EVANGELIZATION,
AND COMMON
11
PROSELYTISM WITNESS
The
Report
of the International
between the Some Classical
from the Fourth
Dialogue
Roman Catholic
Pentecostal Churches and Leaders
Introduction
tions
Collegeville, Minnesota, USA,
Robeck,
develop
respect
Phase (1990 -1997)
Church and
and
(1)
This is a report from the
participants
of the fourth
phase
of the international
Dialogue (1990-1997)
between the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian
Unity
and some classical Pentecostal denomina-
and leaders. The
Dialogue began
in 1972. The
co-chairpersons
in the fourth
phase
were the Rev. Kilian
McDonnell, O.S.B.,
of
and the Rev. Justus du
Plessis,
of Faerie Glen,
South Africa who was succeeded in 1992
by
the Rev. Cecil M.
Jr. of
Pasadena, California,
USA.’ 1
(2)
The
unity
of the Church is a concern for Pentecostals Catholics alike. The
particular purpose
of these discussions is to
a climate of mutual
respect
and
understanding
in matters of faith and
practice,
to find
points
of genuine agreement as well as indi- cate areas in which further
dialogue
is required.
The
goal
is not structural
unity,
but rather the
fostering
of this
and mutual
understanding
between the Catholic Church and classical Pentecostal
groups.
(3)
As
we,
the
participants,
have come to the task before
us,
we have done so as
peers. Nevertheless,
at least one
important
difference
that bears mention. The Roman Catholic Church possesses
that which
may
be described as official
teaching
on some of
that has been
expressed
in various authoritative
Pentecostal teams
these
topics, teaching
__.__0.. —-
Msgr.
we have
recognized
that there is between the Catholic and the
IThe failing health of the Rev. Justus du Plessis caused him to withdraw from. active participation in the Dialogue in 1993. The Rev. who had served as co-secretary on the Pentecostal team, died in 1992 after a Jerry Sandidge, lengthy illness with which he had bravely struggled for years. The participants note with
tion their
great apprecia-
very significant work in promoting this between our
communities. We also remember with Dialogue
and other relationships
great appreciation the work of Heinz-Albert Raem who
joined us in 1990 as co-secretary for the Catholic side. He
applied his excellent
and skills in service to this fourth
for seven
organizational theological
years, but he never lived to see its completion because he died in March, 1997. Their absence was deeply felt by all members of the Dialogue, both Catholic and Pentecostal.
–
phase
1
12
texts such as the conciliar documents of Second Vatican Council and in papal encyclicals.
The Pentecostals
possess
no
comparable body
of teaching
which
may
serve as a resource for their
position.
The diversi- ty
of the Pentecostal Movement
mitigates against
a
single position
on certain
topics.
When the Pentecostal
participants speak
as a
single voice
throughout
this
document, then, they
do so
by gathering togeth- er what
they
believe to be the common
consensus,
held
by
the vast majority
of Pentecostals worldwide.
(4) We,
the
participants,
have
sought
to
represent faithfully
the positions
held
by
our churches.
However,
we have made no decisions for the churches since we have no
authority
to make such decisions. The churches are free to accept or reject the
report
either in whole or in part.
Yet as
responsible persons, representing
our traditions either offi- cially
or in some other
way,
we have come
together
over a
period
of years
to
study
the issues of
evangelization, proselytism,
and common witness. In accordance with our
understanding
of the
Gospel
we are making proposals
to our churches.
We,
the
participants hereby
submit our
findings
to our
respective
churches for
review, evaluation,
correc- tion and
reception.
(5)
Since
many
Christians have seen the last decade of the second millennium as one in which to emphasize
evangelization,
and since
sig- nificant tensions exist between Pentecostals and Catholics on this
issue, it appeared
appropriate
to concentrate on this
topic.
The
previous
three phases
focused on
( 1 ) the Baptism
in the
Holy Spirit,
Christian Initiation,
and the
Charisms, Scripture
and Tradition and the Human Person and the Gifts
(1972-1976), (2)
Faith and
Religious Experience, Speaking
in
Tongues,
and the Role of
Mary (1977-1982),
and
(3) koinonia
(Christian
Communion and
Fellowship) (1985-1989).
(6) Specific
themes which
helped
us reach our conclusions in this phase
of the
Dialogue
included: The
Meaning of
Mission and Evangelization (1990, Emmetten, Switzerland);
The Biblical and Systematic
Foundation
of Evangelization (1991, Venice, Italy); Evangelization
and Culture
(1992,
Rocca di
Papa, Italy); Evangelization
and Social Justice
(1993, Paris, France); EvangelizationlEvangelism,
Common Witness, and
Proselytism ( 1994, Kappel
am
Albis, Switzerland),
and Common Witness
(1995, Brixen/Bressanone, Italy).
The
dialogue
members convened once
again in
Brixen/Bressanone, Italy,
in 1996 to examine a first draft of the Report
of this
Dialogue. They
continued their
drafting
in
Rome, Italy in June 1997. The
Steering
Committee was then authorized to make the final editorial decisions in
keeping
with the mind of the
participants. This
they
did in Geneva, Switzerland in November, 1997.
(7)
The
procedure
used
throughout
this
phase
included the discus- sion of
papers presented by
members of each side. Each team then
2
from
challenge participants
ment or disagreement,
conversations,
(8)
Both Pentecostals of
explored
work
together points
(9)
Both
witness.
13
together
with
continuing
participants
of the the scandal of a divided
asked the other to respond to a limited number of questions which arose
the discussions of the
paper.
These
questions
were
designed
to
to think
creatively
and
substantively
about the emerging
issues. The substance of these discussions were recorded in most
years
in an
“agreed account,”
which took note of areas of
agree-
areas of possible convergence, and
topics
which might
need further
study.
These
materials,
provided
the basis for the final
report.
and Catholics
recognize
as an essential
part
the mission of the Church the call to
evangelize.
As the two teams
the topic together,
they
were
encouraged by
new
perspectives, and
they gained clarity
on
problematic
issues.
They hope
that their
toward
possibilities
of cooperation in mission for the sake of the
Gospel.
the Catholic and the Pentecostal
Dialogue
have become
increasingly
aware of
It is a scandal when unbelievers are more aware of those things
which
separate
these churches than those
things they
hold in common. It is a scandal, too, when Catholics and Pentecostals demon- strate a lack of love or trust
by speaking negatively
about one another or
acting
in
ways
that
antagonize
or exclude one another. Because of their
divisions,
Catholics and Pentecostals are unable to
participate
at the table of the Lord.
Furthermore, they
make evident their division insofar as they proclaim the Lord’s death in isolation from one
together
another.
Dialogue
of this
(10)
Touched
by
this divided
witness,
the
participants
have
experienced
and
expressed
to one another their sorrow over this state of affairs. It is a sorrow which
has,
in part, moved them to search for
ways
in which these divisions
might
be
resolved,
follow-
the Pauline exhortation to “make
every
effort to maintain the
unity of the
Spirit
in the bond of peace” (Eph
4:3).
ing
L Mission and
Evangelization’-
.
(11)
Both Pentecostals and Catholics believe that God has
charged all Christians to announce the
Gospel
to all
people,
in obedience to the Great Commission
given by
Christ
(cf.
Mt
28:18-20). Proclaiming God’s reconciliation of the world
through
Christ is central to the Church’s – —- —-. — faith, life and witness
(cf.
2 Cor
5:18-19).
Germany
2Papers were delivered on this topic by Karl Muller, S.V D., of St. Augustin,
(A Catholic Perspective of Evangelization: Evangelii Nzmtiandi), and Dr.
by
Gary B. McGee, of the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Springfield, MO, USA (Apostolic Power for End-7-imes Evangelism: A Historical Review Pentecostal Mission
of
Theology). ..
3
14
(12)
The mission and the task of evangelization-proclaiming “the name, teaching, life, promise,
the
kingdom
and the
mystery
of Jesus of ‘
Nazareth,
the Son of God”
(Evangelization
in the Modern World3
[1975], 22/lies
at the heart of the Catholic faith. Mission has been part
of the life of the Church
throughout
the
ages.
Catholic women and men, especially
those in
religious orders,
have
gone
to the ends of the earth
proclaiming
the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Church s
MissionaryActivity [1965],
2 taught that “the Church on earth is by its very nature
missionary since,
accord- ing
to the
plan
of the
Father,
it has its origin in the mission of the Son and the
Holy Spirit.” Following
in the
path
of the
Council,
both Paul VI and John Paul II in their
teaching
insist on the need to
pursue
a “New
Evangelization.”
(13)
Pentecostals
place special emphasis
on the
proclamation
of Jesus as Saviour and Lord
resulting
in a personal, conscious
acceptance and conversion of an
individual;
a “new birth” as in John 3:3. Pentecostals are also concerned to
evangelize
the world in these “last days”
before Christ returns
(cf.
Acts
2:14-17;
Joel
2:28-32;), making disciples
as Jesus instructed in the Great Commission.
(14)
Both Pentecostals and Catholics
agree
that
“evangelization will…
always
contain-as the center and at the same time the summit of its
dynamism-a
clear
proclamation that,
in Jesus
Christ,
the Son of God made
man,
who died and rose from the
dead,
salvation is offered to all
humankind,
as a gift of God’s
grace
and
mercy” (Evangelization in the Modern
World, 27;
cf.
Eph 2:8;
Rom
1:16).
From this divine ini- tiative arises the Church as an
eschatological community,
a koinonia. To the extent that Christians
participate
in this
koinonia, they
share deep
bonds of unity in the
Spirit
even now
despite
divisions which con- tinue. The
eschatological
nature of this
koinonia,
which fosters
unity
in diversity,
serves as a prophetic
sign
toward divided humankind
(cf.
Jn
17 :21).
(15)
While Catholics and Pentecostals
agree
on the essential core of the
Gospel, namely
that “in Christ God was
reconciling
the world to Himselt”
(2
Cor
5:19),
on occasion
they
differ in practice and
language concerning
the
emphasis they give
to certain
aspects
of
evangelization.
Catholics tend to use the term to indicate
proclamation
of the Gospel
toward the conversion of persons to Christ.
They
also acknowl- edge
that
evangelization
is a complex process made
up
of various ele- ments
including
“the renewal of
humanity, witness, explicit proclama- tion,
inner
adherence, entry
into the
community, acceptance
of
signs, apostolic
initiative”
(Evangelization
in the Modern
World, 24).
3A list of official documents of the Roman Catholic Church used in this report is found in Appendix 2.
4
changeably
to focus verting
15
and
evangelism
inter-
than Catholics between the
Pentecostals proclamation discipling Today
Pentecostals have used the terms
evangelization
on the
proclamation
of the
Gospel
toward con-
individuals to
Christ,
followed
by
their
discipling
to be effec- tive witnesses for Christ
among
unbelievers and in
society.
In
short,
make a
sharper
distinction
of the
Gospel
to those
they
consider “unsaved” and the
of believers or
promotion
of Christian values in
society.
there is
growing convergence
between Catholics and Pentecostals in that both see the task as
leading
individuals to conver- sion,
but also as the transformation of the cultures and the reconcilia-
tion of the nations.
unbelievers future.
as essential
desire
of the
Gospel, Commandment
and the desire that
(Mt 28:19-20),
the Great
(16)
Catholics and Pentecostals are motivated to evangelize by love for
Christ,
obedience to the Great
Commission,
may
receive the
blessings
of eternal life now and in the
While Catholics and Pentecostals teach the Second
Coming
of Christ as the Blessed
Hope
of the
Church,
Pentecostals stress the urgency
of
proclamation
because
many
believe in the imminence of that event.
Furthermore,
Pentecostals view the
“baptism
in the
Spirit”
for
every
believer to receive
empowerment
for Christian witness
(Acts 1:8). While Catholics and Pentecostals express
a genuine
to see the Lord add to the Church those who are
being
saved
(cf. Acts
2:47), they
also
express
concern over attitudes
expressed by Christian
evangelizers
which are inconsistent with the central
message
the Great Commission
(Mt 22:37-39),
and the nature of the Church. For exam- ple, they
are troubled when
people
are dealt with as
though they
were
instead of
being respected
as individuals who have been created with
dignity,
in the
image
of God.
