Southern California Ecumenical Council
November 17, 2005
Report of the Faith and Order Commission

Six members of the Commission were present when it met on Tuesday, November 15, for its postponed meeting.  The agenda was devoted to an extensive review of the presentations made to the General Plenary of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches in Kuala Lumpur in August, 2004.  These presentations describe the recent work of the Commission's various study groups and comprise the core of what the SCEC commission proposes to interpret in its proposed "Ecumenical Springtime" series beginning in February, 2006.

Contacts have been made with faculty and/or staff at Loyola Marymount University, Fuller Seminary, Haggard School of Theology (Azusa Pacific University), and the Claremont School of Theology in order to involve students and faculty from those institutions.  Attendance by school representatives at Tuesday's meeting did not materialize, largely due to conflicts of schedule.  A second meeting is being convened in early December.

After reviewing the presentations, commission members agreed that the introduction/interpretation of most of the themes could be achieved in half-day meetings.  There were two exceptions, as noted below:

                                                           Proposed meeting themes

                theological anthropology             ½ -day

                ecumenical hermeneutics            ½-day

                inter-religious dialogue               full day

                ethnic idenity                              ½-day

                baptism                                      ½-day

                ecclesiology                              full day

                (including the report of the special commission on the participation

                of Orthodox churches in the World Council of Churches)

Tuesday's meeting was extremely full, and there was a growing enthusiasm about the "Springtime" proposal.  There was particular anticipation that the session on inter-religious dialogue will provide significant assistance to Council members and church members who are engaged in that arena.

More complete plans for each of the sessions will be reviewed at the next meeting of the commission, January 10, in anticipation of presentation to the January board meeting.  We are still hopeful that publicity will be ready for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service in Glendale on January 22.

                                                                                                                          Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                                                                 Rod Parrott, Chair

Faith and Order Commission members:

Albert Cohen                            Reese Riley

Ray Gallie                                Alexei Smith

Gail Geisel                                Tom Reed

John Huber                               Don Smith

Denis McGrath