Uniting Congregations?
I have been the Chairperson of the Forum of Cooperative Ventures, now known as the Forum of Uniting Congregations. I am proud to say that my roots go deep into the ecumenical movement. I am sorry that I am unable to attend the coming forum and participate in discussions about the future.
I was in my 20s and worshipping at the Wellington South Church of Christ, when the discussions about the Plan for Union were in full swing. Being a congregational style of church, those discussions were carried over into the whole congregation. The discussions, as I remember were ‘vigorous’ from both sides of the spectrum. Within the congregation was an elder, George Nelson, who was one of the Associated Churches of Christ representatives on the group formulating the final Plan for Union. I remember very clearly his challenge to the church that day. It was short and simple, “What are we afraid of?” The question is still very relevant today, perhaps even more so. As congregations we have been afraid. As partner churches we have been afraid - afraid of loss of identity, loss of denominational purity, loss of treasured buildings, loss of control over our individual destinies. So, we don’t or rather won’t share.
There are successes that we can celebrate but the fact that we need to have this sort of discussion again says that successes are hard-won and not applicable to all. Yet, within the rolling on of time, we are a young movement (despite many of us looking old!). We have plenty of examples from the past to prove that perseverance in demonstrating an ideal can be achieved.
There are these last verses of a poem by Arthur Hugh Clough that express some of the hope that I still feel.
For while the tired waves, vainly breaking
Seem here no painful inch to gain,
Far back through creeks and inlets making,
Comes silent, flooding in, the main.
And not by eastern windows only,
When daylight comes, comes in the light,
In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright.