Forging liaisons between neighbouring congregations is goal of Covenanting 2000

Giving visible witness to Christian unity is the goal of a number of Saskatoon churches which have joined themselves together in Covenanting 2000.

Rev. Walter Donovan, of Calvin Goforth Presbyterian Church, is an enthusiastic supporter of the Covenanting 2000 project. His church has been twinned with Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church for a two-year period.

Donovan is one of the eight church leaders and representatives who has signed the Covenanting 2000 pastoral letter encouraging local inter-church initiatives. It has also been signed by leaders and representatives of the Anglican Church of Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Mennonite Ministerial, Orthodox Church of America, Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Catholic Churches, and the United Church of Canada.
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Posted: May 16, 1998 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=6016
Categories: News • In this article: Christian unity, covenant, ecumenism, Saskatoon Transmis : 16 mai 1998 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=6016
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Christian unity, covenant, ecumenism, Saskatoon

Book Review: Margaret O’Gara, The Ecumenical Gift Exchange

I remember, as an MA student, reading one of Margaret O’Gara’s essays in Grail on petrine ministry and what she called “the ecumenical gift exchange.” Drawing a comparison to the exchange of gifts in a large family at Christmas, O’Gara says that “in ecumenical dialogue, each Christian communion brings one or many gifts to the dialogue table, and each receives riches from their dialogue partners as well. But in the ecumenical gift exchange, the gift-giving enriches all of the partners, since we do not lose our gifts by sharing them with others.” Throughout my own research and the past four years of ecumenical ministry I have kept this concept close at hand.

O’Gara’s new book The Ecumenical Gift Exchange collects her own essays exploring issues of contemporary ecumenical dialogue, particularly: petrine ministry; infallibility; authority and dissent; feminism, and of utmost importance: the process of reception itself. How does one church receive the gifts of another? What level of agreement is necessary? When does the dialogue move from talking to acting? How does dialogue lead to repentance and then to reception?

She points out, “In a sense, the entire ecumenical movement rests on the recognition of the need for repentance, a willingness to ask whether we have a beam in our own eye before we concern ourselves with the mote in the eye of the other.”
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Posted: November 15, 1998 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=6328
Categories: Catholic Register, Opinion • In this article: books, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, exchange of gifts Transmis : 15 novembre 1998 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=6328
Catégorie : Catholic Register, Opinion • Dans cet article : books, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, exchange of gifts

Mennonites and Catholics sit down to talk

For five days in October, seven Mennonites sat face-to-face with six Roman Catholics to discuss reasons for the centuries-long separation between the two churches. The meeting here on October 14-18 was held to promote better understanding of each others’ faith and to overcome long-standing prejudices.

This international consultation was sponsored by the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (Vatican City). Helmut Harder (Canada) and Joseph Martino (United States) chaired the meeting.
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Posted: December 7, 1998 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=6476
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, Mennonite, Mennonite World Conference Transmis : 7 décembre 1998 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=6476
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, Mennonite, Mennonite World Conference

Keeping Company: Evangelicals and Catholics Walk and Talk Together

Protestants and Catholics are working together more and more these days in Canada. Each believes it is the best expression of Christian faith, and each has often condemned the other’s teachings. Now some are trying to move beyond these criticisms and to forge limited new forms of cooperation, according to a series of articles in the May/June issue of Faith Today.

Gary Walsh, president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), visited the offices of the Catholic Bishops in Ottawa and found himself “thanking the Lord for the things we share in common.” Despite doctrinal differences between the two organizations, EFC is having regular contact and working closely with Catholics on public policy issues such as abortion, family life and euthanasia, according to the lead article by Harold Jantz, a consultant and project manager of church-related projects in Winnipeg.

Sr. Donna Geernaert, who speaks for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in Ottawa, observes that not only have Catholics and the EFC joined with one another for presentations to government, they’ve also coordinated their efforts so they could prepare complementary briefs.

