WARC Pentecostal-Reformed Theological Dialogue Explores "Word and Spirit"

Sponsored by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), an international Pentecostal-Reformed theological dialogue was held on 25th-31st May, in Detmold, Germany. Representatives of some classical Pentecostal churches and delegates of the WARC across the world gathered in a continuous effort of both traditions to explore the Holy Spirit in relations to the Church and to the coming of the Kingdom of God - a theological conversation that has started since 1996.

The Pentecostal-Reformed theological dialogue was first developed to an international level as representatives of the WARC and members of different Pentecostal Churches met successively in Torre Pelice, Italy (1996), Chicago, USA (1997), Kappel-am-Albis, Switzerland (1998) and in Seoul, Korea (1999).

The fifth dialogue held in São Paulo, Brazil, in May 2000, was jointly hosted by the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil and the First Independent Presbyterian Church of São Paulo. An overall evaluation of the work accomplished led to the publication of a final report entitled "Word and Spirit, Church and World", which was submitted to all WARC member churches for study and action in October 2001.

The recent meeting in Germany was the third session of the Pentecostal-Reformed international dialogue on "Experience in Christian Faith and Life", based on the "Word and Spirit, Church and World" report.

The theme of this year’s session was how Pentecostal and Reformed Christians discern the will of God through the Holy Spirit as they seek to follow Jesus Christ and be witness to the presence and coming of God’s kingdom. Four papers were presented to facilitate the common exploration of this topic.

The ways in which Pentecostal and Reformed churches approach discernment and its significance for the life and witness of the Christian community, were also part of the discussion.

The Pentecostal delegation included Prof. Dr. David Daniels (Co-chair, USA), Prof. Dr. Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. (USA), Prof. Dr. Anthea Butler (Pentecostal staff, USA), Dr. Jean-Daniel Plüss (Switzerland), Prof. Dr. Wonsuk Ma (Korea/Philippines), Prof. Dr. Julie Ma (Korea/Philippines) and Prof. Dr. Joseph Suico (Philippines).

The Reformed team included Rev. Dr. Joseph D. Small (Co-chair, USA), Rev. Prof. Aureo Rodrigues de Oliveira (Brazil), Prof. Dr. Cephas Omenyo (Ghana), Rev. Dr. Gesine von Kloeden-Freudenberg (Germany), Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, (Lebanon), and Rev. Dr. Odair Pedroso Mateus (WARC staff, Brazil).

The meeting was hosted by the Protestant Church of Lippe. Alongside the dialogue, the attendants joined celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the adoption of the Reformed confession in the Lippe region.

The next session of the Pentecostal-Reformed international dialogue is set in May 2006. The report "Word and Spirit, Church and World" can be found on the WARC website.