What is Unitas Ekklesia?
Put simply; it is a desire and a calling to work toward one goal… Unity of the Church.
Understanding the essentials, the non-essentials, and all things love and participating in Communitas.
Bringing many congregations and faith families together in unity to BE The Church
What, then, are the “essentials?”
First and foremost, the chief truth of the Christian faith is the firm conviction that Jesus Christ “is the propitiation for our sins; not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (See the context of 1 John 2:2). The person of Jesus Christ and his redeeming love is the central point of our preaching of salvation. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No man goes to the Father except by me” (See the context of John 14:6)
The source of this, and all truth, is the Bible. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (See the context of 2 Timothy 3:16). We regard the Bible as inerrant; its teaching and authority are absolute, supreme, and final. The Bible is God’s Word, and it contains all that is necessary for us to know concerning the will of God for our salvation. “The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are and shall remain the only rule of our faith and life.”
We interpret Scripture using Scripture, seeking to understand the context of the inspired writings instead of isolating individual verses or using literal words to advance personal agendas. This “hermeneutic” assumes a loving desire to study God’s Word and be led by the Holy Spirit in application to personal life rather than socially driven trends arising from human cultures and traditions.
The central truth of redemption through Christ is supported Scripturally through eight main subjects that we hold essential to our knowledge of salvation:
1. The Biblical truth of the universal depravity of human nature; that, since the fall, there is no health in man, and that he has no power to save himself (See contexts of John 3:6; Romans 1:18-23; Romans 3:9-18, 23; Romans 7:18; Ephesians 2:8-13).
2. The Biblical truth of the love of God that Father to fallen humanity; that He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, and “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (See contexts of Ephesians 1:3,4; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9).
3. The Biblical truth of the real godhead and the real humanity of Jesus Christ; that the only-begotten Son of God, through glory which he had with the Father before the world was, took on him our flesh and blood, that he might be made like unto his brethren in all things, yet without sin (See contexts of John 1:1-3,14; John 17:5; Philippians 2:6,7; Hebrews 2:14,17; Hebrews 4:15; Colossians 1:17-19; 1 John 5:20).
4. The Biblical truth of our reconciliation with God and our justification before him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; that Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification, and that alone by faith in him we have through his blood forgiveness of sin, peace with God, and freedom from the service of sin (See contexts of Romans 3:24,25; Romans 5:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Hebrews 2:17; 1 Peter 1:18,19; 1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:18,19).
5. The Biblical truth of the Holy Spirit and the working of his grace; that without him we are unable to know the truth; that it is he who leads us to Christ by working in us the knowledge of sin and faith in Jesus, and that he gives us the witness that we are children of God (See contexts of John 16:8-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Romans 8:16).
6. The Biblical truth of good works as the fruit of the Holy Spirit; that in them, faith manifests itself as a living, acting power, which impels us to follow willingly the commands of God, in love and gratitude to him who died for us (See contexts of John 14:15; Romans 6:11-14; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Galatians 5:6,22-24; 1 John 5:3-5; Ephesians 2:8-10; James 2:17).
7. The Biblical truth of the fellowship of believers with one another is that they are all one in Christ Jesus, the head of his body, and are all members of one another (See contexts of John 17:21; Matthew 23:8; Ephesians 4:4).
8. The Biblical truth of the second coming of the Lord in glory, and the resurrection of the dead unto life, or judgment (See contexts of Acts 1:11; John 6:40; John 11:25,26; John 3:36; John 5:25-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).
These are the Biblical truths that we hold to be the “essentials.” Acceptance and practice of these basic teachings of the Christian faith are integral ingredients in our personal lives and relationships with others. With special emphasis on the relationship we hold to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the church expects a spirit of unity on the part of all its members regarding these essentials.
What are the “non-essentials?”
On other matters, especially where the Scriptures are not explicit on particular points, we allow for variation in our point of view, providing we keep a spirit of brotherly love and tolerance toward one another even when we are unable to agree on some of these “non-essentials,” or secondary matters.
Examples of these secondary matters, or non-essentials, would be our understanding of the order of events connected with the second coming of our Lord or our particular view of the relationship of the elements of the Holy Communion to the body and blood of Christ.
