Two hundred years ago Thomas Campbell one of the early leaders of the Church of Christ called for unity; today that call is being renewed.
On Sunday Oct. 4 the University Church will host a special event commemorating Thomas Campbell’s “Declaration and Address a call for unity in spite of denominational ties. Pepperdine routinely walks a line between maintaining its relationship with the Church of Christ community and presenting itself as a place where everyone can feel comfortable and welcome regardless of faith. Because of this, the Great Communion is met with concerns from both sides.
The initial purpose of the Restoration Movement was to set aside denominational differences and worship together as Christians only. And yet some want to celebrate our commitment to the elimination of denominationalism with a special communion dedicated to remembering our denomination said Robert Cargill, member of the University Church and former Pepperdine professor.
Cargill posted a blog on his Web site, explaining that he would not attend the Great Communion service for ecumenical reasons rather than sectarian concerns. Because the Great Communion also falls on World Communion Day, another service in which churches are choosing to take part in the ceremony as Christians, Cargill said the celebration to take part at Pepperdine is ironic.
My objection is we’re going to talk about unity and not celebrating it with everyone else Cargill said.
University Chaplain David Lemley said the ceremony could be seen more as a two-for-one deal.
I think that this is in the spirit of World Communion Day to host a service like this. It’s more formally tied to the Great Communion — that’s a once-in-a-200-year event.”
Lemley said the service open to all who wish to attend is an opportunity to show unity especially between the denominations that were a product of the Stone-Campbell movement. He said the service will give a chance for the participants to come together at a place where all are welcome: at Jesus’ table.
“I really like that this sort of symbolizes a moment of reconciliation for these groups a recognition of these different groups that even though they’ve been divided along theological lines cultural lines and whatever else has maybe divided them that they still can gather at a large table together and when they take communion recognize that they all come under Jesus rather than any other title or history or name that they come under he said.
The idea of incorporating other denominations and traditions within the Pepperdine culture has been part of an effort to include the entire student body. Lemley pointed to additions such as Friday morning Celebration Chapel, an acoustic worship service, and One Love, a joint worship event with Malibu Presbyterian’s University Ministries as examples of this effort.
The conversation among the students on campus has been positive.
I plan on going said senior Laura Fehlbahm. I definitely think that focusing on our commonality is always good and I think that things like One Love and a
multi-church communion should happen more often than they do.”
Some students who have been raised in the Church of Christ tradition are open to the idea of the service as well.
“I think it’s a profound statement and it’s great that we’re reaching out to other churches especially since we get stereotyped as stand-offish and as the people who think we’re the only people going to heaven said senior Kendria Smith, whose father is a minister of a Church of Christ congregation in Texas.
Although Smith said she sees the value in the service’s intentions, she said everyone at home may not share her enthusiasm because of their preference to avoid using the church to commemorate events that are not in the Bible.
I just really don’t see that happening at home she said It shows how liberal is Pepperdine is compared to churches in the Bible Belt.”
Lemley said Abeline Christian University will be participating.
He realizes the tensions between Pepperdine’s actions and the general perceptions of the Church of Christ community.
“Pepperdine is connected to the Churches of Christ and I think even in this area there are concerns about what kind of Church of Christ Pepperdine represents he said. I think if anything this might confirm some of their criticism if they’re critical or it might affirm some of their hopes if they’re positive about it.
Cargill said Pepperdine can serve as an example for Christian universities if it avoids peer pressure.
“Pepperdine has come so far … they shouldn’t try to be just another Church of Christ he said. It should lead and define what it means to be a Christian university.”
Lemley said he enjoys working in the tension of a university with its ecumenical efforts and maintaining relationships with the Churches of Christ. He also noted the value of navigating it.
“In the same way that I think it’s a tragedy if an institution says ‘This is who we are and we’re cutting off everybody who’s not like us’ I would think it would be a tragedy if we said ‘This is who we are and we’re cutting off everybody who hasn’t come to our progressive place'” Lemley said. “I think keeping our relationships with the churches that make up that family of Churches of Christ that we’re connected to as much as we can is valuable.”
Everyone involved in the debate agrees that Jesus should be the focus but the opinions splinter on whether or not the Great Communion achieves this.
“That’s the story of the whole movement Lemley said Here are these amazing words about we’re meant to be unified under Jesus and not other institutions and we’ve argued about it for 200 years.”
