Unity Workshop Held in Grand Rapids
Episcopal News Service. May 6, 1982 [82115]
The Rev. Joseph Clayton Neiman, Editor,The Western Michigan Churchman
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (DPS, May 6) -- It's hard to describe the 19th annual National Workshop on Christian Unity, which met here in April because it is a series of denominational workshops held in the same place at the same time rather than one large integrated teaching session.
Since 1970, the Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical Officers, the association of ecumenical officers in the Episcopal Church, and the National Association of Diocesan Ecumenical Officers, its counterpart in the Roman Catholic Church, have had an important role in developing the program for the Workshop, but now it has a central committee of its own and ecumenical officers from several other denominations are arranging their national meetings to meet in conjunction with the Workshop as well.
Grand Rapids was chosen as the site both to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, and to strengthen the ecumenical contacts with the Reformed Churches, since Grand Rapids and western Michigan are major centers for this denomination: i.e. two seminaries, three colleges and a large concentration of churches.
Reflecting those goals, the main ecumenical worship service was held at St, Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral with the Rev. Dr. Howard G. Hageman, President of the New Brunswick (Reformed) Seminary, preaching. The choir from the La Grave Avenue Christian Reformed Church led the music with a liturgical dance group from Aquinas (Roman Catholic) College providing some interpretation of both music and prayers.
Between denominational workshops and business meetings of their ecumenical leaders, plenary sessions were held for all participating to strengthen their Biblical understanding about Christian unity and to confront in an ecumenical perspective major issues of our day.
The Rev. Dr. Philip A. Potter, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, led the Bible studies around the 1982 theme for both the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and this 19th annual National Workshop on Christian Unity, i.e. "May All Find Their Home in You, O God" (Ps. 86).
An interesting note for Episcopalians currently engaged in the process of hymnal revision was the emphasis placed by Potter on music and songs as a bonding force for unity. He shared rich examples from his own experience, beginning in the West Indies where he was raised through many international ecumenical gatherings. Potter offered an international ecumenical song book, Cantate Domino, edited by his late wife, as a model for such efforts.
Regarding social issues, Potter emphasized the need for careful and prayerful study before the delegates from the over 300 World Council constituent churches gather at the Sixth Assembly of the Council in Vancouver July 24 to August 10, 1983.
The theme will be: "Jesus Christ -- the Life of the World." Potter stressed this will be a time for international sharing of progress made toward unity by the many converging statements on baptism, marriage and mutually recognized ministry, and a time for looking at the hard question of "how do we affirm life for a world in love with death and self-destruction?"
A service sponsored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Council gave participants at this Grand Rapids Workshop the opportunity to reflect upon one of history's most hideous examples of self-destruction: the attempt at genocide less than forty years ago in Nazi Germany.
The success or failure of the 19th annual National Workshop on Christian Unity can only be measured in individual, and perhaps denominational, terms. That it continues to meet each year and is well attended -- more than 450 registered in Grand Rapids -- is one indication the ecumenical movement is not only alive but quite vital.