United Church aims to contemporize statement of faith
TORONTO, ON—Is God a "Holy Mystery" and "Mother"? Was Jesus "the child of Wisdom"? Proponents of Faith Talk II, a new draft statement of faith being considered by United Church of Canada congregations, say they are putting traditional Christian doctrines into a contemporary context. Traditionalists are calling it another attack on the church's Christian theology.
Since its posting on the UCC website (www.united-church.ca) in mid-January, word has circulated among traditionalists that Faith Talk II is proposing a radical redefinition of long-held Christian doctrines such as the Trinity. The original Faith Talk II initiative was launched in 2000 when the church's leadership began to seek congregational input on core Christian beliefs with a goal of putting these beliefs into a modern context.
Besides using non-traditional terms to describe God and Jesus, Faith Talk II also describes the outcomes of sin as "hatred, violence, greed and selfishness" while remaining silent on "lust"—leading some traditionalists to suspect the UCC leadership is downplaying sexual sins condemned by traditional Christian doctrine because they trouble those who tolerate sexual practices such as adultery and proponents of same-sex marriage.
In another section, the document suggests Jesus suffered, "torture and execution by government" but leaves out the religious establishment of Jesus' time—something traditionalists say allows the UCC to ignore religious persecution of Christians today and promote religious syncretism.
"It's a familiar tone on a piano that's gone out of tune," says Connie den Bok, pastor at Alderwood United Church in Toronto. "It simply adds things that are incongruent with Scripture. You can't renovate by knocking down the foundations."
George Morrison, acting chair of the Community of Concern, a traditionalist group within the UCC, says Faith Talk II takes the denomination further away from core Christian beliefs.
"It is disappointing and out-of-touch with the traditions of the Christian faith," says Morrison. "It is almost Unitarian in doctrine. It does not speak of the Trinity but of God being 'Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,' not 'Father, Son and Holy Spirit.' Nowhere does it say, 'Jesus is Lord,' the most basic Christian faith statement."
But according to Steven Chambers, the UCC's Executive Minister for Faith Formation and Education, the statement isn't aimed at taking the place of the UCC's Basis of Union or New Creed—documents that affirm traditional Christian beliefs.
"The statement talks about God, Jesus and the Spirit in many different ways," he says. "We are speaking to people in the church and beyond in ways that would enable faith and spiritual understanding."
Cheri DiNovo, pastor of Toronto's Emmanuel-Howard Park United Church, is positive about the document, calling it, "reflective of the state of theological belief in the UCC at this time. I was actually surprised by the orthodoxy of the statement's approach. It was triune in character, upheld Jesus as Messiah and the sacraments of communion and baptism as well as the foundational aspect of Scripture."
DiNovo argues Faith Talk II accurately reflects the beliefs of most UCC laity, avoiding triumphalism and Unitarianism, "although we have Unitarians and triumphalists in our pews."
The war of words between liberals and traditionalist won't have much of an impact on most UCC congregations, observes Orville James, pastor of Wellington Square United Church in Burlington, Ontario. James' congregation is bucking the trend in the United Church of dwindling attendance, packing 550 people into two Sunday morning services and building a children's ministry that James believes is the biggest in Canada.
"I don't get excited about this or any other statement," says James. "Printed words don't do it. It's the living spirit of Christ moving in the church [that attracts people]."
While James said Faith Talk II might have positive things in it, he believes what the denomination needs is, "an opening of key leaders to the Holy Spirit's leading" and a focus on "evangelism and holistic church growth."
Traditionalists like Morrison worry the document will, nonetheless, drive more people away from UCC and lead to "congregationalism" among churches fed up with the direction from the denomination's leaders.
It's too early to tell how Faith Talk II will change between now and September when input from congregations will be reviewed and a re-drafting process implemented, says the UCC's Steven Chambers. Depending on the feedback, the statement that's ultimately considered by the UCC's General Council in 2006 may be substantially different, he says.
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