The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), the World Council of Churches (WCC), and the Vatican’s Pontifical Council on Inter-religious Dialogue (PCID) have released what is being billed as ‘an historic document’ on the ethics of Christian mission – Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct (available here).
It is the result of a five-year collaboration of the WEA, WCC and the Vatican, who are together said to represent over 90 percent of the world’s total Christian population.
The document comes in three main parts:
• ‘A Basis for Christian Witness’ – laying out the biblical foundations for mission, asserting that Jesus is the example for Christians in witnessing to others, and outlining the church’s participation in God’s mission.
• ‘Principles’ – outlining 12 principles Christians are called to follow in witnessing to Christ in a manner consistent with the Gospel, including acting in God’s love, rejection of violence, mutual respect and solidarity.
• ‘Recommendations’ – to Christians, church bodies, mission organisations and agencies, including study of the document, building relationships of respect and trust with people of all religions, strengthening issues of identity and faith while at the same time deepening knowledge and understanding of different religions, advocating justice and respect for the common good, calling on governments and representatives to ensure religious freedom for all people, and praying for the well-being of neighbours.
The WEA also publish some comments from Geoff Tunnicliffe, Secretary General of the WEA, who claims that the document ‘is a valuable resource for church and ministry leaders for reflection and practice on how to best witness in ways faithful to the call of Christ and in line with the life and Spirit of Jesus’.
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