EMPHASIS OF EACH DECADE TOWARDS GLOBAL CHURCH UNITY

Compiled By Ed tarkowski

1940s - the World Council of Churches concluded:

  1. men have an obligation to recognize all churches alike and

  2. to recognize the brotherhood amongst denominations.

  3. It introduced the idea of worldwide unity,

  4. to "claim for Christ the whole world and all aspects of life," and

  5. to bring to light that the Kingdom of God was being established upon the earth.

1950s - we saw the Latter Rain Movement try to rise through the denominations, especially the pentecostal ones

  1. It would be declared heretical and therefore go underground.

  2. But through the 80s and 90s, Latter Rain succeeded in finding a place in all of the denominations' charismatic factions and subtly influenced the direction of the corporate Church as it increased its unity among the denominations.

1960s - the emphasis was on bringing the individual Christian into situations where his denominational doctrine was compromised through prayer meetings and charismatic, non-denominational organizations.

1970s - the emphasis was on gathering the individual Christians and their leaders into larger ecumenical conferences and gatherings to form in them the sense of unity.

1980s - the emphasis of the large gatherings 1970s was taking the form of planning a global effort to evangelize the world by the year 2000, in cooperation with the Catholic Church through the compromise of doctrine.

1990s - the emphasis is on the implementation and mobilization of the global evangelization effort.