Pentecostalism and Ecumenism: Past, Present, and Future (Part 2 of 5) by Amos Yong
Having issued the challenge the way that I have, however, assumes that all ecumenists and even churches that participate in the ecumenical movement are liberals. That this is far from the truth should not need to be stated. There are Christian movements, communities and denominations that are far from liberal theologically or doctrinally. Various Pentecostal and evangelical type churches are WCC members, as well as Eastern Orthodox churches that are stridently conservative on theological matters. In fact, many of these Orthodox churches, longtime members of the WCC, have been contemplating withdrawing from the WCC precisely for these reasons. This raises the third counter-question in all its specificity: what exactly is the goal of the ecumenical movement and what role should doctrine play in this regard?
There is a widespread perception among Pentecostals that the ecumenical movement is a last days ploy by Satan to deceive the elect. In fact, the ecumenical movement in general and the WCC more specifically have been thought to be representative of the great harlot of Revelation 17-18. Pentecostals fear that the ecumenical vision of a worldwide unity is a masquerade for the beast’s establishing a global anti-Christian church. I will return to this issue later. For now, however, it suffices to note that the WCC understands itself to be a cooperative fellowship of churches, each of which have a “‘sustained independent life and organization,’ including the right to decide to apply for WCC membership without the permission of any other body or person.” In short, the WCC operates with the understanding that local denominations and churches large enough to apply (at least 10,000 members) are fully autonomous and remain such.
Clearly, the WCC does not see itself as a Church, much less the world church that Pentecostals are suspicious about. Rather, member churches retain their own autonomy and WCC programs and initiatives are considered only as recommendations by the member churches to the churches. These are in no way binding upon individual denominations or churches except insofar as they are received as reflecting biblical truth and explicitly adopted to guide Christian practice. Given the predominance of Protestant churches in the WCC and the increasing trends toward the establishment of indigenous national churches (see also below), the trajectory of contemporary ecumenism is in the direction of an ecclesiology that emphasizes unity only amidst diversity rather than toward increasing authoritarianism, hierarchicalism, or any other kind of control (whether considered in terms of the WCC, or the Roman Catholic Church). Assuming for the moment that this is true, such an arrangement is certainly more conducive to Pentecostal participation. But what then about the role of doctrine in the quest for Christian unity?
Category: Ministry, Pneuma Review, Spring 2001
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