Mel Robeck has shared with Pneuma Review the press release from the International Dialogue between the World Communion of Reformed Churches and Classical Pentecostals, which concluded on December 4, 2018.

Representatives of various classical Pentecostal churches and a delegation from the World Communion of Reformed Churches met in Legon, Accra, Ghana, November 29 – December 4, 2018. This meeting was the fifth session of the third round, which is focused on “Ministering to the Needs of the World.”

The participants were photographed on the campus of Trinity Theological Seminary, where the Methodist scholar on Pentecostal and Charismatics, Dr. Kwabena has recently become President. Pictured left to right, row one: Bas Plaisiar, Teresa (Tess) Chai, Jacqui Grey, and Van Johnson. Row two: Karla Koll, Jean-Daniel Plüess, Gabrielle Rácsok, and Setri Nyomi. Row three: David Daniels, Mel Robeck, Hanns Lessing.

At the beginning and end of each day, participants gather to pray, sing, read and reflect upon the Bible together. This time of sharing in spirituality and worship helps to contextualize the discussions that take place, and builds greater community between participants.

This year, the dialogue focused on the significance of eschatology (those things having to do with the end of time and the return of Jesus, which is our blessed hope) to Mission. To open the discussion, the Rev. Dr. Karla Ann Koll (Reformed) and Rev. Dr. Van Johnson (Pentecostal) prepared and presented papers reflective of the teachings of their faith communities on this topic. Participants then raised questions and responded in a free-ranging discussion intended to tease out common interests and common concerns, while noting differences in understanding.

In her presentation, Dr. Koll demonstrated that Reformed Christians, like Pentecostals, anticipate the return of Jesus Christ to bring the Reign of God in its fullness. Their primary focus has been on sharing the Gospel and caring for the lives and well-being of others in ways they believe are in keeping with that Reign. Following the teachings of John Calvin regarding the sovereignty of God, and their belief that God’s redemptive intention encompasses all of creation, they have been less focused upon events surrounding the Second Coming, and more on the call for the Church to minister until Christ’s return. They maintain that the Holy Spirit empowers them both to promote the Gospel, and work to transform culture and society in keeping with Christ’s will.

Dr. Johnson made the case that both time and space have challenged the way Pentecostals think about and act upon their understanding of eschatology. Pentecostals believe that God has been restoring the purity, passion, and power of the church through the Holy Spirit, in anticipation of the imminent return of Christ and the inauguration of His kingdom. Like the early church, their expectation that time was short before Christ’s return, has motivated much of their mission activity, in which they have emphasized the proclamation of the Gospel to the “lost.” Yet, after a century of existence, Pentecostal views of time are changing, leading to shifts in how they view mission. If they have more time to live and act, their view of the world around them, their space, must be taken more seriously than in the past. While continuing to affirm the soon return of the Lord, their notion of mission has broadened beyond proclamation or evangelization alone, to include other missional activities. Now, mission includes a range of activities extending from evangelism to creation care as signs of the future kingdom.

This past Friday morning (September 28, 2018), Pope Francis met with the bishops who oversee the work of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU). Cardinal Kurt Koch is President of the PCPCU and Bishop Brian Farrell is its Secretary. The bishops responsible for ecumenism who relate to the PCPCU gather at once each year to review a specific project and see how things have progressed. I have not yet obtained the opening remarks of Cardinal Koch, but Pope Francis made a speech to the members of the PCPCU regarding their work with Pentecostals, Charismatics, and Evangelicals.

Pope Francis is most interested in the work with Classical Pentecostals as well as Charismatics. The PCPCU has been in dialogue with Classical Pentecostals since 1972. More recently, the PCPCU has met with Charismatics under that rubric, including a number of independent Pentecostal preachers like Kenneth Copeland, as well as a number of non-denominational Charismatic and megachurch pastors.

The dialogue with Classical Pentecostals began under the leadership of David du Plessis (at that time defrocked by the Assemblies of God – he was later reinstated). In 1985 David was succeeded by his younger brother, Justus du Plessis (Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa), who served as co-chair until 1992. At that time, I was elected to serve as the Pentecostal Co-chair.

The Dialogue is now in its seventh round, each of which has run from 5 to 8 years, with a couple of breaks. All previous rounds were completed with full, written reports that have been circulated widely and have been cited in a number of academic papers. They have all been well received. I have listed the places where they have been published below.

Saint Peter’s Basilica at sunset.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

For over 35 years, I have watched closely what the past three popes have had to say about Pentecostals. I believe that this is the first and fullest formal address given on the topic of Pentecostals by any pope to date. It is clear that Pope Francis recognizes some of the issues between Catholics and Pentecostals, but it is equally clear that he believes that this dialogue is particularly important. He highlights the work of the Spirit in ways that Pentecostals would likely highlight it, and I believe that it could be of help to other Pentecostals and Charismatics with ecumenical interests to see how strongly he supports the International Catholic – Pentecostal Dialogue which is overseen by the PCPCU.