They
are also troubled when
evangelization proceeds exclusively by strategies
that aim at
the
composition
of
congregations
to one
race, class,
ethnic
or other social
groupings resulting
in an intended and
lasting
which does harm to the nature of Christ’s Church
(cf.
Rev
impersonal objects
limiting group, segregation,
(17) tice,
will
7:9;14:1-7).
Continued
growth,
both
qualitative
and
quantitative demand more self-criticism and
openness
to the
questions
and
insights of others in the
Body
of Christ.
All Catholics are called to witness to the Good News. In prac-
over the
past
few
centuries,
Catholic
evangelization
in non- Christian countries has often
depended
almost
exclusively
on
clergy and
religious
orders. Most of them received a theological and
spiritual formation which
prepared
them for this mission. In recent
years,
the Catholic Church has also
encouraged lay participation
in
evangeliza- tion with the
recognition
that a proper preparation is necessary for this task
(cf.
Decree on the Apostolate of Lay
People, 28-32).
5
16
(18)
While in recent
years
Pentecostals have
begun
to
place
more attention on the formal
training
of
lay people
and
clergy
for
ministry, Pentecostals have
always emphasized
that all believers should
evange- lize,
whether
formally
trained or
not, especially by sharing
their
per- sonal
testimony.
(19)
Both sides understand
evangelization
as
encompassing
mis- sionary proclamation
to
non-Christians,
as well as outreach to those who once claimed to have
accepted
the
Gospel,
but who
apparently
live a life
totally
indifferent to the faith
they
have
professed.
We need to recognize
the
delicacy
of
making judgments
as to whether other
per- sons are in fact
living indifferently
or not.
(20)
Catholics and Pentecostals both
agree
that the
Holy Spirit pre- pares
individuals and
peoples
for the
reception
of the
Gospel, despite the fallen condition of humankind. While
they
believe that “ever since the creation of the
world,
the visible existence of God and his ever- lasting power
have been
clearly
seen
by
the mind’s
understanding
of created
things” (Rom 1:20;
cf. Psalm
19:1-4),
their
perspectives diverge
over the existence and/or
meaning
of salvific elements found in non-Christian
religions.
Catholics and Pentecostals
agree
that those who are saved have been saved without
exception through
the death of Jesus Christ. Catholics do not
deny
that the
Spirit may
be at work in
other
religions “preparing
the
way
for the
Gospel” (cf. Evangelization in the Modern World,
53).
Catholics also
say.
“Those
who, through
no fault of their
own,
do not know the
Gospel
of Christ or his
Church,
but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere
heart, and,
moved
by grace, try
in their actions to do his will as
they
know it through the dictates of their conscience-those too
may
achieve eternal salvation”
(Dogmatic Constitution on the
Church, 16).
(21) Many
Pentecostals on the other
hand,
like
many
of the
early Christians,
tend to
point
out the demonic elements in other
religions. While Pentecostals
acknowledge
the work of the
Holy Spirit
in the world, convincing people
of
sin, righteousness,
and
judgment (cf.
Jn 16:8-11), they generally
do not
acknowledge
the
presence
of salvific elements in non-Christian
religions.
Some Pentecostals would see a convergence
towards the Catholic
position
above in that the
Holy Spirit is at work in non-Christian
religions, preparing
individual hearts for an eventual
exposure
to the
Gospel
of Jesus Christ. Pentecostals and Catholics, however, together
believe that there is
only
one Name whereby
we can be saved
(cf.
Acts
4:12).
Both believe in the
necessity of
responding
to the divine invitation to seek him and to find him
(cf. Acts
17:27).
6
17
Il. The Biblical and
Systematic
Foundation
of Evangelization4
(22)
Catholics and Pentecostals both
point
to the biblical founda- tion of
evangelization
of all
people.
From the
very beginning
it was promised
to Abraham that
through
him all
generations
would be blessed
(cf.
Gen
17:1-8).
God’s covenant with Abraham has a
global significance (cf.
Gen
22:18).
The
prophets
show that Israel’s election also has
importance
for all
peoples
in that
they expected
the
gathering of all
peoples
at Mount Sion at the
coming
of the Messiah
(cf.
Is
23; 49:6-8;
Joel
3:1-5).
Jesus’
ministry
in his
earthly
life was focused on Israel,
not
excluding
others in
special
cases
(cf.
Mt
15:21-28),
but he came for the salvation of the whole world
(cf.
Jn
3:15-17;
Mt
26:28). Paul
emphasizes
the universal and cosmic dimensions of Jesus’ death and resurrection
(cf.
2 Cor
5:19;
Rom
8:21 ). Then, receiving
the
Spirit from the
Father,
Jesus
pours
out that same
Spirit
as the
agent through whom the work of
redemption
is
being
carried out
throughout
the whole world until the end of time
(cf.
Acts
2:33). Therefore,
the bibli- cal mandate for mission is grounded in the
redemptive purpose
of God.
(23)
The content of the
message
of salvation is Jesus Christ
himself, the
way
to reconciliation with the
Father;
he is the Good News
(cf.
Gal 1 : 16), which he entrusted to his disciples (cf.
Mt
28:19f).
The
Holy Spirit, poured
out on all
people (cf.
Acts
2:17;
Joel
3:1 ), is to be under- stood as
giving
the inner
dynamism
of the
process
of
evangelization and salvation. The transmission of the Christian faith consists in
pro- claiming
Jesus Christ in order to lead others to faith in him. From the beginning,
the first
disciples
burned with the desire to proclaim Christ: “we cannot but
speak
of what we have seen and
heard”(Acts 4:20).
And they
invite
people
of every era to enter into the joy of their communion with Christ and the Father which is the basis of
fellowship among Christians
(cf.l
Jn
I: 1-4).
(24)
Catholics and Pentecostals
agree
that the proclamation of Jesus Christ is
necessary
for the liberation of
humanity
from sin and the attainment of
salvation,
because all are
subject
to “the
fall,”
all are “lost.” This condition results in alienation from God and also in alien- ation from others. Deliverance from
oppression
and domination of “the principalities
and
powers,” including
exorcism in certain
cases,
is an important part
of Gospel
proclamation.
were delivered on this topic by Rev. William Menzies, President and Professor 4Papers
of Theology at Asia Pacific
(The Biblical Basis for
Mission and Theological Seminary, Baguio City, Philippines Evangelism: An
Evangelical,
Pentecostal Perspective)
and Rev. Karl Mijiler, S.V.D., St. Augustin, Germany (The Biblical and Svstematic Foundation of Evangelization).
7
18
(25)
In the
process
of
salvation,
God
always
takes the initiative through grace
which frees human hearts to respond
(Acts 2:37).
He acts through
the Word and
through
the exercise of
“signs
and wonders” according
to his
sovereign
will
(cf.
1 Cor
2:4;
Rom
15:18f).
The
only role humans have in reconciliation with God is to
respond positively and
constantly
in the
power
of the
Holy Spirit
to God’s initiatives through
Jesus
Christ,
who is the
only
Mediator
(
Tim
2:5)
and the Head of the Church
(Col 1:18).
(26)
The
ordinary
context in which salvation is worked out is the Church,
the
community
of believers. Koinonia is to be lived out for the mutual enrichment of the members of the
body (
Cor 12:
26),
which in turn makes it possible for the Church to become a servant,
gift,
and sign
to the world.
Acknowledging
this and
acting accordingly
would counteract individualism and total
independence
of individual commu- nities on the one hand and the
tendency
toward sterile formalism in per- sonal and institutional life on the other.5
(27)
The life of koinonia is empowered by the
Holy Spirit;
in recent times
many
have
experienced
that
power through
“the
baptism
in the Holy Spirit.”6
This
presence
of the
Spirit
has been shown in a fresh activity
of biblical
charisms,
or
gifts, (cf.
I Cor
12:8-1 l ) reminding
all Christians to be
open
to charisms as the
Spirit gives
to
everyone
indi- vidually,
whether these
gifts
are more or less noticeable. Some of the charisms are
given
more for
personal
edification
(cf.l I
Cor
14:4a), while some
provide
service to others, and some
especially
are
given
to confirm
evangelization (cf.
Mk
16:15-20).
All of them are intended to help
build
up
the koinonia.
III.
Evangelization
and Cziltztre7
(28)
Both Catholics and Pentecostals
recognize
the
complexity
of the
relationship
between Church and culture. The faith
community evangelizes through
its proclamation and
through
its common life: this means that our
proclamation
and our Christian
lifestyle
are
always embodied in a
specific
culture. We
accept
that there is considerable
5For a more complete discussion of koinonia please refer to
Perspectives
on koinonia: The Report from the Third Quinquennium of the Dialogue between the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity and some Classical Pentecostal Churches and
Leaders, 1985-1989.
6Discussion on this issue took
place
in the first
phase
of the
on this were Prof. Herv6 Legrand,
Dialogue. 7Papers topic presented by O.P., Institut Catholique, Paris, (A Paradigm: Evangelizing in a Secularized
and Pluralistic
to some
CCEE) and by Everett Wilson, (Assemblies of
Europe according
God),
Southern California Bishops of the
College, (A Paradigm of
Latin American Pentecostalism).
8
grace. formed
(29)
positive
selves. On Christian culture
impose
(30)
um.
Evangelizers import political,
history Gospel
19
the fact of
humanity’s
fall from
by
the
Gospel.
culture,
good
in
cultures, notwithstanding
Pentecostals
emphasize
the
changing
of individuals who when
into a
body
of believers
bring change
into the culture from
within. Catholics
emphasize
that culture itself in its human institutions
and
enterprises
can also be transformed
Pentecostals and Catholics
agree
that when the
Gospel
is intro-
duced into a dominant non-Christian a twofold attitude is
required.
On the one
hand,
we have to
respect,
affirm and
support
the
elements in
it,
elements which will have
prepared
the
people
in advance for the
reception
of the
Gospel
or which are
good
in them-
the other
hand,
we
may
have to
try
to transform this non-
from within. To do this the local
people may
be in a
better
position
than
foreign
missionaries who
may
be
tempted
to
their own culture as a substitute for the
Gospel.
Pentecostals and Catholics also
agree
that both
evangelizers
and
evangelized
need to realize that neither
operate
in a cultural vacu-
act
unjustly
toward
peoples
and cultures if
they
economic or social
ideologies alongside
the
Gospel.
The
evangelized, too,
must be aware of their own culture and
religious
and discern how their
response
to evangelizers is faithful to the
as embodied in their own
religious history
and culture.
(31)
Pentecostals
point
out that in recent
years
an intentional and
concentrated focus on “unreached
peoples”
has arisen. Some
Evangelical
Christian and Pentecostal movements have
targeted
the
of the
globe roughly fitting
with the
longitude/latitude
tion
(the
10/40
window)
for a
significant emphasis
of
missionary per-
sonnel and finances. The 10/40 window includes
regions
in which the
has never
historically
made
significant
inroads and shows
Pentecostal consciousness that the so-called “unreached
people”
have
been
.
neglected.
(32)
Pentecostals in this
Dialogue
wish to observe that in some cul-
tural
contexts,
such as in
Africa,
or
Asia,
or even Latin
America,
Pentecostals have
actively
and
successfully engaged
in mission without
the benefit of
any
formal
training
on issues related to the inculturation
parts
Gospel
tuality, worship, tures. emphasis upon openness praise
configura-
their Christian
spiri-
of the
Gospel. They
have
actually
communicated
and forms of
evangelization through
their local cul-
Pentecostals believe that this
process
has been facilitated
by their
the freedom of the
Holy Spirit,
with their
consequent
to the
diversity
of forms of
expression
in the
worship
and
of God
(e.g.
their
recognition
of dance as a genuine form of spir- itual
worship).
