The World Council of Churches

According to Hinks, Methodists were usually more willing to place “the powerful God of Christianity… on the side of social and political justice.” One religious message that Walker conveys through this Appeal that supports this claim, was

The NSW Ecumenical Council formed in 1982 and consists of 16 churches throughout NSW and the Australian Capital Territory. The NSW Ecumenical Council is one of seven state/territory ecumenical councils in Australia, all of which are associated to the National Council of Churches. In the 1990s the NSW Ecumenical Council extended for the 11 dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in NSW and the Australian Capital Territory.

“What is a worldview? A worldview comprises one 's collection of presuppositions, convictions and values from which a person tries to understand and make sense out of the world and life. A worldview is a conceptual scheme by which we consciously or unconsciously place or fit everything we believe and by which we interpret and judge reality. A worldview is, first of all, an explanation and interpretation of the world and second, an application of this view to life.” (Dr. John MacArthur, May 2006).

The General Conference of the United Methodist Church voted in 1968 to abolish the African-American Central Jurisdiction and to merge all churches regardless of race under the new United Methodist Church. It set a goal for each Annual Conference area to merge together by 1972. South Carolina began discussions on merger as early as 1966, but it took until 1972 to accomplish the goal. The two conferences, the all-white 1785 Conference, and the African-American 1866 Conference merged at the 1972 Annual Conference meetings in Spartanburg. This paper will focus on the issues that faced the merger starting with the first Plan for Merger in 1970 until the completion of the merger in 1972.

“One has to consult the sayings of the Fathers of the Church, as well as other ancient writers. This helps us understand the historical changes which have occurred over the years. Reading the Fathers can give meaning to many of the rubrics, many of which are not carried out properly because of lack of understanding of their meaning”.

Church of the Brethren does not accept abortion. Participating in abortion is not support their beliefs. Church of the Brethren is a denomination that was formed to continue their practices their own way. They started as a small group and to this day still recruit new members. They solely use the New Testament as their source of guidance for the practice they preach. Rational Choice theory explains Church of the Brethren 's position in opposing abortion.

The topic of this paper is The Church Committee. When I first got the topic I was not sure what it was, but after I researched it I was very surprised. The Church Committee Report consists of 14 public reports. They were written in 1976 and 1975 when recommendations for reform were debated in congress and some cases were carried out. The reports contain information on the formation, operation, and the abuse of the US intelligence agencies. The six books covered committee writings on various topic investigated. There are seven volumes which contains public hearings and exhibits.

Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis emphasizes the two overarching principles that govern the practice of church and mission, that is: Being gospel centered and being community centered, where the content of our message is the gospel, and the context of our message the Christian community. Only when those principles are put into practice does the Word is carried away, with the mission of the church being carried out and the mission of the church of making relationships a priority is carried out.

In October 1927, the first ever North American Christian Convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was one of many conventions that was held at the time and are held still to this day. Throughout this time, the North American Christian Convention has grown and developed, but how did it all begin and how has history shaped it into becoming what it is today? Throughout this paper I will be discussing the different events and people, that shaped and molded the North American Christian Convention into what it is today.

The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II as it is often called, was an Ecumenical Council, (which means it affected the worldwide Christian community) of the Roman Catholic Church. It began on October 11, 1962 under, Pope John XXIII with over two thousand attendants (Hollis 23). The council ended on December 8, 1965, with Pope Paul VI presiding over the council due to the death of Pope John XXIII in 1963. The council consisted of four different sessions convening in the fall of the four years during which the council took place. Topics discussed and debated throughout the council were issues concerning the church, the liturgy, revelation and scripture, and the clergy.

As time constantly presses forward and the earth continues to revolve, the world will never stop progressing and adapting to better suit the needs of mankind. The evolution of religion has greatly enhanced the quality of life for humanity by providing individuals with a strong belief system that is now the foundation of many peoples’ core values. One universal religion that has undergone extensive amounts of reform is Christianity. In particular, the Catholic church is well-known for the development of their famous ecumenical council meetings that help determine the future of the church. Numerous Councils have been conducted throughout the course of history, but none more significant than the most recent, the Second Vatican Council or Vatican II. The Catholic church was operating as if it was still the medieval period and desperately needed to be modernized. As a result, every Roman Catholic Church official was gathered to meet and devise a plan for how to introduce the church to the modern world. Consequently, the following will reveal the Second Vatican Council and the ramifications of the agenda, history and theology evolution, significant texts, and new developments.

Following Jesus in America seems to be a very touchy subject in today’s time. Freedom of religion is practiced in America, and Americans are encouraged to practice whatever they choose. John Fea and Stephen Prothero debate the topics of America being founded as a Christian Nation and the idea of Jesus being followed in America. America was and is Christian, still, but was not founded on Christianity. Fea does not answer the question regarding America being founded as a Christian nation (Fea 245). Prothero gives some opinion about Jesus in America, but says Jesus is viewed different in the eyes of many Americans (Prothero 9). As much as I want to think that America was founded as a Christian nation, I cannot agree with it. The people who created the constitution may have had some Christian principals, but the constitution has no evidence of God in it. In the sense of Jesus, Americans do not follow Him in a certain way. Jesus is made out to be the person that suits anyone’s identity at his or her discretion.

The importance of Christian ecumenical movements and interfaith dialogue in Australia post World War II is of great significance to the broader Australian society. It plays a great role in uniting and celebrating the differences and recognising the similarities of the religions, as well as appreciating the uniqueness of the various religions. Ecumenism and interfaith dialogue have been an important feature due to a range of reasons including the abolishment of the White Australia Policy, the arrival of mass migration after WWII and the different ethical and religious views around Australia.

This was a fun assignment and I learned about the Christian Reformed Church (CRC). Although, I am not a Calvinist, the CRC’s position on the authority of the Bible appears to believe the same as me, that the Scriptures are sufficient and no other source is needed. However, there is mention of “Freedom of interpretation” that confuses me a bit. For this assignment I have broken down the CRC position sentences to dissect each major claim.

I believe we exist for one purpose. That purpose is to worship and reflect our Heavenly Father. He has given His instructions to us in the Bible. The Bible tells of how we are to administer the church, how we are to worship in the church and who is to have roles in the church.