism, and others have joined him in questioning traditional Lutheran teaching about infant baptism.

Death

BASIL MILLER, 81, prolific author, Nazarene minister, and director of the California-based World-Wide Missions organization; in Pasadena, California, after a long illness.

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