Their
missionary
work has been effective because
they have a missionary model based on the
recognition
that all members of the
community
have been
given
the
gifts
or charisms of the
Spirit
nec-
to share the full
message
of the
Gospel.
essary
9
20
(33)
Catholics not
only
see the need to evangelize
persons,
but also see the need to
evangelize cultures,
for
example through
educational institutions.
Furthermore, they
have often
evangelized through
aesthet- ics
embodying religious
values.
However,
the ultimate focus of evan- gelization
is the
person.
Catholics
acknowledge
instances of shortcom- ings
in their
evangelization,
for
instance, by
insufficient Christian ini- tiation and
discipleship
formation and
by
not
always bringing parish- ioners to a
personal
faith commitment.
Shortcomings, however,
can often be better understood if concrete
conditions,
such as poverty, illit- eracy,
a
shortage
of ministers and the structures of
oppression
are known.
(34)
Both Catholics and Pentecostals
recognize
that the
great
social changes
in Western
society
result irr secularization
processes
and con- sequently
a decline in religious practice. We
deplore
and condemn this secularization
process , especially
when these attitudes become
part
of a political agenda which
promotes
a value-free
society
in the name of tolerance and liberalism. To
deplore
and condemn are not
enough. More
positively,
as
Christians,
we have to understand these new chal- lenges
and
help
our
people
to find new
ways
and
insights
to face them in light of Christian values. The fact is that
many people
face new chal- lenges
without
guidelines
in the fields of
religion
and ethics.
(35)
For
example,
over the
past thirty years, technological
and sci- entific innovations have
radically changed
the concrete conditions in which human
beings
are bom and die in the “Western world.”
Progress in medicine far more than
philosophical ideology
has influenced our way
of
seeing
the
beginning
and end of human life. In former
times, procreation
and the birth of a child
depended
much more on “chance,” and
consequently parents placed
their trust in Divine Providence in this matter.
Today
an increasing ability to regulate birth allows a child to be “planned.”
Well before
birth, through
the
pictures
we
see,
we know whether the child is a
boy
or a
girl. Further,
the birth of a child takes place
in a medical
environment,
far from the
family
home.
(36)
In the same
way,
at the other end of
existence,
no
society before has ever seen such
longevity,
such a high proportion of
elderly people.
And none has taken death
away
from the
family
environment to such an extent: some 70 % of all people in western societies die in a hospital,
in a medical and technical environment. Such far
reaching changes require
that we
actively engage
in these
challenges
and learn as a Christian
community
how to respond to them in our
preaching,
our liturgy
and our service. In a way, we have to reformulate the everlast- ing message
of salvation in a
convincing way
for
contemporary
men and women and not
simply repeat
it in
antiquated language.
10
,
IV.
Evangelization
and Social Justice8
21
the
linkages
between
these side vergences
(37)
Since our traditions have
approached
two
subjects
in such different
ways
we have decided to have each elaborate the connection in its own
way
before we show our con-
and differences.
1. Pentecostal Reflections
God in
and Social Justice
on
Evangelization
(38)
Pentecostal churches believe that
they
have been called
by
the “last
days” (Acts 2:17)
to be Christ-like witnesses in the power
of the
Spirit.
One of the
major
contributions of Pentecostals to other Christian communities is an
understanding
of the Church as a Spirit-filled missionary
movement which not
only
founds communities but also cultivates
them,
while the
Holy Spirit empowers
them with the charisms.
(39)
Pentecostals have sometimes
needs. ness
persecution,
harassment,
ing. They
been accused of
emphasizing
in their
practical
‘
evangelization
to the exclusion of
helping people
The sense of
urgency
which Pentecostals have
concerning
wit-
and salvation of the
lost,
like that of the
early church,
is not incon- sistent with love and care for one another and for others. There are many examples
of their sacrificial care
throughout
the world. The
hope in the imminent
coming
of the Lord has sustained Pentecostals
during
imprisonment,
and
martyrdom during
this century. They
have
consistently taught
that the Church must be
ready for the
coming
of the Lord
by
means of faithful witness and
holy
liv-
have
taught
that all will have to give account to the
righteous Judge
for those
things
which have been done or left undone.
have a
great
concern for the eternal salvation of the
soul,
but also for the
present
welfare of the
body
as is readily appar-
the
high priority they give
to the doctrine of divine
healing.
In
have had a real concern for the social as well as for the
(40)
Pentecostals
ent on
addition, they
spiritual
welfare of their
members,
why
conversion
especially
in the third world. the
Spirit
is the
anticipation
of 2 Cor
5:17;
Rom
8:21).
This is
faith cannot
Theologically,
the rebirth of a person by
the transformation of the cosmos
(cf.
and
incorporation
into the
community
of
be seen
apart
from the transformation of
society.
The
person
filled
by the
Spirit
of God is impelled by that same
Spirit
to cooperate with God in the work of
evangelism
and social action in the
anticipation
of the new creation.
8The papers done for this section were by John C.
Haughey, S.J. of and Social Loyola
Justice: An
Inquiry Into Their and
by Murl 0. Dirksen, Ph. D. and Karen Carroll Mundy, Ph. D.,
of God) of Lee University, Cleveland, Tennessee, USA, (Evangelization and Social Justice: A Pentecostal Perspective).
University, Chicago (Evangelization Relationship),
(Church
11
22
(41)
With their
increasing
numerical
strength
and
upward
social mobility,
Pentecostal communities are now confronted
by greater
chal- lenges
for the kinds of social
justice
and human
rights
concerns which the Catholic
dialogue partners rightfully
voice. Pentecostals continue to believe that intense
hope
has been and will continue to be necessary for endurance, healing
and
engagement
of the forces-both social and spiritual-which oppress
and violate
people.
(42)
If it seems to Catholics that Pentecostals have reflected too lit- tle on
problems
related to social
structures,
Pentecostals
suggest
that social conditions under which
they
existed
during early stages
of their corporate experience
be
kept
in mind.
They
had no access to structures of power
by
which
they
could influence
public policy directly.
This has meant that:
A. Most Pentecostals do not
give priority
to
systematic
reflection on
problems
related to social structures.
They place
more attention on the
ways people experience
those
problems
in their own lives and com- munities.
B.
Pentecostalism,
for the most
part,
has not existed until
recently among
“well educated”
people
who are able to reflect more
systemati- cally
on structural dimensions of social
justice.
C. Pentecostals do not read the New Testament as placing high pri- ority
on structural
change;
rather
they
read it as
emphasizing personal conversion and commitment to the communities of faith, and
through that
process they
effect social
change.
(43)
The
perceived
lack of stress on structural
change
does
not, however, imply
a lack of interest in social issues. Pentecostal conver- sion,
while
being personal,
is not
simply
an individual
experience,
but also a communal one. In the life of the
community,
Pentecostals have found a new sense of
dignity
and
purpose
in life. Their
solidarity
cre- ates affective
ties, giving
them a sense of equality. These communities have functioned as social alternatives that
protest against
the
oppres- sive structures of the
society
at
large. Along
with some social
critics, Pentecostals have discovered that effective social
change
often takes place
at the communal and micro-structural
level,
not at the macro- structural level.
(44)
Pentecostals have continued to
speak
and act on behalf of those victimized
by abortion, pornography, violence, oppression,
etc. They
have been concerned with
feeding
the
hungry, clothing
the
naked, and
providing emergency
disaster relief.
They
have
expanded
their educational efforts and have
begun
to address issues of social-structur- al evil more
explicitly. They
are
discovering
their
responsibility
for those structures and their
ability
to influence them for
good.
This awareness was
particularly
fostered in situations of
political
and eco- nomic
oppression.
12
23
(45)
From their earliest
existence,
Pentecostals have been active in missionary
endeavors in the so-called “Two/Thirds” world. The churches established there have
opposed
social evils from the
pulpit and on an
interpersonal
level in the oral fashion
typical
of the non-lit- erary
culture of Pentecostals. This concerns evils such as the
Caste-sys- tem in India,
polygamy
in Africa and the Pacific and
genital
mutilation in some African countries. Here exists a
difficulty
of
perception.
For older,
more
literary publics, only
what is written and documented is perceived
as
having
real existence. Pentecostals have
begun
to docu- ment work
being
done on these kinds of social issues in which
they may
have
participated
for
many years.
(46)
In recent
years
and in various
parts
of the
world,
there have been a number of attempts to formulate Pentecostal social ethics which address the issues of structural
change.
Some Pentecostals have used the
category
of the new
creation/Kingdom
of God with its characteris- tics of justice and
peace
to
develop
criteria for structural
change.
This has been connected with
passages
such as Luke 4:16-18 which demands the liberation of the
oppressed
in the
power
of the
Spirit. Other Pentecostals
speak
more in terms of principalities and
powers,
of demonic forces which are
present
in the structures of the
oppressive systems (cf. Eph 6:12;
Col
2:13-15),
that need to be
fought
with
prayer and
prophetic
denunciation.
(47)
But even
prior
to these
efforts, Pentecostals sometimes
con- sciously,
but
usually unconsciously,
have
long
used a number of
sig- nificant
theological
criteria for
taking
social
responsibility.
More specifically,
the
ongoing
narrative or
story
of Pentecostal communities has functioned to move
people
from their
experience
of the biblical wit- ness to serious and often successful
attempts
to solve social
problems. Likewise,
ethical concerns about matters of
justice
and
peace
have developed
in Pentecostal communities as
they
have correlated
specific biblical
injunctions
with the
reading
of the Bible as a whole.
(48)
In
summary,
the
emphasis
Pentecostals
place
on
personal evangelism
and
incorporation
into Christian communities as a means of cultivating, pursuing,
and even
propagating
social structures
may
differ in method or emphasis from other Christian communities.
Certainly
as these
relatively young
churches continue to grow and
mature, they
will need to grow also in their
capacity
to address social issues on the soci- etal level from their own
perspective
and
identity. Nevertheless, up
to this
point
these
emphases
in Pentecostal
ministry
have not been with- out
impact,
and not
just
in terms of
generating
and
supporting
acts of mercy.
All this
being said, however,
we would
anticipate
that the Pentecostal
style
of engaging in justice will continue to differ from that of other Christian traditions.
.
13
24
.
2. Catholic Reflections on
Evangelization
and Social Justice
(49)
Catholics tend to view the
questions
of societal
change,
church and state
relationships,
and human
rights,
from the
perspective
of a complex
and rich Catholic social
teaching
which is more than a century old in its
development.
It has its roots in the
Scriptures,
reached its highpoint
at Vatican
II,
and continues on in the Pontificate of John Paul II. For
example,
two of these documents from Vatican
II,
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World and the Decree on Religious Liberty put
the Catholic Church on record as
representing legitimate pluralism, religious liberty,
and the
rights
of
people
to be politically
and
civilly self-determining.
It furthermore holds that
they have socio-economic
rights.
It sees the human
person
as the inviolable subject
of these
rights,
which include
religious liberty.
Human freedom is the condition not
only
of civil
liberty,
but is fundamental to
accept- ing
the
Gospel
in the first
place.
(50)
The
Synod
of
Bishops
of
1971,
which focused on the
question of justice, spoke of the
way
in which the
quest
for justice is an
impor- tant
part
of the mission of the Church in these words: “Action on behalf of justice and the transformation of society is integral to the mission of the Church and the
preaching
of the
Gospel, or,
in other
words,
of the Church’s mission for the
redemption
of the human race and its libera- tion from
every oppressive
situation”
(Justice
in the World, Introduction).
(51)
All believers are called
by
God to
engage
in works of
charity and to strive for social
justice. According
to the Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People
of Vatican
II,
the
laity,
within the church as a whole,
led
by
the
light
of the
Gospel
and
according
to the mind of
· Christ,
are called to renew the
temporal
order as their own
special obligation (Decree
on the
Apostolate of Lay People, 7).
The Decree points
to the need to change unjust
structures, stating
that “he demands of
justice
should first be satisfied. Not
only
the effects but also the causes of various ills must be removed.
Help
should be
given
in such a way
that
recipients may gradually
be freed from
dependence
on others and become self-sufficient”
(Decree
on the Apostolate of Lay People, 8).