In both instances, we hold that the Scriptures do not support one interpretation as opposed to another (and this is why various branches of the church take varying views). We recognize, therefore, that on such points, each member must be guided by his understanding of the Scripture, always remembering that our unity on the essentials is more important than our various explanations of these secondary matters and that the love of Christ in our hearts binds us together even though we may not agree on every detail of interpretation.
This emphasis on unity in essentials while allowing liberty in secondary matters is why we never developed a formal creed. We recognize, further, that a church and an individual can grow spiritually and be led into a deeper understanding of Biblical truth. A creed tends to be static, thus discouraging or limiting new insights.
We practice the sacraments of baptism and communion. There is no sacramental grace or salvation associated with these ordinances. Communion is open to all persons who have received Christ Jesus as their personal Savior. The communion service is a memorial of the death of Christ. It is a spiritual communion of the believer with Christ and his or her fellow Christians.
How does “in all things love” make unity and liberty possible?
Jesus’ humble request is to “love one another, just as I love you” (See the context of John 15:12). Consider how Jesus loves us – he submitted to God, gave his life, and is alive to make God’s love real to every human that has ever lived.
Our relations with God through Personally knowing Jesus results in freedom from sin and liberates us to realize by faith how abundant life can be obtained. When we exercise faith, hope emboldens our hearts to live out our destiny, but the greatest treasure is love put into practice:
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love binds us all together in perfect harmony” (See the context of Colossians 3:12-14).
Love-filled relationships in Christians are a sign that Jesus lives inside. Scriptures put it this way, “…he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit” (See the context of 1 Corinthians 6:17). Therefore, being “in Christ” makes possible the most valuable relationships in life.
So, “in all things love” admonishes every individual to desert personal agendas, to cease disputes, always to forgive, and to focus on what is important: “faith expressing itself through love” (See the context of Galatians 5:6). When faith is alive, our hearts are filled with such abundant love that we desire to share with others the God of Love.
The Need for Unity in the Church
“Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (Phil. 2:2).
We are in a time where many seem to be falling away from truth in the Church. One of the signs of this falling away is the bickering and disunity among Christians. Jesus said the world would know us as His disciples by the love we have for one another (John 13:35), and in (Col. 3:14), Paul says love is the perfect bond of unity. As the Church, we are meant to be unified in Christ (Eph. 4:5 ) through one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.
When the Corinthian church began following individuals rather than Jesus, Paul declared that Christ is not divided (1 Cor. 1:12-13) even though His body of believers often is. Divisions in the Church can be a healthy and necessary thing: “For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you” (1 Cor. 11:19); however, when these factions refuse to work or come together as One Body in Christ, the witness of the Church is diminished.
There will always be differences of opinion on certain non-essential matters like worship styles or days, pre-trib rapture, post-trib rapture, Arminianism, Calvinism, etc., and belief in any of these secondary issues does not affect salvation. Yet far too many Christians use these non-essential differences as justification for division and occasionally to incite anger. When this occurs, the love of God in our hearts is sacrificed to our pride. Instead of saying to one another, “I am right and you are wrong,” we must learn to say “It is certainly possible you are correct. Let’s work together to glorify God and expand His kingdom.” Perhaps this is simplistic, but it attempts to display an attitude of humility and bring unity. It is the devil that wants us to fall into the self-abuse of division and bickering and render our testimony ineffective.
The time has come for us to consider again what unites us.
Primarily, it is the saving work of Christ on the cross, his blood shed for the forgiveness of sin, and His resurrection from the dead which we profess by faith that unites the Church, and then the essential doctrines which define orthodoxy. True Christians serve the true and living God, and we know Jesus in a personal and intimate way (1 Cor. 1:9). We have been redeemed by God himself. Furthermore, we have the Scriptures, which tell us the essentials of faith. Deviating from these essentials is to be outside the camp of Christ. It is the essential doctrine we must know and unite under.
The Christian church, as a whole, needs to repent. We need to examine ourselves and our churches. We must look at one another and decide to stand on the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. Those of us who are united by the blood of Christ must learn to stand together as one body, whatever our denominations or affiliations. (Romans 14:1-12) speaks about accepting Christians of differing opinions and not judging them because “To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind…But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Rom. 14:4-5,10). We need to be united, not bickering. We need to move beyond the denominational barriers that separate us and join together on the common ground of what unites us…Jesus!