George Vandervelde of Toronto, convener of the World Evangelical Fellowship‘s task force on ecumenical issues, believes that dialogue between evangelicals and Catholics is important “simply to understand one another and clarify how we are different and how we are similar.” He says we shouldn’t be bearing false witness against each other. “If in evangelicalism we say this or that against Roman Catholicism, we should know that we are speaking truth, and you can find that out only by speaking to one another.”
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Posted: May 1, 1999 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=4
Categories: Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue, News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, ecumenism, Evangelicals Transmis : 1 mai 1999 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=4
Catégorie : Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue, News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, ecumenism, Evangelicals

History in our own time: The Joint Declaration on Justification

“How are we saved?” This was the central question of the Protestant Reformation. Or, as Martin Luther phrased it: “How are we, as sinners, found righteous in the sight of a just God?” This is a question that has challenged Christians throughout our history, and has challenged our Hebrew brothers and sisters for even longer. The fact that we believe we will be saved is evident in our decision to come here today, for we all believe that God has offered us salvation. But why are we saved? Because we come here? Because we do our homework, say our prayers and try not to pick on our little brother?
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Posted: October 31, 1999 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=6258
Categories: Opinion • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, JDDJ, Lutheran World Federation, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity Transmis : 31 octobre 1999 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=6258
Catégorie : Opinion • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, JDDJ, Lutheran World Federation, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity

Good neighbours: now they’ve put it in writing

Good neighbours: McClure United and Holy Spirit congregations have always been close; now they’ve put it in writing If Covenant 2000 were a play, Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church and McClure United Church would be well into the second act. The two churches recently signed a formal ecumenical covenant, committing themselves to breaking down barriers
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Posted: February 26, 2000 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=6037
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, covenant, ecumenism, Saskatoon, United Church of Canada Transmis : 26 février 2000 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=6037
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, covenant, ecumenism, Saskatoon, United Church of Canada

Churches sign covenant agreement

EXCHANGE OF GIFTS — Gifts of identical chalices and patens are exchanged by Rev. Bernard de Margerie, left, of Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church, and Rev. Ron McConnell of McClure United. The exchange is symbolic of the yearning and hunger for full eucharistic communion and the commitment to the work and ministry of reconciliation and
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Posted: March 8, 2000 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, covenant, ecumenism, Saskatoon, United Church of Canada Transmis : 8 mars 2000 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, covenant, ecumenism, Saskatoon, United Church of Canada

Friendship draws two churches closer together

GIFT OF UNITY — The covenant banner features a rainbow that connects the logos of McClure United and Holy Spirit Roman Catholic parishes. By Andrea Ledding, Prairie Messenger SASKATOON — It was a Valentine in the form of a covenant signed by a Roman Catholic bishop, a United Church Presbytery chair, two local pastors and
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Posted: March 8, 2000 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, covenant, ecumenism, Saskatoon, United Church of Canada Transmis : 8 mars 2000 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, covenant, ecumenism, Saskatoon, United Church of Canada

Disciples / Roman Catholic dialogue explores evangelization

“Evangelization” was the major focus of a May 18-24 meeting of the 16-member Disciples of Christ-Roman Catholic International Dialogue Commission which gathered at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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Posted: May 30, 2000 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=13
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, Disciples of Christ, ecumenism, evangelism/evangelization Transmis : 30 mai 2000 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=13
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, Disciples of Christ, ecumenism, evangelism/evangelization

Rite proposal stirs passion

The United Church has dropped an attempt to substitute gender-neutral language for “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” in the baptism rite — a proposed change that caused concern among the church’s ecumenical partners, including the Anglican Church. About 100 groups and congregations last fall were asked their opinions of various new forms of the rite, said Fred Graham, liturgical officer for the United Church. The church is developing a new worship book, Celebrate God’s Presence. Conservatives, however, did not care for the changes — as Mr. Graham put it, “that sector in our church rose up” against alternate wording. Others felt, he said, that inclusive language was to be encouraged. At the same time, the United Church’s General Council Executive, which rules on matters of doctrine and faith, decided that such a fundamental change would need to be put to a church-wide vote.
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Posted: September 15, 2000 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=6467
Categories: Anglican Journal • In this article: baptism, Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, Trinity, United Church of Canada Transmis : 15 septembre 2000 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=6467
Catégorie : Anglican Journal • Dans cet article : baptism, Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, Trinity, United Church of Canada