Relationships Commitment

Why do we need a new document?The recent growth of evangelical churches in the UK has inevitably brought with it the risk of fragmentation, due to the growing strength of groups with differing theological convictions, methodology and experience. We all know that differences can be creative, and that views which seem at first sight contradictory can sometimes turn out to be complementary. Yet while some differences are genuine, we also recognise that others can be made worse by individual personalities and styles, which can lead to a failure to understand the language or the perspective of the other side. At heart, the Evangelical Relationships Commitment is a renewed call for Christians to build good, honest, open relationships with one another, so that we can disagree without being disagreeable.

This is important not only for those of us in the evangelical world. In a society where the public is increasingly sceptical and cynical towards the Church, we need to remember that the rest of the world is watching us and may judge us according to how we treat one another.
 

That's the theory - now what am I supposed to do with it in practice?It would be easy to read it and put it aside, but we hope it will be taken on board and used. Stick it on the church notice board and refer to it as a guide to good biblical practice in all our relationships. That means within our churches, between churches, and when we speak or chat to friends (especially when commenting on those with whom we disagree).

Before accusing someone of something they may never have said or believed, 'first confer directly with them to establish what was actually intended.

Then commend what we can, weigh the proportional significance of what we perceive to be in error, and put a charitable construction on what is doubtful, expressing all with courtesy, humility and graciousness' (see action point seven). In other words, really listening to what the other side means, which may not be the same as what the words seem to mean.

Recently, representatives of the EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE and BEC met a small group of Christian journalists to discuss the implications of the Evangelical Relationships Commitment with them. While sympathetic to its aim, concern was expressed that this 'evangelical courtesy code' might be used as a 'gagging order' to keep evangelicals from standing up for what they believe. It is ironic that something designed to stimulate honest debate could be so misinterpreted. Indeed, the commitment includes a clear call to 'contend for biblical truth' (see action point five). We believe that the good relationships as defined in the commitment will actually create a better environment for a real debate to take place - without the slagging off that often characterises disagreements among evangelicals.
 

So what happens if I flagrantly disregard the spirit of the document?Let's face it - how we behave does matter. If we are to make a difference in our world, our message of truth must not be obscured by evangelicals behaving badly. Truth has to go with love, and vice versa. The Evangelical Relationships Commitment carries the moral force of the Evangelical Alliance's Council of Management made up of recognised leaders from across the entire spectrum of evangelicals in the UK. It is a useful point of reference if ever we want to hold our members - and each other - accountable for how we behave in a dispute.

But we have no desire to act as the evangelical world's judge or policeman. Our goal is to create better mutual understanding and a resolution of differences (or an agreement to differ) within the framework of our unity in Christ.

What do you think? Please read the Evangelical Relationships Commitment and let us know how you intend to put it into practice. We welcome your contribution to this ongoing debate about how controversy among evangelicals should be pursued.
 

Evangelical Relationships Commitment
The 1846 Practical Resolutions RevisedLiving out our faith does more to promote genuine Christianity than merely professing it. So we seek to promote good Christian practice, as well as true Christian doctrine, not least by the manner in which we conduct our relationships with each other. The British Evangelical Council and the Evangelical Alliance have over recent years jointly sponsored an Evangelical Leaders Forum, to facilitate personal contacts among evangelicals within and beyond both these bodies.

The 1997 meeting of this forum asked its Steering Group to provide an up-dated version of the eight 'general resolutions' agreed at the 1846 Assembly that launched the Evangelical Alliance, to guide members in their relationships with each other and other Christians. The outcome is an Evangelical Relationships Commitment, which seeks to apply the principles of the 154-year-old resolutions in our contemporary situation. It is intended to stand alongside our Basis of Faith, and to express how we should be treating each other. It should be seen as an integrated expression of the responsibilities we owe each other in the Body of Christ. The Executive of the BEC and the Council of EAUK commend this commitment to members as a reminder of our basic Christian duty towards fellow Christians, and in particular as a guideline when making comments in the media, in book reviews and in public ministry generally. We hope it will assist in building better relationships at every level and in a wider field.

Affirmations

1. We welcome as Christian brothers and sisters all who experience the grace of new birth, bringing them to that fear and knowledge of God which is expressed in a life of obedience to His word.
2. We recognise our Christian duty of trust and mutual encouragement to all who serve Christ as Lord, not least to those who conscientiously prefer not to be identified with the same churches, alliances or councils as ourselves.
3. We respect the diversity of culture, experience and doctrinal understanding that God grants to His people, and acknowledge that some differences over issues not essential to salvation may well remain until the end of time.
   
   
   Actions
4. We urge all Christians to pray as Christ prayed, that we may be one in the Father and the Son, and so by the Spirit promote personal relationships of love, peace and fellowship within the Body of Christ, His universal Church.
5. We encourage all Christians earnestly to contend for biblical truth, since only as we are open to learn from others and yield fuller obedience to the truth will we be drawn closer to Christ and to each other.
6. We call on each other, when speaking or writing of those issues of faith or practice that divide us, to acknowledge our own failings and the possibility that we ourselves may be mistaken, avoiding personal hostility and abuse, and speaking the truth in love and gentleness.
7. We owe it to each other, in making public comment on the alleged statements of our fellow Christians, first to confer directly with them and to establish what was actually intended. Then to commend what we can, to weigh the proportional significance of what we perceive to be in error, and to put a charitable construction on what is doubtful, expressing all with courtesy, humility and graciousness.
8. We rejoice in the spread of the Gospel across the world and urge all Christians to commit themselves to this task, avoiding unnecessary competition and co-operating, wherever possible, in the completion of Christ's kingdom of peace, justice and holiness, to the glory of the one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Evangelical Relationships Commitment is an update of the original eight general resolutions crafted when the Evangelical Alliance was formed in 1846.

Endorsed by Evangelical Alliance Council and the Evangelical Leaders Forum (a diverse group jointly facilitated by the Evangelical Alliance and the British Evangelical Council) the new document is now being commended to wider evangelicalism as a guide to our relationships as we work out our evangelical witness in the world.