(52)
The
transforming power
of the
Gospel
on
individuals,
com- munities,
and
society
is the
grace
of
God, especially
as mediated through
Word and Sacraments. It is in the
prayer
of the
Church, (i.e.,
in the
Eucharist,
in the other
sacraments,
as well as in `the
daily prayer
of the
people)
that we are united to the
transforming prayer
of Christ. He taught
us to
pray
for the
coming
of the
Kingdom (Mt 6:10),
which
by its
very
nature is God’s
gift
and work. We do not construct the Kingdom
but rather ask for
it,
welcome
it,
and
rejoice
in its
growth within us.
Prayer empowers us,
in fact, demands that we strive for just
14
25
and
loving relationships among people,
in family, in community and in society.
These are all included in Christ’s
redemptive
work.
(53) Any
account of modem Catholicism’s efforts in these matters of evangelization, education and social
justice
would be
incomplete
if it did not mention men’s and women’s
religious
communities.
Many
of these
religious congregations
view their
doing
works of
justice
and’ faith as intrinsic to their
particular calling. Many
of their members live out this vision at great sacrifice-even of their lives.
(54)
To speak of the
“Kingdom
of God” is to
speak
of the ultimate will of God for the whole of creation. The
symbol
of the
Kingdom
con- veys
not
only
what we
hope
for but also a sense of
urgency
about our present responsibilities
to be about the work of justice and the
ministry of reconciliation between
individuals,
social classes and racial and eth- nic
groups.
It also furnishes criteria for
promoting
social
well-being
on personal, communal,
and structural levels.
. ‘
3. Our Common Views
Regarding
Faith and Justice
(55)
Pentecostals and Catholics
agree
that the Word of God is the foundation of both
evangelization
and social
justice.
(56)
In the Old Testament there is a strong insistence that the
people whom God has freed should live justly (e.g. Jer 21:12 and
22:3;
Amos 5:7-12; 8:4-6;
Mic
6:12).
One OT
passage
about
justice,
in
particular (namely,
Is
61:1-3),
is quoted by Jesus to characterize His own
procla- mation
(Lk 4:18-21).
The fact that we find in the
Gospel
both the Great Commission to evangelize the nations
(Mt 28:16-20;
Mk
16:15-18)
and the Great Commandment to love God and one’s
neighbour (Mt
22 :34- 40 ;
Mk
12:28-34;
Lk
10:27-28) suggests
that there is a continuum between the two.
(57)
Koinonia as lived
by
the
early
Christians
(Acts 2:42-47;
4 :32- 37)
had social
implications.
Their communities did not act from a con- cept
of social
justice.
The concern
they
showed for the
poor, widows, and
strangers
was not seen as an entirely
separate activity,
but rather as an extension of their
worship.
–
(58)
We
agree
that:
o
. .
evangelization
and love for one’s
neighbor
are
intrinsically connected and that basic to this love is active work toward
‘
‘
social
justice;
o even as we
engage
in
evangelization,
we need to
give
due
attention to the social welfare of our
o
neighbor.
both Pentecostals and Catholics need to resist
reductionism,
anthropocentrism,
and
politicization
of Christ or the
Gospel;
and the privatization of the Kingdom and individualization of
society.
Here we see a point of strong convergence.
‘
15
26
(59) Clearly, any striving
for social
justice
in which our faith com- munities
engage
needs to be rooted in the life of
God-Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit.
God the
Father,
who blessed the creation and called it good,
commands us to look for
justice
for our
neighbor, particularly orphans, widows,
and
foreigners (Jer 22:3-5).
God the
Son,
the
Redeemer,
who
accomplished
the work of salva- tion for the whole
world,
calls us to imitate His
compassionate ministry of
preaching
the Good News of the
Kingdom, healing
the sick and feeding
the
hungry (Lk 4:16-21 ).
In
fact,
He identifies himself with them
(Mt 25:31-46).
God the
Spirit,
who
gives life, empowers
us to witness to the world in word and deed
(Acts 1:8).
Life in the
Holy Spirit, energizes Christians to
engage
in evangelization and to work for justice in soci- ety.
Transformed
people
are
compelled by
the
Spirit,
the Creator and Sanctifier,
to transform the world in the
light
of the
in-breaking Kingdom
of God.
4.
Things
We Have Learned
Together: Perceptions
and
Convergences
(60)
Pentecostals and Catholics exhibit
strengths
and weaknesses in their
understanding
and
practice
of
evangelization
and social
justice. Pentecostals believe that Catholics do not
appreciate
the social
impact of Pentecostal
ministry. Though
Pentecostals
may
lack a formal social doctrine,
Pentecostal
evangelization
has
arguably
a
powerful
social impact
on
individuals,
on
family
life and the whole
community.
(61)
We have come to realize that Pentecostals and Catholics have much to
bring
to one another with
regard
to social
justice.
While Catholics believe in the
importance
of
personal faith, they
also
put great emphasis
on the
power
of the
Gospel
to
change
societal struc- tures.
Pentecostals,
on the other
hand,
have
traditionally pursued
social change
at the individual and communal levels. Catholics wonder whether the Pentecostal
theology
of
evangelization
leaves them ill-equipped
for
engaging
in social
justice. Pentecostals,
believe that Catholics should take more
seriously
the
importance
of
personal
and communal transformation for
promoting
societal
change.
(62)
Catholics realize that in some
predominantly
Catholic
regions of the world there are
places
where the
Gospel
does not
always appear to be
effectively proclaimed
and/or lived out in
daily
life.
(63)
Pentecostals believe that Catholics tend to minimize the
impact of the
power
of the
Holy Spirit
when it brings concrete
changes
on the level of the
individual, family
and
community.
Pentecostals realize that in the
past they
were often not
sufficiently
aware of the
implications
of the
Gospel
for social
systems.
16
27
.
(64)
Pentecostals and Catholics
agree
that the
regrettable
division among
Christians is a counter-witness to the
credibility
of the
Gospel and a hindrance to the effectiveness of
promoting justice
in the world. Some non-Christians have used this division as a sign of God’s favor- ing
of their own
particular
faith.
(65)
In the work of evangelization and social
justice,
we
believe,
as we have said
above,
that our communities are
currently undergoing
a form of
convergence.
While the Catholic Church is in a
process
of renewal in
evangelization
and
pastoral formation,
Pentecostals are growing
in an awareness of their
responsibilities
in the matter of struc- tures and social
systems.
(66)
Pentecostals and Catholics believe Jesus Christ to be the Lord of the
Kingdom
He came to proclaim, and in our
preaching
and under- standing,
the
Kingdom
of God and social
justice
should not be separated. Churches should strive to be faithful to the demands of the
Kingdom
of God. Scandal is
given
when the
churches,
in their social and historical existence, grow
slack in pursuing the divine
purposes
of the
Kingdom.
(67)
We differ in our
emphases
on the sources of evil,
specifically, as to what extent
they
are
human, natural,
and/or
supernatural origin. We also differ in the
ways
in which to
recognize
and deal with them. This is an area in which both traditions have much to learn from one another. We see the need to
explore together
the
theological
nature of power
and its appropriate or
inappropriate
mediations. We need to ask how our
spiritualities, explicitly
or
implicitly, empower people
to bear witness in evangelization and social
justice.
.
V. Proselytism9
”
”
1.
Moving
Towards a Common Position on
Proselytism
(68)
Since 1972 members of this
Dialogue
have committed them- selves to address the issue of
proselytism.
That this discussion has at last
begun
is a sign of the
growing
trust and maturation of Pentecostal- Catholic relations. Both teams in this International Roman Catholic- Pentecostal
Dialogue
entered into a conversation on this
topic
with a number of
misgivings.
It is difficult
enough
to address this
subject
as an abstract
object
of
study.
But Catholic-Pentecostal
relationships
in many parts
of the world have been troubled at times with accusations of
insensitivity
to the
presence
of
long-standing
Christian communi- ties, charges
of proselytism, and counter
charges
of
persecution.
Some – z——-
9Papers were presented by Rev. Karl Mutter, S.V.D., of St.
Common Witness and
Augustin, Germany (Proselvtism, Evangelization) and by Dr. Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. of
(Assemblies God),
Fuller
Theological Seminary,
Pasadena, CA, USA (Evangelization, Proselytizing
and Common Witness: A Pentecostal Perspective).
17
28
people,
in both
traditions,
have made it clear that
they
do not want Catholics and Pentecostals to
speak
to one another. Others have made it clear that
they
did not even want the
topic
of
proselytism
itself addressed. Both the Catholic and the Pentecostal teams debated within themselves,
and then
together,
the wisdom of
undertaking
such a dis- cussion in the
light
of
possible repercussions
on our mutual and growing relationship. Indeed,
even the
Dialogue
itself could
suffer,
we feared. In
spite
of these
significant concerns,
we decided that the urgency
of the situation and the need to proclaim the
Gospel
in a cred- ible manner demanded a beginning to this discussion.
(69)
The members of the
Dialogue
observed that
proselytism exists, in
large part,
because Pentecostals and Catholics do not have a com- mon
understanding
of the Church. To give one illustration,
they
do not agree
on the
relationship
between the
church,
on one
hand,
and
baptism as an
expression
of
living faith,
on the other.
Nonetheless in our
previous
discussions we have
expressed
the ways
in which we
perceive
the bonds between us that
already
exist. Catholics,
for
example,
hold that
everyone
who believes in the name of the Lord Jesus and is
properly baptized (cf. Perspectiies
on koinonia, 54)
is joined in a certain true manner to the
body
of Christ which is the Church. For Pentecostals, “the foundation of
unity
is a common faith and
experience
of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
through
the
Holy Spirit.
This
implies
that to the extent that Pentecostals
recognize
that Roman Catholics have this common faith in and
experience
of Jesus as Lord, they
share a real
though imperfect
koinonia with them” (Perspectives
on koinonia,
55).
This is true even
though
each has dif- ferent
understandings
of the Church.
(70)
Still members of the
Dialogue
think that Pentecostals and Catholics
already agree
on critical
points
of faith.
Recognition
of this fact makes it possible for each of our communities to act in
ways
that do not
impede
the
growth
of the other. Lack of mutual
recognition, however,
has led at times to dismissive
charges
and
countercharges (e.g. “sects,” “unbelievers,” “syncretists,” etc.)
and actions and coun- teractions
(e.g.
unilateral decisions for the
good
of one
community, often at the
expense
of the other
community) by
members of both com- munities. These
charges
and actions have detracted from the
ability
of Catholics and Pentecostals to witness
credibly
before the world to the reconciling power
of God
through
Jesus Christ.
(71 ) A primary example
of such a conflict
may
be found in the ten- sions which exist between Christians who are not in
fellowship
with one another. It is not our
purpose
in this document to
give priority
to the interests of one
particular
Church over those of another. While in the
example given
in the
following paragraphs,
the Catholic Church is described as the
long-established
Church and the Pentecostals as the
18
29
newcomers,
such as
may
be the case in
any given European country, there are instances such as in the case of Northeast Zimbabwe in which Pentecostals
may
be described as the
long-established
Church and the Catholics as newcomers. In the use of our
example,
our concern is merely
to
illustrate,
in concrete
terms,
the tensions which
may
arise with
respect
to mission in a given region between two such churches.
(72) Catholics,
for
instance, may
have
preached
the
Gospel
and established churches in a
region
centuries
ago. Through
the centuries these churches have
played
an
important
role in the lives of the
people of that
region.
The role which the church has
played
has extended far beyond
the walls of the
congregation, permeating every aspect
of the culture of the
people
from
art,
to
music,
to social
institutions,
to festi- vals and other
public
celebrations. The lives of the
people
flow
easily between church and the wider culture because the church has
impacted the culture in a major way.
(73) However,
there is another side to this. Often the earlier Christianization of a
given
culture
by
Catholicism takes for
granted that it remains
permeated by
faith. As with an
individual,
so also with a culture,
critique by
the Word and
on-going
transformation are neces- sary.
