Document
Built Together:
The Present Vocation of
United and Uniting Churches (Eph. 2:22)
Introduction
The "united and uniting churches" are those formed by the structural union of previously-divided church bodies, for example the Church of South India (formed in 1947 from Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Anglican and Methodist churches in India). Such church unions have formed an important witness for Christian unity since the Evangelical Church of the Union was formed in Germany in 1817.
Since 1967 these churches, and those currently engaged in union negotiations, have joined in a series of six meetings organized by Faith and Order for reflection and sharing on issues of faith, witness, mission and service. (Unlike many church families, the united and uniting churches have not formed their own world body, such as the World Methodist Alliance or the Lutheran World Federation, but have asked Faith and Order to serve as their contact point and "clearing house").
The following text is the report of the most recent such meeting, the Sixth International Consultation of United and Uniting Churches, held in Jamaica in 1995. Participants were official delegates from 33 united churches, together with observers from other churches. As the report indicates, it was unanimously given "general approval as a record of the deliberations of the consultation".
