Let us not deceive ourselves by our ecumenical enthusiasm. Let’s look at the total picture before we decide to enter into any union with a church that holds membership in the wee and the NCC.
One of the decisions taken by the Conference of e RC and RCA delegates at the meeting in Holland. Michigan on October 31–November 2 was “that all the churches of our denominations hold special services on or about April 8, 1973, whether jointly or otherwise, for the promotion of closer fellowship, cooperation and denominational unity.”
Before our two denominations become serious about possible merger, it would be well to consider some rather serious differences that keep us apart, and have kept us apart these more than one hundred years since our separation in 1857. One of these differences is the fact that the RCA is a full participating member in both the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches. To enter into a union with the RCA means to take her as she is, memberships included. Whereas the CRC has consistently maintained that membership in the WCC and NCC is not consistent with the Scriptures, it is well to take a good look at this very real possibility. It would be tragic indeed if our denomination closes the front door to membership in these organizations, and then opens the back door to such membership by way of union with the RCA.
One thing that ought to caution the CRC against closer unity with the RCA is the ramifications of such union. One such ramification is membership in the WCC and NCC. To understand correctly what such membership means and entails we should look critic· ally and carefully at the Constitutional Basis of the World Council of Churches. In that way we can find out precisely what the WCC and NCC state as their own basis for membership in their councils. The NCC is for all practical purposes the American arm of the WCC. They have separate constitutions, to be sure, but their aims and purposes are of one piece. Therefore if we concentrate on the stated Basis of the WCC, we can see what membership in these organizations would imply.
The Basis for the WCC as set forth originally in Amsterdam in 1948, and revised in New Delhi in 1961 states, “The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of Churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as Cod and Savior according to the Scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Superficially observed, this Basis for the WCC is rather acceptable. However, we ought to notice several things about this statement which definitely make it unacceptable to the CRC in particular, and to all Bible believing Christians in general.
1. The WCC first of all deliberately does not define what this Basis means. It states that all churches that accept this statement are eligible for membership. But then, in an amazing statement of double-talk, it goes on to describe what this Basis really amounts to. In a pamphlet distributed by the World Council entitled, “Questions and Answers about the World Council of Churches,” we read, “The Basis is not a confession of faith, but an affirmation of belief which defines the nature of the Council and the limits of the unity it expresses . . . . The Council does not pass judgment upon the sincerity with which its member churches accept its Basis, but it reminds them that without full and sincere acceptance membership would be meaningless.”
Now this statement regarding the Basis is as subtle and ambiguous a statement as can be found. This explanation about the Basis states that the WCC is not really interested how any of the churches that form the WCC interpret the Basis. Any way that a given church takes the Basis is, as far as the WCC is concerned, acceptable. It will not pass judgment on that. Thus a church that denies the deity of Christ, or the Scriptures, both found in the Basis, could still hold to the Basis by a sort of mental reservation regarding both these points. And the Council states that if that is the way some church wants to take the Basis, that is strictly up to that Church. The WCC is not going to pass judgment on how the churches interpret its Basis. What good then is the Basis with its apparent orthodox phrases, if in fact a church can deny the truths without criticism from the WCC?
2. A second problem with this Basis of the WCC is, of course. its great brevity. The statement that serves as the doctrinal basis for the WCC is only one sentence, and not a long one at that. Is there any reason for this undue brevity? Of course there is a reason. It is that this Basis is the only common denominator that could be accepted by all the churches that are involved in the Council. There is no mention of the great truths of Scripture which our fathers fought to uphold and died to defend, such as: the vicarious atonement of Christ on the cross, the bodily resurrection of Christ, the nature of the Scriptures as the Word of God, and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And it is perfectly obvious why these doctrines are not included. The reason is that too many churches objected to the inclusion of these doctrines as the basis for unity. Ecumenism that is based on such a foundation is a travesty of the name. Those who call for such ecumenism, and base their call on the prayer of Christ in John 17, have no understanding of the nature of truth.