(74)
The time and investment in the church
by
devout Catholics have been
significant
in many cultures. Sometimes their
attempt
to live the life of faith has come at a
great price-persecution,
even
martyr- dom.
Actively embracing
the
challenges
of
living
and
transforming
the society
to which the
Gospel
has been
brought
is no small feat. The faithful have
struggled
to maintain the
Gospel,
even at times when the society
has not wanted to hear it. The local church has
rejoiced
when the
Gospel
has taken
root,
and sorrowed when it has failed to do so. In other
words, evangelization
is an
on-going
need for
any
culture.
(75)
Conflict
erupts
when another
community
of Christians enters into the life of an
already religiously-impacted community
and
begins to evangelize without due consideration of the
price
that has been
paid for witness to the
Gospel by
believers who have
preceded
them. Difficulties arise when there is no
acknowledgment
of the
significant role which the church
plays
in all
aspects
of the lives of those who are citizens of this
region.
This conflict comes about because the two Christian communities are
separated
and have not
recognized
the
legit- imacy
of one another as members of the one
Body
of Christ.
They
have been
separated
from one another.
They
have not
spoken
with one another. Certain
assumptions
have been made
by
each about the other. Judgments
have taken
place
without
proper
consultation between them.
(76)
Even if the motives of newcomers are
irreproachable
with respect
to the welfare of the
people
in this
region, including
a genuine concern to see that the citizens of the
region
have
really
heard the
19
30
Gospel,
their method of
entry
into the
region
often contributes to mis- understanding
and
conflict,
and
perhaps
even to a violent
response. Courtesy
would seem to call for some communication with the leaders of the older church
by
the new
evangelizers.
Without
this,
the older church and culture are
easily
violated. The
people
and church leaders in some of these areas have often been offended
by
what
they
see as disrespect
or
disregard
of
pastoral
activities that have been exercised for a long time. It is easy to see
why
serious tensions
might
arise.
(77)
The conflicts which have occurred between us demonstrate clearly
the
problem
which
disunity
creates even for well-intentioned Christians.
Disunity
isolates us from one another. It leads to
suspicion between us. It contributes to a lack of mutual
understanding,
even to an unwillingness
for us to
try
to understand each other. And all of these things
have resulted in a general state of hostility between us in which we even
question
the Christian
authenticity
of each other. Our different readings
of the
Gospel
reached in our isolated states have led to doc- trinal differences which have
only
further contributed to the
question
of whether or not the other
truly proclaims
the
Gospel.
(78)
If each
perceives
the other
through
the lens of this
disunity,
the result is all too often that one sees the other as an
adversary
to its own mission and
may, therefore,
feel the need to
place impediments
in the way
of the other. There
may
be public
denunciations,
even
persecution, of
one another. Both sides have suffered, Pentecostals in
particular since
they
have
usually
been the
minority.
But the main
tragedy,
and on this both the Catholic and Pentecostal teams
agree,
is that the conflict resulting
from the
disunity
of Christians
always
“scandalizes the
world, and
damages
that most
holy cause,
the
preaching
of the
Gospel
to every creature”
(Decree
on
Ecumenism, 1). What needs to be faced honestly, and examined with
great care,
are the reasons behind these conflicts. What we both desire is the
pure preaching
of the
Gospel.
Most of our conflicts would diminish if we
agreed
that this is what
evangelization is all about.
(79)
Instead of conflict, can we not converse with one
another, pray with one
another, try
to
cooperate
with one another instead of clashing with one another? In
effect,
we need to look for
ways
in which Christians can seek the
unity
to which Christ calls his
disciples (cf.
Jn 17:21 ) starting
with basic
respect
for one
another, learning
to love ‘ one another.
2.
Replacing
Dissatisfaction with
Hope
(80) By
the fourth
century
church and state were
deeply
involved in the life of each other. Since then both have
occasionally
resorted to coercion to assure
political-religious homogeneity
in
society.
This has
20
31
been
expressed
in the
repression
of
heresy (inquisition)
and of other religions (the expulsion
of Jews and Muslims from various
European countries).
The same concern
shaped
the
principle
cuius
regio,
eius religio (“all
citizens must
accept
the
religion
of their
ruler”)
which was enforced in
Europe, especially during
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The
process by
which churches and states
moved, first,
to religious
toleration and then to religious freedom
only began
in the late eighteenth century
and did not become more or less universal in the West until the mid-twentieth
century.
(81)
In this historical
context,
Catholics are well aware that attempts
at Christianization have often been attached to
political
and economic
expansion (e.g.,
Latin
America)
and that sometimes
pressure and violence have been used.
They
also
acknowledge
that
prior
to Vatican
II, Catholic doctrine
has been reluctant to support full
religious freedom in civil law.
(82) Today
Catholics and Pentecostals condemn coercive and vio- lent methods.
Nevertheless,
all too
often, aggressiveness
still charac- terizes our interaction. Words have become the new
weapons. Catholics are affronted when some Pentecostals assume that
they
are not even
Christians,
when
they speak disrespectfully
of the Catholic Church and its leaders or when Pentecostals lead Catholic members into
newly
established Pentecostal
fellowships.
Pentecostals arc affronted when some Catholics in some
parts
of the world view them as
‘rapacious wolves,’
when
they
are ridiculed as
panderetas
o alelityas’ (tambourines
or alleluias), or when
they
are
indiscriminately classified as ‘sects.’
(83)
Further
proof
of the fact that neither Catholics nor Pentecostals are satisfied with the state of division which exists between them can be seen in their own discussions
of proselytism.
An initial
working
def- inition of
proselytism
is that it is a
disrespectful,
insensitive and uncharitable effort to transfer the
allegiance
of a Christian from one ecclesial
body
to another. Actions have
already
been taken
by
several traditions which reveal that
they
believe that
“proselytism”
is some- thing
to be condemned. 1
°
(84)
Pentecostals did not
participate directly
in the
development
of those
documents,
but Pentecostals have also demonstrated their con- cern over
proselytism,
on a more limited scale.
They
have enacted var- ious
bylaws, adopted
statements on ministerial
ethics,
and
developed
lOOn the Catholic side, the theme has been addressed in several international bilat- eral dialogues in which the Roman Catholic Church has been involved, with Evangelicals (The Evangelical-Roman
Catholic Dialogue on Mission. 1977-1984: A namely Report,
Information Service [IS) 60 (1986/1-11), 71-97; with Baptists (Summons To Witness to Christ in
Today World: A Report of
the
Baptist-Roman Catholic
21
32
other
guidelines
which
provide leadership
to their ministers on issues such as how close
together congregations
can be
planted,
what
permis- sions need to be obtained from other
pastors
in the area in which a new work is
being planted,
and
what type
of
relationship
a minister must maintain when
working
within the
parish
of another minister of the same
denomination,
or within a district that is not his or her own. These
bylaws,
codes of
ethics,
and other
guidelines
have been
developed
to resist
any temptation
which one minister
might
have to proselytize (cf. 2 Cor
10:16).
These
guidelines
work because there is mutual
recogni- tion between those who are
subject
to them.
(85)
The
early writings
of Pentecostals reveal a number of rich and fertile visions of unity
among Christians,
even if at times
they
were tri- umphalistic. Among
them was the vision of Charles F. Parham who
viewed himself as called
by
the
Holy Spirit
to serve as an
“apostle
of unity.”
Another was
repeatedly published by
the African-American pastor
William J.
Seymour
of the famous Azusa Street
Mission,
in the Apostolic
Faith,
that the movement stood for “… Christian
unity every- where.” The ministers of the Assemblies of
God,
in their
organization- al
meeting of April 1914,
went so far as to state that
they opposed
the establishment of
“unscriptural
lines of
fellowship
or
disfellowship” since such lines stood counter to Jesus’ desire for
unity
as
expressed
in John 17:21. A number of other
early
Pentecostal leaders shared these sentiments also, and read this
impulse
toward
unity
as one which was birthed
by
the
Holy Spirit.
(86)
While some Pentecostal
bodies, especially
some
indigenous groups
in Latin America and
Africa,
have retained their
original
visions for
unity,
most Pentecostals around the world have chosen to
pursue more limited visions of
unity.
This has
happened
due to a number of factors. Fundamentalists outside Pentecostalism
publicly
criticized existing
Pentecostal
cooperation
with
many
other Christians as incon- sistent with biblical
teaching.
The
adoption by
some Pentecostals of certain
eschatological interpretations popular among
Fundamentalists and
Evangelicals
led to
growing suspicion
of the modem movements toward
unity among
Protestants. Peer
pressure
which
suggested
that Pentecostals would be
granted acceptance
as full members of the Evangelical community
if
they
would cut
existing
ties with certain
International Conversations, 1984-1988, IS 72 ( 1990/I), 5-14); with the Orthodox ( Uniatism:
Method of Union of the Past, and the Present Search for Full Communion, 1993, IS 83 (1993/11), 96-99). On the multilateral level, the Joint
between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches has recent- Working Group
a study document entitled The Challenge of Proselvtism and the Calling to Common ly published Witness, 1996, IS 91 (1996/I-II), 77-83. In so doing, Catholics, like Protestant and Orthodox
many
groups, have expressed the desire to condemn all prose- tytism.
22
33
other
Christians,
further
compromised
the
original
visions of
unity. I I Many
Pentecostals also withdrew their
support
of
larger
movements toward
unity
when
they
believed that their own
priorities
were not being
taken
seriously. Vestiges
of these
original
visions
of unity
are still to be found
among
the
published
statements which outline the raison d’être of
many
Pentecostal
organizations including
the Pentecostal World
Conference12.
(87)
The Pentecostal members of this
Dialogue
lament the
impact
of the factors which have led to the loss of the
original
visions of
unity. They
would like to
challenge
Pentecostals to look once
again
at their roots that
they might
rediscover the richness of their earliest call to facilitate
unity
between all Christians,
by internalizing
anew the role the Holy Spirit
has
presumably played
in the birth of these
deep yearnings.
(88)
All members of this
Dialogue
also wish to
encourage Pentecostals to share their visions of greater Christian
unity
with other Christians. In turn, we
urge
the latter to bring their own visions of unity to the discussion. In this
way,
we believe that
together
we can “discover the unfathomable riches of the truth”
thereby deepening
our own understanding
of what we believe the
Holy Spirit
has caused to emerge within us. We are all called to be stewards of this
precious gift
of unity which we
already enjoy
and to which we
yet aspire
in the bond of peace (cf. Eph 4:3).
(89)
In the
light
of these realities which have contributed to our own coming together
for dialogue, the members of both teams felt
keenly
the need to
acknowledge
that neither Catholics nor Pentecostals have ful- filled
sufficiently
the demands of the
Gospel
to love one another. While the
past
cannot be undone and is not even
wholly retrievable,
we must make
every
effort to know and
express
it as accurately as possible.
.- – – — .——–
I ICecil M. Robeck, Jr., “The Assemblies of God and Ecumenical Cooperation, 1920-1965,” in Wonsuk Ma and Robert P. Menzies, eds. Pentecostalism in Context: Essays
in Honor
of
William W Menzies JPT
Sheffield Academic 107-150.
Supplement Series 11 (Sheffield:
Press, 1997),
121n its May 21-29, 1949 meeting in Paris, the Executive Committee of the world Pentecostal Conference (now called Pentecostal World
Conference), unanimously adopted
a
two-page “Manifesto and Declaration” in which it outlined its “common and
purpose objective.” Included as point 6b was the following: “To demonstrate to the world the essential
unity of Spirit – baptized believers fulfilling the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ: ‘That all may be one’ John 17:21.” This action was
announced
subsequently
by the Conference Secretary, David J. Du Plessis, in a report titled “World Pentecost holds its
Third International
Conference,”
which
appeared
in H. W. Greenway, ed., World Pentecostal Conference – 1952 (no city: The British Pentecostal Fellowship, 1952),
6. A
file in the Archives of David du page
copy of the original “Manifesto and Declaration” is on
Plessis Center for Christian Spirituality at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Ca 91182, USA.
23
34
3.
