Analysis Of Common Witness To The World Of Kingdom Of God
held from 17-21March that focused on simple living, stewardship, creation, poverty and wealth, new community, personal life-style, international development, justice and politics, and evangelism, and touched precisely on God’s preferential option for the poor, divine judgement on oppressors, the Christian support for change in political structures. During these two conferences the prophetic voice was united with the evangelistic task of the church in the world.
4.4. Common Witness to the Coming of Kingdom of God, CWME, Melbourne 1980
In 1980 an important joint consultation was held between RCC and WCC under the theme “Christian Witness-Common Witness” which had influenced the CWME conference in Melbourne. After much criticism received at …show more content…
It continued the vision of Nairobi to reconcile church-centric mission with mission in and to the world. Despite some of the allegations that Melbourne did not mention proclamation of the Kingdom of God, the Report III said that
The proclamation of the word of God is one such witness, distinct and indispensable. The story of God in Christ is the heart of all evangelism, and this story has to be told, for the life of the present church never fully reveals the love and holiness and power of God in Christ.
Despite its emphasis on common witness in evangelism, it received mixed responses as some Evangelicals welcomed it as a renewed interest in evangelism, and others expressed their disappointment saying that there is no concern for unevangelized and un-churched people of the world. A Roman Catholic observer felt that both Pattaya of Evangelicals and Melbourne of Ecumenicals missed the opportunities as Melbourne’s categories of rich vs. poor and oppressors vs. oppressed as simplistic. Melbourne gave a marginal recognition to evangelism and focused on the poor in relation to the Kingdom, and the place of poor in Scripture and in God’s economy should find a welcome emphasis among Evangelicals. Melbourne made clear that the Kingdom of God is the goal and purpose of Christian mission and every Christian is called to common witnessing in the
4.4. Common Witness to the Coming of Kingdom of God, CWME, Melbourne 1980
In 1980 an important joint consultation was held between RCC and WCC under the theme “Christian Witness-Common Witness” which had influenced the CWME conference in Melbourne. After much criticism received at …show more content…
It continued the vision of Nairobi to reconcile church-centric mission with mission in and to the world. Despite some of the allegations that Melbourne did not mention proclamation of the Kingdom of God, the Report III said that
The proclamation of the word of God is one such witness, distinct and indispensable. The story of God in Christ is the heart of all evangelism, and this story has to be told, for the life of the present church never fully reveals the love and holiness and power of God in Christ.
Despite its emphasis on common witness in evangelism, it received mixed responses as some Evangelicals welcomed it as a renewed interest in evangelism, and others expressed their disappointment saying that there is no concern for unevangelized and un-churched people of the world. A Roman Catholic observer felt that both Pattaya of Evangelicals and Melbourne of Ecumenicals missed the opportunities as Melbourne’s categories of rich vs. poor and oppressors vs. oppressed as simplistic. Melbourne gave a marginal recognition to evangelism and focused on the poor in relation to the Kingdom, and the place of poor in Scripture and in God’s economy should find a welcome emphasis among Evangelicals. Melbourne made clear that the Kingdom of God is the goal and purpose of Christian mission and every Christian is called to common witnessing in the