CCT is formally launched in Pasadena; Stresses evangelism and an end to poverty

Download this Press Release and Statement on Poverty 70KB

Christian Churches Together Statement on Poverty

Pasadena, Calif., February 9, 2007 – A consensus on the importance of evangelism and the need to eliminate domestic poverty marked the official formation of Christian Churches Together (CCT) meeting here February 6-9.

The CCT is composed of 36 churches and national organizations from virtually all U.S. Christian groups who have been seeking to come together for fellowship, worship and opportunities to share in important ministries.

“Remember that you belong to God and God does not belong to you,” said the Rev. Dr. Larry Pickens, quoting his mother’s early admonition. That, said Pickens, is the wisdom that will hold CCT groups together.

“CCT is good news for American Christians,” said the very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky of the Orthodox Church in America. “Our gathering of the wider spectrum of U.S. Christian churches is succeeding in building mutual trust and overcoming stereotypes. Our common hope and expectation is that CCT will enable our churches to offer a strong and united Christian moral voice and vision in the public square.”

Christian Churches Together (CCT) began in 2001 out of a deeply felt need to broaden and expand fellowship, unity, and witness among the diverse expressions of Christian faith today. Over the past five years, with a focus on praying together and building relationships, CCT has become the broadest most inclusive fellowship of Christian churches and traditions in the USA, including Evangelical/Pentecostal, Orthodox, Catholic, historic Protestant and Racial/Ethnic churches among its participants.

A Celebration and Commitment Service Wednesday highlighted the gathering that included over 150 participants and observers and a group of seminary students and young leaders. The 36 founding members includes the most recent groups to become official participants in CCT: the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America were warmly welcomed. Other groups are currently investigating membership, said the Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson of the Reformed Church in America, chair of the CCT steering committee.

“Seeing the leaders of all the participating churches and organizations standing and praying together in their commitment to this vision was a powerful, visible sign of hope,” Granberg-Michaelson said. “We have said from the beginning that our purpose is to grow closer together in Christ in order to strengthen our Christian witness in the world. In Pasadena we all experienced how this is truly happening and this fills us with joy for the future.”

Evangelism and the need to eliminate poverty in the U.S. were major topics at the meeting.

Dr. William Shaw of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., declared that poverty in the United States to be a "scandal."

Poverty "will not be redressed without intentional and painful effort by the total U.S. community," Shaw said. "CCT calls the country's conscience to that effort and commits itself to being a part of that redressing."

CCT participants continued discussions from the 2006 annual gathering in Atlanta on the topic of domestic poverty. A committee was appointed in Atlanta to find common ground and propose ways for CCT to challenge U.S. Christians and the whole country to address the tragedy of poverty in our own neighborhoods. CCT considered the committee’s proposals and approved a statement on poverty while agreeing to continue addressing domestic poverty in the future, including a strong focus at the 2008 annual gathering in Washington, D.C.

Click here for the text of the statement on poverty.

The discussion on evangelism Wednesday was made open to a group of seminary students and young leaders “so that they might learn about the exciting movement for unity in the CCT as well as adding their challenges and perspectives,” Granberg-Michaelson said. The group of students represented the diversity of the five faith families of the CCT. “Their excitement and contributions were welcomed and CCT leadership expects to look for ways to include these perspectives in the future,” Granberg-Michaelson said.

Further enhancing the learning and fellowship of the gathering, worship services included liturgies from all of the five faith families and musical contributions from a Korean choir of pastor’s wives. At the invitation of His Eminence, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, CCT participated in Evening Prayer and dinner at the Armenian Orthodox Center of Los Angeles on Thursday. Prayer and meal fellowship adds to the formal discussions in creating the CCT movement and building relationships.

For the first entire day of the gathering, participants addressed the theme, “Is Jesus’ Proclamation Our Proclamation?”, responding to Luke 4:18. Participants in CCT discussed evangelism in their church and faith family contexts and how evangelism shapes or includes actions towards social justice and the healing of the deep hurts in our world.

Bishop Stephen Blaire, Catholic Diocese of Stockton, noted that one of the common threads discovered in this day-long discussion was an understanding that evangelism is rooted in personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Shared learning is a crucial part of the fellowship of the CCT. As each family shared some history, perspectives and practices related to evangelism with vulnerability and humility, the other churches listened intently. Participants wrestled with the challenge to consider future cooperative possibilities while recognizing and affirming the common efforts and cooperation that already exists on many levels.

The service of celebration and commitment included words of welcome from Cardinal Roger Mahoney of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Rev. Dr. Barbara Anderson, co-pastor of Pasadena Presbyterian Church, host of the service. The Coptic Orthodox Choir of the Diocese of Los Angeles and other musical contributions complimented scriptural readings and words from the five presidents on the importance of joining this movement for Christian unity.

Bishop James Leggett of the International Pentecostal Holiness church proclaimed that we must follow Jesus in his prayer “That all might be one.” Along with Dr. Shaw, Rev. Pickens, Bishop Leggett and Father Kishkovsky, Bishop Richard Sklba of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (representing Cardinal William Keeler of the Archdiocese of Baltimore) joined together as the presidents of the five faith families of CCT and, in a symbolic action of lighting candles, committed “to grow closer together in Christ in order to strengthen our Christian witness in the world.”

Media and press inquiries may be directed to:
Philip E. Jenks, pjenks@councilofchurches.org 212-870-2228
Jean Stromberg, jsstromber@aol.com
Sharon van Gelderen, svangelderen@rca.org