CHURCH MISSION IN THE BEGINING OF THE 20th CENTURY, STOCKHOLM, 1925

Horia Dumitrescu

Pr. Assist. Professor PhD., University of Piteşti, Faculty of Theology, Letters, History and Arts /
Centre for Applied Theological Studies, ROMANIA, horia_pit@yahoo.com

Abstract

The reason for which we decided to study this particular issue is that we have the concern that the Mission most of the times is being considered "outside" of the worship of the Church. Furthermore, we have the feeling that because of the western influence, as a Mission is considered only the activity of the Church towards the social part of life, and in that case the liturgical sense of the Church has been disappeared from the missionary's agenda and activity.

Therefore, the ecumenical movement, in this new stage obliges the participating member churches to reconsider their position as members of the One Body and called to one action. This calling is made more intense and more impelling by their ecumenical relationship. The meeting of the Churches in the name of the Lord and the power of Holy Spirit should no longer remain a dialogue between intellectuals.

In the history of 20th century Christian ecumenism, the Life and Work movement represents the attempt of Protestant and Orthodox churches to reach consensus on the church universal's practical role in society.

The Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work, Stockholm, 1925, tried to find a common basis for the churches to renew their efforts on behalf of peace and justice, and can be seen as a response to the inability of the churches to speak an effective word of peace during the First World War, a conflict which was, in effect, a Christian civil war.
The message of the Stockholm Conference begins with a call to repentance. The churches were invited to dedicate themselves anew to the task of witnessing to the power of the Gospel in all realms of life, in industry, society, politics and international relations, and „the world is too strong for divided Church.”

Europe had experienced the First World War, the social consequences of industrialisation and economic difficulties. All agreed that the church could not be silent, for that reason the moto of the Stockholm conference was “Doctrine divides, service unites.”

The goal of the conference was to provide an opportunity for churches in the world devise more effective means of addressing these issues by acting together. The weaknesses of divided Christendom had become apparent to those who were concerned for the witness of the churches in the moderm Westwern world.

Keywords: Church mission, ecumenism, Stockholm, 1925