Can the Church Unite?

Is it possible to gain unity within the worldwide Church, or will Jesus’ prayer forever go unanswered? A new initiative believes it is possible, and is seeking to strengthen the unity of the Church. The Salvation Army embraces this call to unity and has provided its own unique perspective on what it means to be part of the Church.

Imagine a world where the thousands of Christian communities joined together for one purpose: to proclaim Jesus Christ to the earth. Imagine the unstoppable force for good that such a united Church could be.

Imagine how different humanity might look if the worldwide Church really, truly, came together to expand God’s Kingdom on earth.

Perhaps it sounds like a dream that is so outrageous, it could never possibly be realised. Yet, there was one who dared to dream it. The night before he was put to death, Jesus prayed these remarkable words:

I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you …  Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:20–23).

Yet, Jesus’ prayer is still to be answered. Is it even possible to unite the entire Church?

The World Council of Churches (WCC) believes it is, indeed, possible. It recently published a document called The Church—Towards a Common Vision, which aims to set out common ground within the diversity of the Church.

‘While not formally affiliated with the WCC, The Salvation Army places itself firmly within the broader worldwide Church,’ says Colonel Willis Howell, chief secretary for The Salvation Army, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory. ‘This document is a timely reminder that as one Church we should focus more on what unites us as opposed to differences that divide us.’

The Salvation Army has made a response to The Church paper, approved by the General, through the International Theological Council. It describes the initiative as a ‘movement towards unity which acknowledges diversity’.

The Salvation Army describes the worldwide Church as ‘all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, confessing him as Saviour and Lord, and witnessing to that sacred commitment through loving mutual submission and sacrificial service.’

In this way, the core belief of the universal Church is also the heartbeat of The Salvation Army.

‘We are the salvation army, and the conviction that transformation is at the heart of the Gospel message is fundamental to our faith,’ says The Salvation Army response. ‘The imperative to offer hope and healing to a wounded and divided world is a fundamental motivation, from daily activities of the smallest local corps (churches), to the strategic planning of International Headquarters.’

The Army welcomes the statement that ‘legitimate diversity in the life of communion is a gift from the Lord’. However, it questions what would be constituted as ‘legitimate’—pointing out that the Army’s lack of formal sacraments may not be considered acceptable by some churches.

‘The conviction that sacramental living and the possibility of a holy life do not require the institution of formal sacraments may be seen by some to be divisive, or disqualifying. The question of who decides upon the legitimacy of diversity is significant.

‘We are a sacramental community because our life, our work, and our celebrations centre on Christ, the one true Sacrament. Our life together is sacramental because we live by faith in him and our everyday lives reveal and offer unexpected grace, his undeserved gift, again and again.

We also recognise that God uses human beings to bring grace to each other. In a similar way to the prophets and apostles, all believers are called to speak on behalf of God by their words and through their lifestyle. The call to holiness of life is a call to sacramental living—demonstrating the grace of God in the ordinary.

We believe that our calling into sanctity without sacraments is not a contradiction of the ways of other churches, but is something beautiful for Christ, to be held in creative tension with the equally beautiful but very different practices of other denominations. In the overall economy of God there is no inherent contradiction, but there are creative paradoxes.’

The Salvation Army affirms the central importance of proclaiming ‘to all people the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ’. Where The Salvation Army may take its particular place in the body of Christ is in its proclamation of the gospel in both word and deed.

‘The responsibility of the Church to proclaim words of hope and comfort stands alongside an obligation to offer practical assistance, and to become a voice for the voiceless, to stand in solidarity with those who suffer, and to care for the marginalised. All of these find resonance in Salvation Army history, current practice, and in a Salvationist understanding of what it means to be the people of God in, and for, the world.’

When churches collaborate to meet human and spiritual need, we begin to demonstrate the unity that we are seeking.

‘The final destiny of the Church is to be caught up in the communion of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, to be part of the new creation, praising and rejoicing in God forever. Until that time, it is called, in unity, to share in the mission of God to bring reconciliation and transformation to the world,’ sums up the Army response.

But it concludes with a final challenge: ‘Unity will only become a reality when each of the churches learn to recognise our own brokenness and, through the Holy Spirit, open our hearts and minds to a new and creative way forward with the whole people of God.’

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by Ingrid Barratt (c) 'War Cry' magazine, 11 June 2016, pp9-11
You can read 'War Cry' at your nearest Salvation Army church or centre, or subscribe through Salvationist Resources.

What we believe

Main points from The Salvation Army’s response to ‘The Church’—a document aiming to bring closer unity to the worldwide Church.

• The universal church includes all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, confess him as saviour and live that commitment through service.
• Unity acknowledges diversity, and sees it as a gift from God.
• The heart of the Army is missional, with an obligation to ‘offer hope and healing to a wounded and divided world.’ The imperative to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to all people is central to the Army.
• The Army believes that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of faith and practice.
• Service belongs to the very being of the Church—central to evangelism is caring for the marginalised and being a ‘voice for the voiceless’.
• Hierarchy within The Salvation Army is structural, rather than theological. We believe that ‘all people are called to ministry, exercised according to each individual’s particular calling, gifts and graces.’
• When working with secular authorities the Army must ensure it continues to speak out against injustice. ‘Collusion’ at the cost of justice may be part of ‘the brokenness of the church in the present age’.
• The Salvation Army can learn from other churches, and sees benefit from understanding the implications of corporate sin, corporate holiness and collective responsibility.
• The Army may be able to add to unity by mediating between churches effectively, as it is often seen as ‘different’.
• The Army places itself firmly within the universal church and embraces the opportunity for closer unity with other parts of Christ’s body.