Defining
the
Challenge
(90)
The term
“proselytism”
is not found in the
Bible,
but the term “proselyte”
is. It is
originally derived
from the Old Testament vocabu- lary relating
to those
strangers
and
sojourners
who moved into
Israel,
believed in Yahweh, and
accepted
the entire Torah
(e.g.
Ex
12:48-49). This term carried a
positive meaning, i.e.,
to become a convert to Judaism. In the New
Testament, proselytes
were
present
in Jerusalem on the
day
of Pentecost
(cf.
Acts
2:11 ),
and at least one of them was chosen to serve the widows
(cf.
Acts
6:5).
But in recent
times, “prose- lytism,”
as used within Christian
circles,
has come to
carry
a negative meaning
associated with an illicit form of
“evangelism.”
(91)
An issue between Catholics and Pentecostals that relates to the problem
of proselytism concerns the
way
a living faith is perceived in the life of an individual Christian or in a community.
Through dialogue we have learned that Pentecostals and Catholics
may
have different ideas about who is
“unchurched,”
different
understandings
of how living
in a deeply Christian culture can root the Christian faith in some- one’s life.
They may
have different ideas of how to assess
whether,
or in what
way, pastoral
needs are
being
met in a Christian
community
or in a person’s life.
They may
have different
ways
of interpreting whether or not a person can be considered an
evangelized
Christian.
(92)
The
Dialogue
has
taught
us that because of these differences there is a continual need to learn from one another so as to
deepen mutual
knowledge
and
understanding
of each others’ doctrinal tradi- tions, pastoral practices
and convictions. We need to learn to
respect the
integrity
and
rights
of the other so as to avoid
judgments
that cre- ate
unnecessary
conflict in regard to evangelization and obstacles to the spreading
of the
Gospel,
in addition to those
already
caused
by
our divisions.
(93) Attempts
to define
proselytism
reveal a broad
range
of activi- ties and actions that are not
easily interpreted.
These tend to be identi- fied and evaluated
differently by
the
parties
involved. In
spite
of these difficulties,
we have concluded that both for Catholics and for Pentecostals, proselytism
is an unethical
activity
that comes in
many forms. Some of these would be:
e
.
.
all
ways
of
promoting
our own
community
of faith that are intellectually dishonest,
such as contrasting an ideal
presen- tation of our own
community
with the weaknesses of anoth- er Christian
community;
all intellectual laziness and
culpable ignorance
that
neglect readily
accessible
knowledge
of the other’s
tradition; every
wilful
misrepresentation
of the beliefs and
practices of other Christian
communities;
24
35
every
form of
force, coercion, compulsion, mockery
or
intimidation of a
personal, psychological, physical,
moral,
social, economic, religious
or
political nature;
every
form of cajolery or manipulation,
including
the
exag-
geration
of biblical
promises,
because these distortions do . _ not
respect
the
dignity
of persons and their freedom to make
their own
choices;
every
abuse of mass media in a way that is disrespectful of
another faith and
manipulative
of the
audience;
w all unwarranted
judgments
or acts which raise
suspicions
about the
sincerity
of
others;
all
competitive evangelization
focused
against
other
Christian bodies
(cf.
Rom
15:20).
‘
‘
(94)
All Christians have the
right
to bear witness to the
Gospel before all
people, including
other Christians. Such witness
may legiti- mately
involve the persuasive proclamation of the
Gospel
in such a
way as to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ or to commit themselves more deeply
to Him within the context of their own church. The
legitimate proclamation
of the
Gospel
will bear the marks of Christian love
(cf.
I Cor
13).
It will never seek its own selfish ends
by using
the opportunity to speak
against
or in any
way denigrate
another Christian
community, or to
suggest
or encourage a change in someone’s Christian affiliation. Both the Pentecostal and Catholic members of this
Dialogue
view as proselytism
such selfish actions as an
illegitimate
use of
persuasive power. Proselytism
must be
sharply distinguished
from the
legitimate act of persuasively
presenting
the
Gospel. Proselytism
must be avoided.
(95)
At the same time we
acknowledge
that if a
Christian,
after hearing
a
legitimate presentation
of the
Gospel, freely
chooses to join a different Christian
community,
it should not
automatically
be con- cluded that such a transfer is the result of
proselytism.
(96)
For the most
part, people
hear the
preaching
of the
Gospel within their own
particular
church where their own
spiritual
needs are also met. It may also
happen,
on a given
occasion,
that members of dif- ferent Christian communities
help
to
organize
an
evangelistic
cam- paign,
in which
they
also
participate.
The
primary
aim of such an evan- gelistic campaign
should
always
be the
proclamation
of the
Gospel.
We believe that the Reverend
Billy
Graham has
provided
an
important model in this
regard. Respecting
the ecclesial affiliation of the participants,
he
organizes
such
campaigns only
after he has
sought
the support
and
agreement
of the churches in the
area, including
Catholics and Pentecostals. When those who are
already part
of a Christian com- munity respond
to his call to commit themselves more
deeply
to Christ,
25
36
the
pastoral
resources from their own church are
immediately
made available to help them in their renewed commitment.
Thus, proselytism is avoided. The churches involved receive the
respect
and
regard they deserve, illustrating
the results of communication and
cooperation, demonstrating
a measure of real, visible
unity.
(97)
Confusion has resulted when the terms
“proselytism”
and “evangelism”
have been used as though they were
synonyms.
This con- fusion has
impacted
the civil realm. Some
countries,
for
instance,
have passed
so-called
“anti-proselytism”
laws which
prohibit
or
greatly restrict
any
kind of Christian
evangelism
or
missionary activity.
We deplore
this.
4.
Promoting Religious
Freedom
(98)
Mention of these
anti-proselytism
laws introduces us to the complex
matter of
religious
freedom. There is
general agreement
that religious liberty
is a civil
right.
For Christians there is also the
religious freedom
they
are to accord to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ,
and to all human
beings
since
they
are made in the
image
and likeness of God.
(99) Religious
freedom is
promoted by
both secular
society,
for example,
in statements from the United Nations
(cf
United Nations Declaration on Human
Rights, 1948;
UN Declaration on the Elimination
of all
Forms
of Intolerance
and Discrimination Based on Religious Belief;
25 November
1981,
Art.
1.1 ) and by
the church
(e.g. Declaration on
Religious Liberty,
Vatican II [1965]). Pentecostals and Catholics are in full
agreement
in the
support
of
religious freedom, whether it is seen as a civil
right
or as one of the
principles
that should guide
their
relationships
with each other.
(100) Religious
freedom as a civil
right
is very
complex
in the
way it is pursued and resisted in the
endlessly
varied
political
situations that have church related to state and state to church. Catholics and Pentecostals need to stand as one in respecting and
promoting
this civil right
for all
peoples
and for one another.
(101) Historically,
Pentecostals have not enacted
broadly represen- tative resolutions on the
subject
of religious freedom
largely
because of their
minority
status in the societies where
they
have functioned.
They have
recently, however, joined
with other Christians when issues of religious
freedom have been at stake.
They
have also led efforts to end persecution
or to
promote legislation
towards
religious freedom, especially
in countries where in the
past
the
rights
of their Pentecostal sisters and brothers have been violated
(e.g. Italy,
and a number of Latin American
countries).
It is
clear, therefore,
that
they
believe that the state has a legitimate role in guaranteeing religious freedom.
26
37
(102)
Because of these
convictions, reject:
members of the
Dialogue
w All violations of
religious
freedom and all forms of reli-
gious
intolerance as well as
every attempt
to
impose
belief
and
practices
on others or to manipulate or coerce others in
the name of religion.
Inequality
in civil treatment of
religious bodies, although,
we
affirm ,
as Vatican II
affirmed,
that in
exercising
their
rights
individuals and social
groups
“are bound
by
the
moral law to have
regard
to the
rights
of others, to their own
duties toward others and for the common
good
of all”
(Declaration
on Religious Liberty,
7).
‘
(103)
Catholics believe that the state is
obliged
to
give
effective protection
to the
religious liberty
of all citizens
by just
laws and other suitable
means,
and to ensure favorable conditions for
fostering
reli- gious
life
(cf.
Declaration on
Religious Liberty, 6).
(104) Religious
freedom has also been the
subject
of
significant ecumenical
dialogue (e.g.
Summons to Witness to Christ in
Today s World: A
Report
on the
Baptist-Roman
Catholic International Conversations, 1984-198813).
A statement that is even more
compre- hensive in
scope
is that of the Joint
Working Group
between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches. With them we agree
that
“religious
freedom affirms the
right
of all
persons
to
pursue the truth and witness to the truth
according
to their conscience. It includes the freedom to
acknowledge
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the freedom of Christians to witness to their faith in him
by
word and deed”
(Joint Working Group,
The Challenge of Proselytism and the Calling
to Common Witness
[1996], 15). Religious
freedom includes the freedom to embrace a religion or to
change
one’s
religion
without any
coercion which would
impair
such freedom.
(cf. ibid.)
5.
Resolving
Conflicts in the
Quest
for
Unity
‘
(105)
Conflicts
among
Christian
groups
are not unusual. Difficulties
experienced by
Protestant
missionary
movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
highlighted
the need to resolve ten- sions
among
denominations. It became obvious that divisions were obstacles to the preaching of the
Gospel.
These concerns led to the first World
Missionary
Conference at
Edinburgh, Scotland,
in
1910,
at which an international
body
of Protestants and
Anglicans
assembled to
z 3 See footnote 9 above.
27
38
discuss
ways
to cooperate rather than
compete
in mission. This confer- ence led to other movements for Christian
cooperation.
As we approach the end of the
century virtually
all
major
Christian
families, Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal,
and
Protestant,
are now involved in efforts to find
ways
to work
together,
to overcome
misunderstandings, and to resolve doctrinal
differences,
so that these will no
longer
be obstacles to the
proclaiming
of the
Gospel
of Jesus Christ.
(106)
These concerns have
implications
for Pentecostals and Catholics where conflict arises from mission activities. Two
points need to be
kept
in mind. On the one
hand,
we affirm that the
principles of
religious
freedom are basic for
evangelization.
On the other
hand, divided Christians have real
responsibilities
for one another because of the bonds of koinonia
they already
share
(cf. Perspectives
on koinonia 54-55).
In facing
conflicts,
the
right
to
religious
freedom must be seen in
relationship
to the
responsibility
to
respond
to Christ’s call for the unity
of his
disciples.
Christ calls Christians to live their freedom. At the same
time,
He calls Christians to
unity
“so that the world
may believe”
(Jn 17:21).
(107)
The call of the Lord of the Church cannot be
ignored.
It is reinforced
by
the
Apostle
Paul who exhorted the
Ephesians
to make “every
effort to maintain the
unity
of the
Spirit
in the bond of
peace” (Eph 4:3)
for “there is one
body,
and one
spirit…
one
Lord,
one
faith, one
baptism,
one God and Father of all”
(Eph 4:4-5). Christians,
who have been reconciled to God and entrusted with the
ministry
of recon- ciliation
(cf.
2 Cor
5 :18),
need to be reconciled with each other in order to carry out their
ministry effectively. Ongoing
division
jeopardizes
the impact
of the
Gospel.
( 108)
We realize that some of our readers will think that our con- clusions are idealistic. We do not
agree.
We
recognize
that not
every- one has had the same
experience
and the same
opportunity
that we have had to work
together,
to
pray together,
and to learn from one another. We have come to recognize, in a fresh
way,
that with God all things are possible
to those who believe
(cf.
Mark
9:23).
The
Scriptures
teach us that Christ calls us and the
apostle
invites us to unity
(cf.
Jn
17:21; Eph 4:3).
The
patterns
of our
relationships
in the
past
have not reflected this call. We
engaged
in this
dialogue
because of what we understand is the will of Christ which our
past relationships
have not reflected. Our efforts are intended as a contribution to
re-thinking
the lack of confor- mity
between Pentecostal/Catholic
relationships
and the call of Christ. We commend our
findings
to our readers
recognizing
that some will find them to be a real
challenge.
(109)
We look forward to the
day
when leaders within our two com- munities will be able to
pray together, develop
mutual
trust,
and deal with tensions which arise.
