Gospel’s common cause links Christians of all stripes
TORONTO, ON–Should evangelicals be engaging in broader dialogue with other Christian traditions in order to impact Canada with the gospel?
That was a key question raised by the Hinge Dialogue Conference, held in November by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC).
In his closing keynote, EFC president Bruce Clemenger said the loss of “Christendom" in Canada raises new questions about how evangelicals engage with others.
“Over the past 50 years, Canada experienced, among other things, a rapid secularization where religion, specifically Christianity, has lost public influence and faith came to be considered a private matter," he says.
“...Now we are in a situation where an increasing number of Canadians have never been to church or understand the basics of Christianity. We can no longer assume basic biblical literacy and we know that quoting scripture to support a position on a social issue no longer carries the weight it once did."
Not only does this lead to an increase in common causes between various evangelical groups and denominations, Clemenger says, it may also spur the need for more cooperation and dialogue with other Christian groups.
This will help us understand areas of agreement and difference, he says, “and to explore areas of further conversation, of possible cooperation or common cause. What is essential is that we come to the table with integrity and honesty about who we are and what we believe as evangelicals, just as we expect others to do the same. This is the starting point of true dialogue."
Since the late 1980s the EFC has been working with various non-evangelical groups in a variety of strategic alliances around issues like religious freedom, sanctity of human life and care of the vulnerable, says Aileen Van Ginkel, vice-president of ministry services for the EFC.
Van Ginkel was an EFC representative on a joint committee with Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) to explore the potential for ongoing conversation between Roman Catholics and evangelicals, leading to the establishment of the EFC/CCCB Dialogue.
“We recognized that there is indeed more that we can do together to strengthen one another's witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ," Van Ginkel says. “For instance, we can both be working to position Christians in Canadian society in such a way that we are all seen to be expressing a common, compassionate response to various matters as disciples of Jesus Christ, no matter what our particular church background might be."
David Freeman, co-chair of the EFC/CCCB Dialogue, sees a “growing urgency" for greater dialogue between faith traditions.
Freeman, vice president of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, says, “Our initial tendency is to apply the idea of engagement to our relationships with other evangelicals.... Indeed, even within evangelicalism we have often allowed our differences to hinder our engagement with one another. Events like the Hinge conference are evidence that we have come a long way.
“The challenge now is, should we re-think the size of the circle.... If other Christian traditions, for example, essentially agree with our Christology, on the person and the work of Christ, should that not be a powerful uniting force? On what basis do we allow differences in other, often secondary, doctrinal areas to separate us when we together are followers of the biblical Jesus?
“I think to do so is a theological imperative, an act of obedience to Christ, an expression of humility and a testimony to those who see division instead of unity, let alone being a practical imperative."
Freeman hopes the EFC/CCCB dialogue will encourage evangelicals across Canada to engage in dialogue and partnerships between churches in their local communities.
Van Ginkel adds, “It's almost as if God reveals only a part of who God is to different traditions so that we will come together in the recognition that we need one another in order to experience a fuller understanding of who God is and what God is saying to the Church in Canada."
She also stressed the need for wisdom and discernment.
“We would not want to give the impression, for instance, that we are interested in any kind of institutional merger.... Instead, we're focusing on how we can better present the gospel, in relation to Canadian society and the younger generation in particular, on the basis of our shared understanding of what God is doing to redeem all of us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, no matter which church family we come out of."
Clemenger adds, “Worldwide, the evangelical church is growing. There will be more invitations to participate in dialogues and cooperative initiatives, and there is also an increased desire among evangelicals to take our place at the table and contribute authentically out of our evangelical faith."
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