I hope that you enjoy reading this short piece, and will take the time to look up some of the past reports made by members of the Dialogue. Please note the bibliographical information below.

“Audience of the Holy Father with participants in the Plenary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, 28.09.2018”

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2018/09/28/180928a.html

A Pentecostal in Rome: Fuller Seminary Professor Mel Robeck shares his story about teaching a course at the Gregorian University in early 2018.

Over the past thirty-one years, I have flown 127 round trips between Los Angeles and Europe. Eighteen of those trips have been to Rome, nearly all of which included work with the Catholic Church. During these years, I have met with and spoken for many different Catholic groups, such as the Focolare Movement, the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services Committee, the Chemin Neuf community, the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and several others. I have been privileged to have thirteen papal audiences with Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. I traveled with Pope John Paul II and with Pope Benedict to Assisi, where we prayed for world peace. I sat on the platform in front of St. Peter’s Basilica during the inauguration of Popes Benedict XVI and Francis, and listened as they preached their first public sermon as Pope. I processed into worship services with John Paul II and Benedict XVI, where I was invited to offer public prayer or lead the congregation in the Creed. I have learned much from all of these events and meetings. I have never sought any of these privileges. I view them solely as manifestations of God’s grace in my life that are consistent with His calling for me to work in the field of ecumenism.

About three months later, the Dean withdrew the invitation with deep apologies. I was informed that Dr. McCarthy, who funded this visiting professorship was dying, and because his medical expenses had run so high and he was trying to get his fiscal house in order, he had announced that he could not afford to provide the funds for my course. I was disappointed, of course, but I felt for the McCartney family at this time of loss. There was no further follow-up on this invitation. Dr. McCarthy died, and within three or four months, the Dean, Fr. Donath Hercsik, S.J. died suddenly at age 45. I had not given any further thought to teaching at the Gregorian.

The Pontifical Gregorian University. It is raining in this photograph from 2006.
Image: Luigi Santoro, Wikimedia Commons

On November 27, 2016, I once again received a letter from the Gregorian. This one came from Professor Fr. Felix Körner, S.J, who invited me to offer a course under the auspices of a five-year Atelier Ecumenico or “Ecumenical Workshop” grant. He had no knowledge of my previous contact with the university’s Dean. He requested that I offer a course on Pentecostalism for students in theology during the 2017-2018 academic year. The invitation came at a moment when I had just chosen to change my status at Fuller to Senior Professor of Church History and Ecumenics and Special Assistant to the President for Ecumenical Relations. The seminary gave me a multi-year contract, with substantial guaranteed funding for all of my ecumenical meetings and relief from all faculty meetings and committees. After some discussion with Professor Körner, I agreed to offer a course titled “Global Pentecostalisms: Developments, Doctrine, and Dialogue”. At the same time, Professor Körner invited me to prepare a “Public Lecture” on some aspect of ecumenism that would be given at the Gregorian sometime during my time in Rome.

A conversation with Professor and Pentecostal Statesman Cecil M. Robeck, Jr.

PneumaReview.com: As a Pentecostal, how do you define ecumenism?

Mel Robeck: The term “ecumenism” is derived from the Greek word oikoumene, which comes from the noun, oikos. The basic meaning of oikos is “house,” and by extension, oikoumene refers to those things, which have to do with the household. I understand the ecumenical household to be the “Household of God,” the Church, the whole “People of God,” the Christian community. From my perspective, then, ecumenism is a term reserved primarily for the issues of relationship that exist between Christians. My understanding of what constitutes a Christian is fairly simple. A Christian is one who confesses that Jesus Christ is his or her Lord and Savior.

In my ecumenical work, I begin with the biblical premise that there is only one Church and that all who confess Jesus Christ are part of that Church, regardless of their denominational label. But if we drive down the street in any of our cities, we can see that there is something wrong. How is it that we have so many denominations—over 30,000 around the world today—while there is only one Church? Why is it that many of these denominations have nothing to do with one another, yet there is only one Church? Why do we speak against one another, and yet we say that we belong to the same Church?

Many people who are not Christians ask these same questions. Unfortunately, these questions compromise the message of reconciliation that we preach, the message that God has offered through Jesus Christ, a means of breaking down all barriers between God and humankind, and between all individuals. The result is that those outside the Church are either confused about the effectiveness of the Gospel, or they are completely scandalized by what they view as our “hypocritical” claims.

The so-called “Ecumenical Movement” first came into being as a direct result of these evangelistic and missionary concerns. The World Council of Churches, which was founded, in part, as a result of these concerns, seeks to overcome the historic divisions between its member denominations. Along the way, it has also addressed other human, inter-religious, and environmental issues that represent the concerns of the churches that are members of the Council. The World Council of Churches has invited all Churches who can confess that “Jesus Christ is both God and Savior according to the Scriptures” to join together in a common quest for visible Christian unity. Very few Pentecostals have taken them up on their offer.

