Stone-Campbell Dialogue Addresses Issues of Global Mission

By Guthrie Veech and John Mills

Representatives of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Churches of Christ, and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ gathered in St. Louis June 8-10 for the 11th meeting of the Stone-Campbell Dialogue, an ongoing discussion intended to strengthen ties between the three “streams” of the 19th-century movement associated with Barton W. Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell. This session of the dialogue focused on global mission.

The event began with a Sunday evening worship service at First Christian Church of Florissant, Missouri, a 1,500-member congregation of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. Attending the service were some 200 people from congregations in the St. Louis area representing all three “streams.” Dr. Guthrie Veech, president of St. Louis Christian College (SLCC), was the featured speaker. All gathered together around the Lord’s table.

Sessions of the dialogue were held at SLCC.

Presentations on the nature of the global mission work within each of the three branches were presented by Monte Cox, professor of mission at Harding University; Doug Priest, executive director of Christian Missionary Fellowship; and, David Vargas, president of the Division of Overseas Ministries.

Cox and Priest both spoke of the growing interest among young people in the global mission of the church and of the growing awareness of a “wholistic” approach to missions. Vargas addressed the Disciples’ commitment to working with their sister churches overseas.

In discussion of these presentations, there was general affirmation that the three streams of the movement are growing in their vision and strategies related to the tasks of global mission and reaching the “unchurched,” while maintaining a strong commitment to Christian unity as a significant element in our witness. There was also agreement that overseas mission broadly includes the components of justice and compassion, as well as partnering in indigenous church planting, as a guiding principle in our work with churches both here in North America and around the world.

In follow-up to this meeting, a suggestion was made to explore the possibility of future sharing between the churches in their overseas mission.

The next Stone-Campbell Dialogue is set for March 29-31, 2009, in Lexington, Kentucky. It will be a time to highlight the 200th anniversary of the publication of the Declaration and Address (the beginning of the movement launched by Thomas Campbell in 1809) and to explore issuing a statement encouraging the future of the Stone-Campbell relationships in local congregations and communities.

In summarizing the importance of the meeting, Robert Welsh, ecumenical officer for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), said, “This dialogue continues to serve as an important meeting place for representatives of these three churches to reclaim our fundamental identity within the Stone-Campbell family as a people of unity. It also provides a space where stereotypes can be addressed, and misinformation corrected.”

 

 

Dr. Guthrie Veech is president of St. Louis Christian College.

John Mills serves with Remsen Christian Church, Medina, Ohio.