In the midst of all these recent developments Roman Catholics, who already had a major encouragement to engage with the rest of us in the pursuit of Christian unity because of Vatican II, began to seriously join these missional conversations. They are also taking part in city-wide efforts to reach the un-churched. Pope John Paul II’s call for the “re-evangelization” of the West has been heard by many younger Catholics. These young Catholics are meeting with many of these young Protestants. They are beginning to see how much they can do together. This began in the pro-life movement but it is clearly moving beyond those concerns. This is not about a political alliance for conservative values but rather about a common sense of identity in the ancient creeds joined with a common call to share the love of Christ in every way possible. The Orthodox Church is a different story altogether. Many Orthodox Christians have remained comfortably ensconced in their ethnic churches and thus have […]

In this book I seek to make a compelling argument that Christian divisions are never desirable. I further argue that all Christians should work in every way they prayerfully can for relational unity with all other Christians. Isn’t this a preposterous dream? How can it possibly happen in our divided and polarized world?

This dream is only preposterous if you lack the faith to believe that Christ can so work in his people that his prayer in John 17 is answered in his way and time. Because I have always believed in reformation and revival, and because I believe that this prayer for unity is in accord with God’s revealed will, I have no doubt what God can do. I just do not know when or how he will do it.

I am sure, in terms of biblical eschatology, that all his people will be visibly one when he returns. In the precise moment that we see the glorified Jesus we will be one church visibly. But could it be that God intends […]

Over the latter years of the 1990s people discovered that I was rethinking this issue of Catholics, evangelicals and Christian unity. My name began to show up on blogs, in books and in various media outlets where I was criticized as Exhibit A of the real dangers of this whole ECT process.

So, the first reason for writing this book was to explain my own story. I wanted to write a narrative that showed how I had come to embrace catholicity and the oneness of the whole church. I wanted my people to hear from me what I had experienced and how. The book is the true story of my journey and if someone wishes to oppose me that is fine. If they oppose me in the wrong spirit, or without civility, then I leave to my readers to discern this as they will. I expect reviewers to praise and criticize the book.

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On March 22 we launched my new book Your Church Is Too Small. I presented a ten minute introduction to an evening discussion about the book. My comments, had I used them all, would have taken about twenty minutes, so I cut them short and altered them while I was speaking. Since that evening I decided to post the entire lecture online as a series of shorter blogs. What follows is the opening remarks from that evening:

I want to begin this evening by thanking everyone who has made this event possible. I want to extend a very special thanks to my three brothers who will respond to my book tonight and help us begin a discussion. Notice I said “Begin.” I sincerely mean this. When you read my book you will readily see just how deeply I mean this and how I am inviting you, all of you, into the reality of our unity and catholicity in Christ as Lord. I humbly ask you to hear what I have to say, not […]