Worldwide Faith News (press release), NY
Feb 2 2007

United Methodists join Christian Unity conference

Feb. 2, 2007

NOTE: Photos are available at

By Neill Caldwell*

WASHINGTON (UMNS) – While waiting for worship to begin at the
National Cathedral, United Methodist Bishop Charlene Kammerer
surprised Archbishop Vicken Aykazian of the Armenian Church in
America by showing him the Armenian cross around her neck.

Kammerer, bishop of the Richmond, Va., Episcopal Area, also dazzled
the archbishop with her knowledge of Armenian geography. She had
visited Armenia a few years ago to get a first-hand experience of
Project Agape, a partnership of United Methodists in the North
Carolina Conference and the Western North Carolina Conference and the
Armenian Apostolic Church.

Such informal ecumenical exchanges were commonplace during the
National Workshop for Christian Unity, held Jan. 29-Feb. 1 in
Rosslyn, Va., and the nation’s capital.

The United Methodist Church was well represented at the gathering,
which brought together hundreds of pastors and laypersons from many
Protestant denominations, Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

In his sermon during the opening worship service, Aykazian noted that
the loud and the powerful seem to get the most attention in today’s
world.

"We must give voice to the needs and suffering of those who have no
voice," said Aykazian, president-elect of the National Council of
Churches. "Our Lord and Savior has shown us the way, but there are
too many distractions in this information-overloaded world that draw
us away from Christ’s teachings."

Participants in the four-day conference attended workshops,
participated in a variety of worship styles and celebrated with a
concert at the U.S. Senate office building.

Linda Bales, an executive with the United Methodist Board of Church
and Society, participated in a panel discussion on advocacy with
representatives from the Episcopal and Evangelical Lutheran churches.
She explained to non-Methodists that her agency bases its advocacy
positions on the denomination’s Social Principles, which outline the
church’s position on social and economic concerns and other human
issues based on a "sound biblical and theological foundation."

"We’re not lobbyists," said Bales, "but we do mobilize people to be a
prophetic voice. We play the United Methodist card whenever we can,
reminding politicians that there are 8 million United Methodists in
the U.S. Of course, not all agree with every position we take. Our
General Secretary, Jim Winkler, regularly speaks out against the war
in Iraq and gets numerous pieces of hate mail because of that."

The Rev. Larry Pickens, chief executive of the United Methodist
Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, said such
ecumenical gatherings are a great opportunity to network with
Christians from other faith traditions.

"The National Workshop on Christian Unity is unique because it brings
together Catholics, Episcopalians and other communions around issues
we don’t always get an opportunity to talk about," he said. "It gives
United Methodists exposure to what issues are important to the other
faith communities."

Pickens cited ecumenical concerns such as poverty, evangelism, global
health issues and leadership training. "I’d include ‘how to live in
an interfaith world,’ because these are not just United Methodist
issues," he said. "We are a really key point in the lives of our
churches, and this kind of discussion helps provide vision and hope
as to how we go forward in ministry."

Bishop Ted Schneider, of the Metropolitan Washington Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, presented the ecumenical idea
in physical terms: "Like the human body – where if one part is not
working ‘up to code’ then the entire body suffers – we must work
together smoothly or the entire church body will suffer. We have to
catch the vision of wholeness for Christ’s church."

As Aykazian reminded participants, Scripture does not say "blessed
are the peaceful, but ‘blessed are the peacemakers.’ Our faith should
not be passive, but instead a call to action to respond to a
suffering world."

*Caldwell is the editor of The Virginia United Methodist Advocate
magazine.

News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

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