Through
our
theological dialogue,
now 25
28
39
years old,
we have
gained
a
deeper understanding
of the
meaning
of faith in Christ and a mutual
respect
for one another. We covet for our leaders these same
gifts
and believe such
relationships might yield greater sensitivity
on issues of mutual concern. The
relationship might even
yield
a code of ecclesial
etiquette
to help prevent difficulties from arising.
All of this seems
possible
and desirable. Are we
not,
as
believers, being prepared
for a future in which we will be judges not
only
of the world but also of the
angels? (cf.
1 Cor
6:2-3).
Would it not be a sign of contradiction if we had to hand over our
present disputes
to the judg- ment of the world? But this is what is
happening
when we arrive at impasses.
“Can it be,” Paul
asks,
“that there is no one
among you
wise enough
to decide between one believer and another?”
( Cor 6:5).
6.
Affirming Principles
for Mutual
Understanding
( 110) The discussion on
the nature
of proselytism
leads
very quick- ly
into
practical
matters. Even if Pentecostals and Catholics
explicitly or
implicitly
denounce
proselytism, many people may
need
practical guidance
on how to live
up
to this commitment. The members of the Dialogue
have
agreed upon
the
following principles
which seek to express
the
spirit
of Christian love as it is portrayed in
Scripture (cf.
I Cur
13). They
submit these
principles
for consideration
by their respec- tive churches.
( 111 ) The deep
and true source of any Christian witness is the com- mandment “You shall love the Lord
your
God with all
your heart,
and with all
your soul,
and with all
your
mind and
you
shall love
your neighbor
as
yourself (Mt
22:37 and
39;
cf. Lev
19:18;
Deut
6:5). Christian witness
brings glory
to God. It is nourished
by
the conviction that it is the
Holy Spirit
whose
grace
and
light brings
about the response
of faith. It respects the free will and
dignity
of those to whom it is given, whether or not
they
wish to accept.
(112)
Pentecostals and Catholics affirm the
presence
and
power
of the
Gospel
in Christian communities outside of their own traditions. Pentecostals believe that all Christians of whatever
denomination,
can have a
living personal relationship
with Jesus as Lord and Savior. Catholics believe that
only
in their own visible communion “the full- ness of the means of salvation can be attained.” But
they
also believe that
“some,
even
very many,
of the
significant
elements and endow- ments which
together go
to build
up
and
give
life to the Church
itself, can exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church” (Decree
on
Ecumenism, 3).
It is the
responsibility
of all Christians to proclaim
the
Gospel
to all who have not
repented, believed,
and sub- mitted their lives to the
Lordship
of Christ. It is
imperative
for
every Christian to
speak
“the truth in love”
(Eph 4:15)
about all Christian
29
40
communities. We affirm the
obligation
to portray the beliefs and
prac- tices of other Christian communities
accurately, honestly
and charita- bly,
and wherever
possible,
in
cooperative
efforts with them. We
pray and work “for
building up the body
of Christ, until all of us come to the unity
of the faith and of the
knowledge
of the Son of
God,
to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ”
(Eph 4:12b-13).
(113)
Individual Christians have the
right
and
responsibility
to pro- claim the
Gospel boldly (Acts 4:13, 29; Eph 6:19)
and
persuasively (cf. Acts
17:3;
Rom
1:14).
All
people
have the
right
to hear the
Gospel preached
in their own
“language”
in a culturally sensitive fashion. The Good News of Jesus Christ addresses the whole
person, including
his or her
behavioral, cognitive,
and
experiential
dimensions. We also affirm
responsible
use of modem
technology
as a
legitimate
means to communicate the
Gospel.
(114)
In the
light
of these
issues,
we offer the
following proposals to our communities:
o
o
o
o
o
o
To
incorporate
these
principles
in our own
daily
lives and ministries.
To
pursue
contacts with Christian leaders for consideration of these issues.
To conduct our
preaching, teaching,
and
pastoral ministry
in the
light
of these
principles.
To invite
scholarly
and
professional
societies at all levels to discuss this document.
To
incorporate
these
insights
into the various
programs
for educators,
ministerial students and other church workers. To
encourage
the
development
of
relationships
of mutual understanding
and
respect
which will enable us to work together
on these issues.
(115)
We
encourage prayer
for and with each other. Above
all,
we pray
that Pentecostals and Catholics will be
open
to the
Holy Spirit who will convince the hearts of all Christians of the
urgency,
and the biblical
imperative
of these concerns.
(116)
Without a
doubt, proselytism
is a sensitive issue
among Pentecostals and
Catholics,
but we believe that
through open
and hon- est
dialogue
and
docility
to the
Spirit,
we can
respond
to the
challenge before us. This
may
not
always
be
easy,
but the love of Christ
compels us to deal with “a
humility
and
gentleness,
with
patience, bearing
with one another in
love, making every
effort to maintain the
unity
of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.”
(Eph 4:3).
It is only then that we will
give credible witness to Christ in a world which
urgently
needs to hear the Good News.
30
41
VI. Common Witnessl4
.
(117)
Jesus Christ is the
unique
witness to the
Father,
and the
Spirit comes from the Father to witness to Jesus Christ. Therefore, witness which
belongs
to the nature of the Christian life is an
imperative
of the Great Commission and is an ideal for which we strive. In different ways,
both Pentecostals and Catholics base their witness on Matthew 28. Both consider the Pentecost event as central to their Christian faith. In the biblical sense witness is the
unique testimony
of the
apostles
and disciples
to what
they
have seen and heard
(
Jn
1:1-4).
Witness is rooted in the
apostles’ experience
of Jesus who is the
image
of the . Father
sent in the
power
of the
Spirit
to return all to the
source,
the Father.
Disciples
are
empowered by
the
Holy Spirit
to
proclaim
the Gospel (Acts 1:8; 4:20).
(118)
Common witness means
standing together
and
sharing together
in witness to our common faith. Common witness can be experienced through joint participation
in
worship,
in
prayer,
in the performance
of
good
works in Jesus’ name and
especially
in
evange- lization. True common witness is not
engaged
in for any
narrow,
strate- gic
denominational benefit of a particular community.
Rather,
it is con- cerned
solely
for the
glory
of
God,
for the
good
of the whole church and the
good
of humankind.
(119)
Common witness
requires personal
inward
conversion,
a renewal of heart and mind. This enables all to hear the Word of God
anew and to listen
again
to what the
Spirit
is
saying
to the churches. Purification of our own hearts and minds and the renewal of our
respec- tive communities
help
make common witness a
possibility.
One
sign that this
purification
has taken
place
is that in the
process
of
growing mutual
understanding
and
trust,
our
stereotypes
of one another dimin- ish. In other words, we
change,
but the
change
is not
compromise. – —- – – .—–
?4Papers were delivered on this topic by Kilian McDonnell, OSB, of Collegeville, Minnesota, USA (Can Classical Pentecostals and Roman Catholics
in Common Witness?) and Prof. Walter J.
Engage
by Hollenweger (Swiss Reformed), Switzerland Krattigen,
(Common Witness). The Pentecostal team invited
from Prof. Hollenweger for three reasons. He was
participation
forrnerly a Pentecostal pastor. He was on staff of the Office of Mission and
formerly
of the World Council of Churches. He was
Evangelism
of
formerly
a Professor in the field of Mission and Evangelism at the University study of Pentecostalism was a life
Birmingham, England for many
Other
years, where his global dealt with common witness are: The Challenge of Proselytism and the Calling to Common
long passion. dialogue documents which have Witness: A Study Document of the Joint The Ecumenical Review 48:2 (April, 1996), 212-221; the ERCDOM Working Group, report The Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue
on Mission, 1977 1984 (Eerdmans/Paternoster, 1986 and IS 60
and Summons to Witness to
( 1986/I-II), 71-97)
Christ in Today’s World.-
Report of the Roman Catholic International Baptist-
Conversations, 1984-1988 (see footnote 9 above).
31
42
(120)
Once mutual trust as
persons
and
reciprocal respect
for each others’ traditions has been
established,
then some limited measure of common witness is possible. Are there
any precedents?
There are innu- merable
precedents
from all over the world. For
example
when a Pentecostal leader was murdered in Iran in 1995 the
eulogy
was preached by
a Catholic
priest.
In Berlin the classical Pentecostals are members of the association of churches and
cooperate
in its activities. In Munich a Benedictine
monastery provided
a Pentecostal
pastor just starting
his ecumenical
ministry
with
meeting
rooms in the center of the
city.
In the United States a Pentecostal invited a Catholic
priest
to give
a retreat for ministers. A Pentecostal leader was invited to
preach in the Catholic Cathedral in Los
Angeles.
The revivals of Billy Graham have
long enjoyed
both Pentecostal and Catholic
participation.
In Chile,
some Pentecostal leaders
participate together
with
Catholics, Orthodox and other Protestants in the Fraternidad Ecumenica. Pentecostals and Catholics charismatics have for some time now
par- ticipated together
in
many ways, including planning
such
significant international conferences as those held in Jerusalem,
Singapore, Bern, Brighton,
Port Dickson
(Malaysia),
Kansas
City,
New
Orleans, Indianapolis,
and Orlando.
(121)
Pentecostals and Catholics are still at the
beginnings
of their relationship
and their search for mutual
understanding.
Some are
only now
exploring ways
of
giving
common witness. Others do not want to give
common witness. As members of the
Dialogue
we believe that a limited common witness is
already possible
because in
many ways
a vital
spiritual unity
exists between
us,
a real
though imperfect
commu- nion
(Perspectives
on koinonia
54-55).
We already have communion in the
grace
of Jesus Christ. We both believe in the
centrality
of
Scripture. We
proclaim together
that there is no
evangelization
unless the
name, teaching
and life of Jesus
Christ,
the Son of
God,
is
proclaimed (cf. Evangelization
in the Modern
World).
We share a common belief in the Fatherhood of God; the
Lordship
of Jesus
Christ, Messiah, Savior,
and Coming Lord;
the
power
of the
Spirit
for
witness;
the
enduring
nature of
Pentecost;
the love of God
poured
out
through
the
Spirit.
We both acknowledge
the
unique
character of
salvation,
the belief that
anyone without
exception who
is saved attains salvation
through
Jesus
Christ; the
forgiveness
of
sins,
the
promise
of eternal
life,
the
significant
role of the
charisms,
the ten commandments and the beatitudes. Common witness shows the bonds of communion
(koinonia)
between divided churches.
(122)
No one is called to
compromise.
Common witness is not a call to indifference or to
uniformity.
In fact
though
division and
sepa- ration are
contrary
to the will of
God,
the
diversity
within the
unity
of the one
Body
of Christ is a precious and
indispensable gift
which is to
.
32
43
be
recognized,
valued and embraced. Common witness
prevents
nei- ther individuals nor communities from
witnessing
to their
heritage. This can even include our
witnessing separately
on
things
over which we
seriously disagree. However,
this can be done without
being
con- tentious,
with mutual love and
respect.
(123)
At a deeper
level,
common witness and
forgiveness
are intrin- sically
related to one another.
Forgiveness
also leads to a more credible common witness.
Praying together
is a case in
point.
In
fact,
mutual forgiveness
is itself an act of common witness. Here
equity
in the recognition
of
guilt
is not the
goal.
One side
may
have offended more than the other. That determination is left to God.
Rather,
as Jesus him- self has
given
us an
example,
each side takes on the sins of the other. In Christian
forgiveness
it is not a question of who threw the first stone (Jn 8:7),
of who did what to whom
first;
rather it is the
willingness
to make the first
step.
Both sides should take the initiative
according
to Gospel
norms: Pentecostals should take the initiative for reconciliation because
they
feel themselves the most
aggrieved;
Catholics should take the initiative because
they
are the elder in inter-Church relations. In both cases, if asked for our
coat,
we
give
also our
cloak;
if asked to go one mile, we
go
two
(Mt 5:41).