3. The third problem with this Basis is really the heart of the objection that we as a CRC must raise to joining the WCC, NCC, or the RCA itself, which would involve such membership. And that is what membership in the WCC would involve. According to the Basis, membership involves an entering into a “fellowship of churches.” We have to be very clear as to the meaning of “fellowship,” which defines what membership in the WCC is all about. The Bible is very clear in its definition of what fellowship is. Perhaps the clearest statement of such fellowship is found in the first epistle of John. In I John 1:6, 7 we read, “If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” John says here that there can be no fellowship with God on the part of those who are walking in darkness.
Now as we have seen, the Basis that the WCC drew up is worded so as to leave room for any interpretation of what it means that Jesus Christ is God and Savior; it further is so worded as to carefully avoid any offense to those who deny the very truths which ought to be found in the statement that Jesus Christ is God and Savior. Those who are able to maintain this Basis do so at the risk of denying the great truths of Scripture as they are brought to bear upon the Person and Work of Christ. For the same statement that one holds as true is denied by another, and yet both can be found equally well within the context of the World Council.
It is obvious therefore that those who deny the truth of Scripture regarding God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, are not walking in fellowship with God. We cannot then have fellowship with them according to I John 1. On the other hand, John says that the only kind of fellowship that is permissible is a fellowship that is based on belief in the forgiveness of sins through the atonement of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Let us ask ourselves in all honesty: Does the WCC say anything about that kind of basis for fellowship? Does it speak about the atonement of Jesus Christ to take away the sins of those who believe in him?
Those then who advocate our membership in the WCC, whether it be through the front door directly, or the back door by way of unity with the RCA, should consider what the wee itself considers membership to be. It is not simply a place where ideas and differences are discussed. The WCC defines membership as a fellowship among churches. And when we talk about fellowship, we are talking about more than discussion. We are talking about what the Bible means by fellowship, namely holding in common to the Scriptures and all that they infallibly teach. That kind of fellowship cannot be maintained by the e RC with the WCC.
When we therefore think about unity with the RCA, let us not forget what that involves. And one of the things it involves is membership in the World Council of Churches. Such membership means what the WCC itself claims it means. Let us not deceive ourselves by our ecumenical enthusiasm. Let’s look at the total picture before we decide to enter into any union with a church that holds membership in the WCC and the NCC.
Henry B. Vanden Heuvel is pastor of the Bethel Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center, Iowa.
One of the decisions taken by the Conference of e RC and RCA delegates at the meeting in Holland. Michigan on October 31–November 2 was “that all the churches of our denominations hold special services on or about April 8, 1973, whether jointly or otherwise, for the promotion of closer fellowship, cooperation and denominational unity.”
Before our two denominations become serious about possible merger, it would be well to consider some rather serious differences that keep us apart, and have kept us apart these more than one hundred years since our separation in 1857. One of these differences is the fact that the RCA is a full participating member in both the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches. To enter into a union with the RCA means to take her as she is, memberships included. Whereas the CRC has consistently maintained that membership in the WCC and NCC is not consistent with the Scriptures, it is well to take a good look at this very real possibility. It would be tragic indeed if our denomination closes the front door to membership in these organizations, and then opens the back door to such membership by way of union with the RCA.
One thing that ought to caution the CRC against closer unity with the RCA is the ramifications of such union. One such ramification is membership in the WCC and NCC. To understand correctly what such membership means and entails we should look critic· ally and carefully at the Constitutional Basis of the World Council of Churches. In that way we can find out precisely what the WCC and NCC state as their own basis for membership in their councils. The NCC is for all practical purposes the American arm of the WCC. They have separate constitutions, to be sure, but their aims and purposes are of one piece. Therefore if we concentrate on the stated Basis of the WCC, we can see what membership in these organizations would imply.
The Basis for the WCC as set forth originally in Amsterdam in 1948, and revised in New Delhi in 1961 states, “The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of Churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as Cod and Savior according to the Scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Superficially observed, this Basis for the WCC is rather acceptable. However, we ought to notice several things about this statement which definitely make it unacceptable to the CRC in particular, and to all Bible believing Christians in general.
