CHURCH UNITY GETS A BOOST

...It is already generating a lot of excitement as it will mark the official merger of the 75-million-strong WARC and the 12-million-strong REC after years of talks.

Church unity, described by many as one of the greatest items in God’s end-time agenda, got a boost recently as the two largest Reformed Church bodies in the world took a major step towards unification.

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC) on Wednesday launched a website (www.reformedchurches.org), which focuses on the schedule of activities that will happen before, during and after the creation of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC).

Although the meeting of the merger body, the Uniting General Council (UGC), is still more than a year away, it is already generating a lot of excitement as it will mark the official merger of the 75-million-strong WARC and the 12-million-strong REC after years of talks.

A Christian Post report recalled that the REC initiated the merger in July 2005 after seven years of bilateral talks with WARC. Things moved swiftly from then on with leaders of the two fellowships recommending ,less than six months later ,that the church bodies begin to take steps leading to the forming of a larger group to succeed both.

In March 2007, REC’s executive committee approved the idea of a new Reformed body, which will be the largest association of Reformed Churches in the world, later consolidating plans with WARC leaders in October 2008.

After the formalizing the merger at the upcoming gathering, June 18-28, 2010, the new Reformed body intends to invite movements, agencies and theological institutions of the Reformed movement to become affiliates of the group.

Aside from making the merger official, the joint gathering, titled "Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace," will address a range of issues, including Reformed identity, theology and communion, Christian community and ecumenical engagement, justice in the economy and on earth, worship and spiritual renewal, leadership development, gender justice, and empowerment of youth.

At the moment, more than 1,000 delegates, guests, volunteers and staff are expected to attend the meeting at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Women and youth will hold additional events just prior to the meeting.