1st amendment to the Accord
9. The Ecumenical Ethos in +ENC
9.1. Responsibility. As ENC communities we recognise a special
responsiblity for the unity of the Body of Christ, for overcoming the
divisions among Christian churches and the dividing walls between the
disciples of Jesus.
9.2. Our unity as believers is primarily not a fruit of human effort but rather
the fruit of the cross and the resurrection of the Messiah (Eph 2, 14.15) and
as such a reflection of the unity between the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit (Jn 17, 21).
9.3. In Jesus we are already one. Our Christ-centered theological, spiritual
and pastoral self-understanding is the foundation of our ecumenical ethos.
In Him we do not only have something in common, but rather we all are the
heirs of all the heavenly heritage. He is truly the basis of our reconciliation
with the Father and our reunion with each other. In Him we have access to
all grace and all the fruits of salvation.
9.4. Word of God & Tradition. Our ministry toward reconciliation and unity
means first and foremost to be more deeply rooted in the Word of God in
the Bible and to value and discern with an open heart the work of
revelation the Holy Spirit has done within all the churches and how this has
been reflected in their traditions. (More on that in the document “The
Christological Foundation of +enc”).
9.5. All communities in +ENC share in this common calling to serve the
unity within the Body of Christ, whether they are ecumenical by nature (e.g.
their members are coming from various denominational backgrounds) or
they are “confessional” communities where almost all the members belong
to the same particular denomination.
9.6. Respect. We will help the members of our communities to develop a
certain respect for other denominations and their faithful, in particular when
they are their community brothers and sisters. This respect is required
even when some of our members do not understand the full meaning of
those traditions or if members feel forced - out of their conscience - to
reject some of the theological convictions and church practises of fellow
members. Out of this respect all members of our communities need to stop
all attitude of neglect and learn about the background and meaning of the
various church traditions in order to come to a deeper appreciation of them.
9.7. Confessional Identity. Our Ecumenical Ethos is rooted within the
confessional identity of each individual member of our communities. Our
communities should be a place wherein the brothers and sisters are helped
to loyalty and mature love for their respective churches, with a deep
understanding for the teaching of their church and the witness of active
membership even by taking part in the life of the local congregations.
9.8. Danger of Neutrality. Especially within the ecumenical communities
we have to ensure that the members, while taking part in the "ecumenical"
lifestyle of the community - at the same time - do not forget and neglect
their own confessional background. Instead they should become
trustworthy representatives of their own churches toward their brothers and
sisters of other denominational backgrounds. We have to avoid everything
which promotes a spirit of “confessional neutrality” within the ecumenical
communities. At the same time we have to avoid any confessional
fanaticism.
9.9. Ecumenical Sensitivity. The ecumenical communities should place
careful attention on how they arrange their meetings and their common life
with ecumenical sensitivity. It is important within the gatherings to
emphasise those elements of our Christian faith we share in common and
to be careful with the more divisive views and church practices (e.g.
certain forms of devotion to Mary). On the other hand the ecumenical
communities within +ENC have to admit that those communities in which
members belong to the same denomination are free to express all
elements of teaching and celebration of the particular denomination as long
as they are among themselves.
9.10. ENC Gatherings follow the same regulations as within the ecumenical
communities. This means that confessional celebrations during those
+ENC gatherings (e.g. Catholic Mass) cannot take place at the common
prime time, but rather have to be promoted as a special invitation toward
members of the particular confession (e.g. Catholic participants) – even if
the vast majority of conference participants belong to this confession.
9.11. Relationships with the Hierarchy. The eumenical communities
should make any effort to develop good relationships with the church
leaders of the various community members.
9.12. Unity as our Focus. Because God has obligated +ENC with this main
focus, unity and reconciliation should be a concern in all areas of our life
together: among husband and wife, within our families, within the cell
groups, among all the members and among all the communities. Even
outside of our “Christian zone”, in our work situations and daily
opportunities to meet people, we want to become more and more servants
of unity and channels of peace. This practical culture of unity makes us
credible and competent for the ministry of restoration within the Body of
Christ.
9.13. Ecumenism. All +ENC communities should support the ecumenical
process in their country. We should invest ourselves to bring together the
Christians from different backgrounds to celebrate their faith in Christ
together and to witness to their growing unity. According to the possiblities
our communities should support all efforts to overcome the barriers of sins
against each other in the past and to promote the development of mutual
trust and relationships (e.g. Ecumenical Round Tables). These
relationships according to an “Ecumenism of the hearts” could be
instrumental for the believers to take responsibility together in serious
social matters within the society – and to speak for the values of the
Gospel – with one voice.