1. The WCC first of all deliberately does not define what this Basis means. It states that all churches that accept this statement are eligible for membership. But then, in an amazing statement of double-talk, it goes on to describe what this Basis really amounts to. In a pamphlet distributed by the World Council entitled, “Questions and Answers about the World Council of Churches,” we read, “The Basis is not a confession of faith, but an affirmation of belief which defines the nature of the Council and the limits of the unity it expresses . . . . The Council does not pass judgment upon the sincerity with which its member churches accept its Basis, but it reminds them that without full and sincere acceptance membership would be meaningless.”
Now this statement regarding the Basis is as subtle and ambiguous a statement as can be found. This explanation about the Basis states that the WCC is not really interested how any of the churches that form the WCC interpret the Basis. Any way that a given church takes the Basis is, as far as the WCC is concerned, acceptable. It will not pass judgment on that. Thus a church that denies the deity of Christ, or the Scriptures, both found in the Basis, could still hold to the Basis by a sort of mental reservation regarding both these points. And the Council states that if that is the way some church wants to take the Basis, that is strictly up to that Church. The WCC is not going to pass judgment on how the churches interpret its Basis. What good then is the Basis with its apparent orthodox phrases, if in fact a church can deny the truths without criticism from the WCC?
2. A second problem with this Basis of the WCC is, of course. its great brevity. The statement that serves as the doctrinal basis for the WCC is only one sentence, and not a long one at that. Is there any reason for this undue brevity? Of course there is a reason. It is that this Basis is the only common denominator that could be accepted by all the churches that are involved in the Council. There is no mention of the great truths of Scripture which our fathers fought to uphold and died to defend, such as: the vicarious atonement of Christ on the cross, the bodily resurrection of Christ, the nature of the Scriptures as the Word of God, and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And it is perfectly obvious why these doctrines are not included. The reason is that too many churches objected to the inclusion of these doctrines as the basis for unity. Ecumenism that is based on such a foundation is a travesty of the name. Those who call for such ecumenism, and base their call on the prayer of Christ in John 17, have no understanding of the nature of truth.
3. The third problem with this Basis is really the heart of the objection that we as a CRC must raise to joining the WCC, NCC, or the RCA itself, which would involve such membership. And that is what membership in the WCC would involve. According to the Basis, membership involves an entering into a “fellowship of churches.” We have to be very clear as to the meaning of “fellowship,” which defines what membership in the WCC is all about. The Bible is very clear in its definition of what fellowship is. Perhaps the clearest statement of such fellowship is found in the first epistle of John. In I John 1:6, 7 we read, “If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” John says here that there can be no fellowship with God on the part of those who are walking in darkness.
Now as we have seen, the Basis that the WCC drew up is worded so as to leave room for any interpretation of what it means that Jesus Christ is God and Savior; it further is so worded as to carefully avoid any offense to those who deny the very truths which ought to be found in the statement that Jesus Christ is God and Savior. Those who are able to maintain this Basis do so at the risk of denying the great truths of Scripture as they are brought to bear upon the Person and Work of Christ. For the same statement that one holds as true is denied by another, and yet both can be found equally well within the context of the World Council.
It is obvious therefore that those who deny the truth of Scripture regarding God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, are not walking in fellowship with God. We cannot then have fellowship with them according to I John 1. On the other hand, John says that the only kind of fellowship that is permissible is a fellowship that is based on belief in the forgiveness of sins through the atonement of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Let us ask ourselves in all honesty: Does the WCC say anything about that kind of basis for fellowship? Does it speak about the atonement of Jesus Christ to take away the sins of those who believe in him?
Those then who advocate our membership in the WCC, whether it be through the front door directly, or the back door by way of unity with the RCA, should consider what the wee itself considers membership to be. It is not simply a place where ideas and differences are discussed. The WCC defines membership as a fellowship among churches. And when we talk about fellowship, we are talking about more than discussion. We are talking about what the Bible means by fellowship, namely holding in common to the Scriptures and all that they infallibly teach. That kind of fellowship cannot be maintained by the e RC with the WCC.
When we therefore think about unity with the RCA, let us not forget what that involves. And one of the things it involves is membership in the World Council of Churches. Such membership means what the WCC itself claims it means. Let us not deceive ourselves by our ecumenical enthusiasm. Let’s look at the total picture before we decide to enter into any union with a church that holds membership in the WCC and the NCC.
Henry B. Vanden Heuvel is pastor of the Bethel Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center, Iowa.