(124)
We need to be aware of the dark side of our
histories,
with full
recognition
of all the circumstances which
gave
rise to the distrust. Forgiveness
is based on the truth established
by
both sides. The truth shared
by
the followers of Christ is not established
by judicial proce- dure
(cf.
1 Cor
6:4-7).
There is another
way
of
resolving difficulties, more
appropriate
for those who are
profoundly
related to one another in the
unity
of the
Spirit.
The offended should not have to
prove
their
the last detail. The model here is a more relational one.
. .
position
to
Once mutual
forgiveness
has been
expressed
reconciliation should be effected. In our cases this reconciliation should be
expressed publicly in a form
acceptable
to both
groups.
(125)
Both should have
acquaintance
with the other’s
history,
and theological positions.
Otherwise we will not
escape
our histories of mutual distrust. Common witness
gives Pentecostals and
Catholics the opportunity
to work
together
in the
writing
of our common and
sepa- rate
histories,
without
excluding
different
interpretations
of the facts. Once Pentecostal and Catholic students have a firm
grounding
in their own tradition
sharing
in institutes of higher
learning
is possible,
espe- cially
in
disciplines
such as intellectual
history, philosophy, govern- ment, law, sociology,
and medicine. This
activity
could include not only
students but mature scholars. We already share in scholarly bibli- cal research and we
participate together
in learned societies such as the Society of Pentecostal
Studies.
33
44
( 126) We often underestimate
the
degree
of common witness which already
exists
among
Pentecostal and Catholic relatives and
neighbors who
pray together
and
cooperate
in many ways, including
visiting
the sick and
caring
for others. Is it possible that the
people
in our local con- gregations
and
parishes
are
perhaps
more involved in common witness than their
pastors
and church leaders realize?
(127)
In our Pentecostal-Catholic
Dialogue,
we have discovered two useful
principles:
We cannot do what conscience forbids.
We can do
together
what conscience
permits
in the area of common witness.
The first
principle,
“we cannot do what conscience
forbids,” emphasizes
that our witness must be
prudent,
honest and humble. We recognize today
that there are limits as to what we can do
together. Both Pentecostals and Catholics have diverse
pastoral
and
worship understandings,
as well as doctrinal
points
which
they
do not
fully share with one another. While we build on those
things
that unite
us, our common witness should also
acknowledge
our
divergences.
The present inability
of Catholics and Pentecostals to share
together
at the table of the Lord is a striking example of our divisions and the lack of common witness in this
respect (cf.
I Cor
1 I :26). All of us experience this as
deeply troubling.
The second
principle
raises the
provocative question: Why
do we not do
together
what we can do
together?
While
recognizing
that rela- tions between Pentecostals and Catholics are a matter of a
growth progress,
what is possible at a later
stage
of growth may not be
possible at an earlier
stage. Many
Pentecostals and Catholics
may
not see some of our
suggestions
as
options
for
today.
But both need to know what doors can be
opened,
if not
today, perhaps
in the future. Above
all,
no one wants to close off either the
present
or future
inspiration
of the
Holy Spirit.
(128)
Some measure of common
prayer
seems
indispensable
for common witness. How can we witness
together,
if we have not
prayed together?
To
pray together
is
already
common witness. The Week
of Prayer for
Christian
Unity,
which is generally celebrated in January or before
Pentecost,
is a possibility. Pentecostals and Catholic charismatics already
share
profound experiences
in
prayer together.
There could be exchange
of pulpits related to non-eucharistic
worship
services. We can exchange films,
videos and
printed
materials which
explain
the faith but betray
no denominational animus.
34
other issues of
emergency
the
hungry, setting up lishing drug
gender discrimination,
euthanasia), promoting
urban
sible use
some
parts
of the
world,
45
and
peace, providing
(such
as abortion
and
housing
for
already
collaborate with
there are still
many
(129)
We believe that Pentecostals and Catholics can
together
be proactive
in promoting values and
positive
actions in human
society.
In the
spirit
of Mt 25:
31-46,
we can stand
together against
sin in promot- ing
human
dignity
and social
justice. Though
with
changing
times
will
present themselves, currently
there are
many examples
the kinds of issues on which we can work
together.
We can
cooper- ate in such works as the
quest
for disarmament
relief for
refugees,
for victims of natural
disasters, feeding
educational
opportunities
for the
illiterate,
estab-
rehabilitation
programs
and
rescuing young
women and men from
prostitution.
We can work
together
to eliminate racial and
working
for the
rights
and
dignity
of
women, opposing offensively permissive legislation
and
and rural
development
the
poor, denouncing
violations of the environment and the
irrespon-
of both renewable and unrenewable natural resources. In
Pentecostals
Catholics on
many
of these issues and
others, yet
more
opportunities
for
cooperation, especially
in North America.
Why do we do
apart
what we can do
together?
This document comes out of our
experience of Dialogue
with one another over
twenty-five years
on a variety of
topics,
with
years
of focused discussions on
Evangelization, Proselytism
and Common Witness.
Strong
bonds of affection and trust between Pentecostals and Catholics in the
dialogue
have created an
atmosphere
in which differ- ences have been faced with
candor, even when
those differences seen
( l 30)
frustrating
experience
ering together astonishing integrity
to be irreconcilable. We
hope
that the text
conveys something
of the
and
rewarding
moments that have been
part
of our
experi- ence over the
years.
We also
hope
that the text will
help
readers to re-
what we ourselves
experienced, namely,
the
joy
of discov-
areas of agreement. But the text would lack
if it did not also offer to the reader the
opportunity
to re-expe- rience with us the shocks of the
gaps
between our
positions.
Still we hold dear the
unity
in diversity which exists
among
us and look forward to the
day
when we
may
work more
closely together despite
our dif-
In
reality,
what unites us is far
greater
than what divides us.
the road to that future is not
entirely
clear to us we are firm in our conviction that the
Spirit
is calling us to move
beyond
our
present divisions. We invite our readers to travel this road with us.
ferences. Though
35
46
APPENDIX 1
Only
those who attended the
Dialogue
in 1997 had a
part
in the final drafting
and
editing
of this
report. They
are indicated with an asterisk (*). Steering
Committee members are indicated with an
(s),
consultants with a (c), observers with an
(o),
and
paper presenters
with a
(P)
fol- lowing
the
year
in which
they
made a presentation.
Roman Catholic
Participants
*c Rev. Norbert
Baumert,
SJ
Frankfurt am
Main, Germany
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
*
Rev. Raniero
Cantalamessa,
OFM, Cap
Milan/Rome, Italy
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
.
*
Rev. John C.
Haughey,
SJ
Chicago, Illinois,
USA
. 1990, 1991, 1992P, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
*
Rev. Herve
Legrand,
OP
Paris,
France
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993P, 1994,1995, 1996,
1997
*s Rev. Kilian McDonnell, OSB
[co-chair 1990-1997]
Collegeville, Minnesota,
USA
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 199SP, 1996, 1997
Rev. Karl
M311er, SVD St. Augustin,
Germany 1990P, 1991P, 1992, 1993, 1994P
*c Dr. Donna Orsuto
Rome, Italy
1997
z
*s
Msgr.
John A. Radano
Vatican
City, Europe
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
36
47
s
Msgr.
Heinz-Albert Raem [co-secretary 1990-1996], Vatican
City, Europe
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996
.
(+ 1997)
*
Rev. John Redford
London, England
1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997
*
Sr. Helen
Rolfson,
OSF
Collegeville, Minnesota,
USA
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
*s Rev. Juan Usma Gomez
[co-secretary 1997]
Vatican
City, Europe
1996, 1997
_ .
‘
.
Pentecostal
Participants
o
Rev. Edith Blumhofer Assemblies of God Wheaton, Illinois,
USA 1991 1
.
o Rev. David Cole
Open
Bible Standard Church
Eugene Oregon
1993
Prof. Murl O. Dirksen Church of God
Cleveland, Tennessee,
USA 1993P
.
s
Rev. Justus du Plessis
[co-chair, 1990-1992,
emeritus
1992-1997] Apostolic
Faith Mission
Faerie
Glen,
South Africa
. 1990,1991,1992
Rev. Howard Ervin American
Baptist
Church Tulsa, Oklahoma,
USA 1990
.
37
48
Prof. Walter J. Hollenweger Swiss Reformed Church Krattigen,
Switzerland 1995P
s Rev. James. D. Jenkins
Church of God
Cleveland, Tennessee,
USA
1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
Prof.
Cheryl Bridges-Johns Church of God
Cleveland, Tennessee,
USA 1993, 1994, 1995
o Rev. Jackie Johns
Church of God
Cleveland, Tennessee,
USA
1995
.
*s Rev. Ronald A. N.
Kydd
[co-secretary, 1992-1997]
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
Keene, Ontario,
Canada
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
‘
o Rev. Steven J. Land
Church of God
Cleveland, Tennessee,
USA
1993, 1994
Rev.
Japie Lapoorta Apostolic
Faith Mission Kuils
River,
South Africa 1990, 1991, 1992
.
*
Rev.
Gary
B. McGee Assemblies of God Springfield, Missouri,
USA 1990P, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997
.
Rev. William W. Menzies Assemblies of God Baguio City, Philippines 1991P
.
38
49
Rev.
Francois
Moller Apostolic
Faith Mission Sandton,
South Africa 1990,1991,1992,1993,1995,1996
.
o
Prof. Karen C. Mundy Church of God
Cleveland, Tennessee,
USA 1993P, 1994
‘
*
Rev. Steve Overman
International Church of the
Foursquare Gospel Eugene, Oregon,
USA
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
‘
*
Ms. Marta Palma
Mision
Iglesia
Pentecostal Santiago, Chile/Geneva,
Switzerland 1993, 1994, 1997
‘
Rev. Coleman
Phillips
International Church of the
Foursquare Gospel Escondido, California, USA
1990,1991,1992
.
..
o
Rev. Luis Carlos Pinto
International Church of the
Foursquare Gospel Campinas,
Brazil
1991 1
,
‘
‘
Rev.
Raymond
M. Pruitt Church of God of
Prophecy Cleveland, Tennessee,
USA 1994, 1995, 1996
‘
*s Rev. Cecil M. Robeck Jr.
[treasurer, 1990-1992,
co-chair
1992-1997]
Assemblies of God
Pasadena, California,
USA
.
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994P, 995, 1996, 997
‘
.
s Rev.
Jerry
L.
Sandidge
[co-secretary 1990-1992]
Assemblies of God
Springfield, Missouri,
USA
1990 (+1992)
.
. ‘
.
.
39
50
o
Rev. Chris Stathis Church of God of
Prophecy Ano
Glyfada,
Greece 1991
Rev. Vinson
Synan
International Pentecostal Holiness Church Oklahoma
City, OK,
USA
1991 1
.
*
Rev. Del Tarr
Assemblies of God
Springfield, Missouri,
USA 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997
o
Rev. Paul Tinlin
Assemblies of God Schaumburg, Illinois,
USA 1991 1
.
o
Rev. Cees van der Laan Broederschap
van Pinkstergemeenten Doom,
The Netherlands 1991 1
Rev. Miroslav Volf
Croatian Pentecostal Church Osijek, Croatia/Pasadena,
California 1990,1991,1992,1993,1994
Rev. Everett Wilson Assemblies of God Costa
Mesa, California,
USA 1992P
.
*o Rev. Huibert
Zegwaart
Broederschap
van
Pinkstergemeenten
Doom,
The Netherlands
1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997
40
51
APPENDIX
2
Official Documents of the Catholic Church
SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL
.
Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church
.
[Lumen gentium]
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
[Gaudium
et
.
spes]
Decree on Ecumenism
.
[Unitatis redintegratio]
Decree on the
.
Apostolate of Lay People [Apostolicam actuositatem] Decree on the Church s
.
Missionary Activity [Ad gentes]
Declaration on
Religious Liberty [Dignitatis humanae]
.
POPE PAUL VI
· Evangelization
in the Modern
World, Apostolic
Exhortation [Evangelii nuntiandi]
SYNOD OF BISHOPS
Justice in the
World,
1971
[De
iarstitia in marndo)
41
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