UNITY AMONG DIVERSITY

Uganda gathering –Jinja 2nd -6th May 2016

Canon Grace Kaiso .General secretary ,council of Anglican provinces of Africa.

UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY , UNIFORMITY AND UNITY

Unity is defined as a state of being in full agreement ,the quality or state of not being multiple ,a condition of harmony and continuity without deviation or change .

Uniformity is defined as the quality or state of being uniform and the quality or state of being the same .[Merriam –Webster dictionary ]

UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY , UNIFORMITY AND UNITY

If you need to know how diverse we are listen to the mobile ringtones in this room-tastes

Our diversity is not only in tastes but also in culture ,political and religious beliefs.

God is a God of diversity –look at the seasons ,tribes etc . Diversity is an asset and not a liability because it enables

complementarity Unity of the church is not Uniformity ;diversity is also a gift ,creative and

life-giving . We need to strive for unity but we do not need to be uniform.

Cont.

Diversity is part of Gods scheme :He endowed members of his body with different gifts which enable them to compliment each other to realize His purpose .

For our purpose , unity need to be understood as complimenting each other to realize Gods purpose and Glorify His name [John 17]. Therefore t unity for Christians is not a choice but a question of obedience

We are incomplete without each other ,The church should emphasis the essential character of the intercultural unity as a body of Christ .

OBSTACLES TO WORKING TOGETHER

Lack of clarity of what church is and what its called to do .[Mtt 28:16-20,5:13-16] Divided troops cant deliver .

Pride –cultural ,denominational superiority and economic classes.cf Jesus humility in Phil 1.[focus on growing my church or Christ church] Disobedient to God`s desire for unity . [John 17 ] Church language and traditions .

-Building walls instead of bridges -Lack of Grace in our relationships as Christians -God has not finished wit any one of us .

HOW CAN CHURCHES INTERACT WITH THE GOVERNMENTS

The quality of interaction is determined by the context ,guidance and accompaniment by the Holy spirit .

a) What facilitate this interaction ? Clarity on the part of the church on her role and that of the state [Mtt 28:16-20,5:13-16]-church as an

instrument for Gods mission . Understanding the purpose and mandate of the state [Rom 3:6]-creating an enabling environment for

the citizens to thrive Shared vision of desired future

b) What hinders this interaction ? Defective theology and politics.-church concentrating on spiritual matters only and state abandoning

to serve the common good . Lack of coherent vision of desired church and society .

Cont .

Manipulation of church leaders by politicians in exchange of economic benefit lack of integrity on part of church leaders and politicians Ethnic chauvinism and nepotism in church and state

a) Models that have worked . Pastoral statements, spiritual counsel and prayers [1Tim 2:1-2] Strategic diplomacy [2 Sam 12:1 Use of existing structures eg parliament Use of public forum to advocate for pertinent issues Participation in peaceful demonstrations.

HOW CAN CHURCHES WORK WITH CHRISTIAN NGOs

What facilitates Genuine spirit of partnerships. Clear mechanism of mutual accountability within the partnerships . Clear vision of what they want to achieve .

What hinders Lack of understanding of church structure and how they function Value system of the staff of NGO and their method of engagements that

conflict . Conflict between cooperate world culture and church institution with regard to

decision making , management ,accountability, measurement of success etc

Cont.

Models that have worked in church and community . World vision model-church act as midwives –release potential in communities Church and community mobilization process/ Umoja –church act as catalysts-

reawakening and mobilizing. In both models NGOs takes the role of accompaniment around the set agenda of Churches/communities .

CONCLUSION

The church must grasp the vison of God ,who is concerned about making everything new .[The call to transformative ministry ]

He seeks that individuals are recreated in Christ as well as the whole creation .This recreation begun with the coming of Christ and it is the responsibility of the church to further it .[What are the things that break Gods heart in communities?]

This awareness help the church to avoid polarization and tension between the spiritual and social –economic dimensions of its mission .[John 10:10]