Modern Models of Church (Inter-Church) Unity

1. Mission-field Unity. Mission-field unity is seen where mission boards agree to divide geographic or ethnographic mission fields to work in harmony and not in competition with each other. For instance, in North-East India, Baptist and Presbyterian mission boards divided areas of operation to effectively do missions. Thus, while we have the Garo Baptist Churches, we have the Khasi-Jaintia Presbyterian Churches in Meghalaya, because while the Baptist missionaries went to Garo Hills, the Presbyterians came to the Khasi-Jaintia Hills. Similar is the case where in Mizoram, Baptists and Presbyterians agreed upon the North and the South of Mizoram as separate mission fields between themselves.

2. Ecumenical Denominational Unity (Church Union). This occurs when various denominations merge into one denomination or organized Christian church. The Church of South India is an example of this model. "It came into being by a union of Anglican and Protestant churches in South India. It combined the South India United Church (union of the Congregationalists and the Presbyterians); the then 14 Anglican Dioceses of South India and one in Sri Lanka; and the South Indian District of the Methodist church. With a membership of over four million, it is India's second largest Christian church after the Catholic Church in India." (Wiki)

3. Fellowships, Ecumenical Councils, and Alliances. These are churches and denominations that come together through fellowships, councils, and alliances. Examples are the World Council of Churches, Pentecostal World Fellowship, World Evangelical Alliance, and Global Christian Forum.

4. Ministerial Unity. This is the most significant form of modern Christian unity, in which often the involvement of church leaders, boards, and organizational presence is minimal. This is unity in which individual Christians leap across human-created labels for spiritual profit, for ministerial support, for missions, for worship, for Christian arts, entertainment, and business, and for prayer. It occurs when, for the individual, denominational affiliation of the Christian minister, artist, or business matters less and the ministry and products matter more. Thus, one may buy Christmas cards and Christian movies from stores without inquiring if the business is Catholic, Presbyterian, or Baptist. Here, one may consult commentaries written by Baptists and Anglicans and use quotes from Catholics and stories from the Quakers while preaching to a Charismatic congregation. People of God pray for each other across nations united under the name of only the Lord Jesus Christ. People of God support charity ministries, evangelistic ministries, and teaching ministries with money and goods that they wish to give to the work of God. In this model, being Christian precedes the human labels. In this model, songs written by spiritual men and women of God are sung by believers in all churches through out the world. As they come together, they do not care about the labels.

"There is one body and one Spirit... one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Eph.4:4-6)

Poll Results: Are all Mission Fields Harvest Fields?

On Monday, April 30, I started a poll on the following question: Jesus said: "The fields are ripe for harvest... I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." (Jn 4:35,38) DOES IT APPLY 2 NON-JUDEO LANDS AS WELL? They don't need preparation and sowing? Rather, they are as equally ripe for harvest as Judea-Samaria was because of previous labor by somebody (local indigenous religions and prophets!)? A total of 18 votes were cast with the following main results: YES = 9 I believe it wherever the gospel is preached and people respond. = 5 NO = 1 I'M NOT SURE = 0 One Scholar responded saying: "I think God's Spirit is at work with all people all the time through various way, and sundry ways as Hebrews says. hence they are ready for harvest... but the church is too slow to go." A Pastor responded saying: "I do believe that even in the remotest areas, the fields are alread...

Rocketing Prices Make Vegetables and Fruits a Luxury in India

Prices of agro-products soar higher in India, making fruits and vegetables almost a luxury. The Times of India reports: "The price of almost every vegetables except onion and potato has gone up to 25 to 30 per cent in the wholesale market and retail price staggering up to 45 to 50 per cent. A random market survey revealed an increase in the price of spinach to Rs 40-45 from Rs 10-15 kg a few days back. "The price of tomato has gone up to Rs 55-60 from Rs 40 a kg and capsicum to Rs 60-80 from Rs 40 per kg at the start of this month. The price of onion has gone up to Rs 20 from Rs 15-18 per kg but still remained steady in the market. "Variation between the wholesale prices and retail prices is staggering between 25%-30%." (Lucknow: July 17, 2009). Lauki (bottle gourd) went from being Rs. 7-10 per kg to Rs. 40 per kg. The price of lentils has shot up to Rs. 85 per kg from Rs. 40-45 per kg. The saying "dal bhat ab ameeron ka khana hei" (lentils and rice are n...

Three Divisions of Philosophical Theology

Also discussed as "God of the Rationalist or God of the Empiricists " at Philpapers.org Philosophical theology can be basically divided into three classes: Rationalist theology, Empirical theology, and Intermediate Theology. Rationalist Theology includes isms such as monism (e.g. Parmenides and Zeno) and non-dualism (Advaitins of India) whose assertions are usually supported by arguments that rationally dismiss experience as false and irrational. This they do with reference to ultimate concepts such as unity, necessity, infinity, immutability, and transcendence (none of which can be predicated of the things of experience). Thus, God becomes the "wholly other" transcendent reality that can only be talked about via negativa. Empirical Theology, on the other hand, is quite the opposite of the previous. It actually brings religion down to the earth. The gods and goddesses are more human like, and earthly; and, of course, positively understandable in empirical categor...

Marbaniang, Domenic

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