Mel Robeck (center), during a discussion on ecumenism, at the 2014 meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.

The “Memphis Miracle”* was a triumphant moment in the history of Pentecostal race relations in North America. But it was only a moment. Pastors and other church leaders returned to their places of ministry with a great deal of good will. They wanted to do the right thing, but they have not always known how to translate their mountain-top experience into action.

This is understandable. Our histories and experiences are all different. They require different approaches as we move along the process of racial reconciliation. Some pastors and congregations have extensive experience promoting racial reconciliation. Others do not. The following suggestions may be helpful as you consider your next step in this healing process.

1. Acknowledge that there is a problem of how we relate to one another across racial and ethnic lines.
2. Personalize the problem. Ask yourself what role you play, implicitly or explicitly, that contributes to the present situation, then offer it to the Lord.
3. Seek God for wisdom in addressing the problem in your own life.
4. Begin to pray regularly for a specific pastor or a local congregation that is of another color or race. As they become part of your regular prayer life, your attitudes toward them should begin to change.
5. Seek out one or more individuals of another race and build a relationship. Do not assume that this is a relationship that will only benefit the other person. Open yourself to receive as much as you give.
6. Listen to the other person as a peer. Be willing to learn from him or her. This is critical. Do not assume that you have all the answers or that money is the real issue. Move past the level of rhetoric and hear the heart.
7. Begin to share with your congregation those things you are learning in your new relationships.
8. Be willing to enter into a pulpit exchange across racial and/or ethnic lines. Exchanges may be extended to include a food festival, music, youth activities and cooperative efforts in the community. Together Celebrate their significant cultural events (e.g. Cinco de Mayo, Martin Luther King Day, Chinese New Year).
9. Adopt another congregation as a sister congregation. Ask them what contributions you can make to their lives. Ask them what they would like to do for your congregation. Act on those things that are possible to do. Do not over-commit yourself or your resources. It can lead to disappointment. Prioritize.
10. Share with other pastors what you are learning and how it has blessed your church.

* The Memphis Miracle was a meeting of North American Pentecostals in October of 1994 where the Racial Reconciliation Manifesto was drafted and signed and the Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) Task Force was formed. See the Spring 2000 issue (Vol 3, No 2) of the Pneuma Review for more information on the “Memphis Miracle” and comment.

From the Summer 1998 (No. 1) issue of Reconciliation, published by the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA). Used by permission of the author.

The Memphis Miracle was a meeting of North American Pentecostals in October of 1994 where the Racial Reconciliation Manifesto was drafted and signed and the Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) Task Force was formed.

Challenged by the reality of our racial divisions, we have been drawn by the Holy Spirit to Memphis, Tennessee, October 1 7-19, 1994 in order to become true “Pentecostal Partners” and to develop together “A Reconciliation Strategy for 2lst Century Ministry” We desire to covenant together in the ongoing task of racial reconciliation by committing Ourselves to the following agenda.

I. I pledge in concert with my brothers and sisters of many hues to oppose racism prophetically in all its various manifestations within and without the Body of Christ and to be vigilant in the struggle with all my God-given might.

II. I am committed personally to treat those in the Fellowship who are not of my race or ethnicity, regardless of color, with love and respect as my sisters and brothers in Christ. I am further committed to work against all forms of personal and institutional racism, including those which are revealed within the very structures of our environment. 

III. With complete bold and courageous honesty, we mutually confess that racism is sin and as a blight in the Fellowship must be condemned for having hindered the maturation of spiritual development and mutual sharing among Pentecostal-Charismatic believers for decades.

IV. We openly confess our shortcomings and our participation in the sin of racism by our silence, denial and blindness. We admit the harm it has brought to generations born and unborn. We strongly contend that the past does not always completely determine the future. New horizons are emerging. God wants to do a new thing through His people.

V. We admit that there is no single solution to racism in the Fellowship. We pray and are open to tough love and radical repentance with deep sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as Liberator.

VI. Together we will work to affirm one another’s strengths and acknowledge our own weaknesses and inadequacies, recognizing that all of us only “see in a mirror dimly” what God desires to do in this world. Together, we affirm the wholeness of the Body of Christ as fully inclusive of Christians regardless of color. We, therefore, commit ourselves “to love one another with mutual affection, outdoing one another in showing honor (Romans 12: 10).”

VII. We commit ourselves not only to pray but also to work for genuine and visible manifestations of Christian unity.

VIII. We hereby commit ourselves not only to the task of making prophetic denouncement of racism in word and creed, but to live by acting in deed. We will fully support and encourage those among us who are attempting change.