Ask yourself what is most important in life. Is it your relationship with God? If it is and should be, should you not also be seeking the same thing God wants? Should you not also seek to love one another as Christ commanded us? Love is the perfect bond of unity (Col. 3:14).
What if the world began to see the Christian Church uniting despite its differences? What if the world started to see how the Christian Church started to love not only their congregations but people in other denominations? What do you think the world would say if the bickering stopped? What do you think unbelievers would say if they saw us living more and more the loving attitude and sacrificial life of Christ across denominational barriers? Such unity would be a tremendous witness for Christ and a tremendous assault on the enemy, and I firmly believe that God would use such unity to bring the unchurched to Himself by His grace.
Falling away from unity begins with the individual, heart, and mind. We must focus on the truth of God’s word and let our minds be shaped by it. We must seek to have our minds shaped by the love of God as we move not only to learn about Him but also to carry out His desires.
What should we do to bring unity to the body of Christ?
We need to look at our hearts and minds, comparing them to Jesus and the Scripture, because we need to change when these two are not in agreement. We must pray that the Lord will provide opportunities to work with other Christians across denominational lines and recognize that differences of opinion, worship style, or whatever are okay. Most importantly, we must lift each other and be the Church…united.
What is a Communitas?
Adapted from Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
A community is a broad classification and includes almost any gathering for whatever purpose.
Communitas is a grouping and only applies where there is a felt sense of close connection. In communitas, the individual willingly surrenders his or her personal agenda in favor of a group of individuals.
Communitas believes every person has unfathomable gifts to share. Serving individuals rather than groups, categories, or labels allows us both the privilege and opportunity to concentrate on every individual’s strengths. We can be willing to share our gifts and be ready to receive others’ gifts.
Communitas is an intense community spirit, feeling great social equality, solidarity, and togetherness. Communitas is an acute point of the community. It takes the community to the next level and allows it to share a common experience. This brings everyone onto an equal level: even if you are higher in position, you have been lower and know what that is.
Communitas, then, is something of much greater impact than the community and is how we may, through unity, have a greater impact on those around us.
We seek to nurture that lost soul connection – creating unity within the Church, crossing denominational lines, and re-emerging to touch the world with caring and conscious connection.
Communitas is formed by people who engage in the process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor: a tribe learning to survive, a band of artists seeking new forms of expression, a group of engineers working on similar problems, a clique of pupils defining their identity in the school, a network of surgeons exploring novel techniques, a gathering of first-time managers helping each other cope. In a nutshell, Communitas are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.
Three characteristics are crucial:
The domain: A Communitas is not merely a club of friends or a network of connections between people. It has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Membership implies a commitment to the domain and a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people. (You could belong to the same network as someone and never know it.) The domain is not necessarily recognized as “expertise” outside the community.
The community: In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other. The website in itself is not a Communitas. Having the same job or the exact title does not make for Communitas unless members interact and learn together. Members of Communitas do not necessarily work together daily. The Impressionists, for instance, used to meet in cafes and studios to discuss the style of painting they were inventing together. These interactions were essential to making them Communitas even though they were often painted alone.
The practice: A Communitas is not merely a community of interest–people who like certain kinds of movies, for instance. Members of Communitas are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, and ways of addressing recurring problems — in short, a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction. The development of a shared practice may be more or less self-conscious.
It is the combination of these three elements that constitutes Communitas. And it is by developing these three elements in parallel, one cultivates such a community.
Communitas develop their practice through a variety of activities. The following table provides a few typical examples:
While they all have the three elements of a domain, a community, and a practice, they come in various forms. Some are quite small; some are very large, often with a core group and many peripheral members. Some are local, and some cover the globe. Some meet mainly face-to-face, and some primarily online. Some are within an organization, and some include members from various organizations. Some are formally recognized, often supported with a budget, and some are informal and invisible.
| Requests for information: | “Where can I find the code to connect to the server?” |
| Seeking experience: | “Has anyone dealt with a customer in this situation?” |
| Reusing assets: | “I have a proposal for a local area network I wrote for a client last year. I can send it to you and you can easily tweak it for this new client.” |
| Coordination and synergy: | “Can we combine our purchases of solvent to achieve bulk discounts?” |
| Discussing developments: | “What do you think of the new CAD system? Does it really help?” |
| Documentation projects: | “We have faced this problem five times now. Let us write it down once and for all.” |
| Visits: | “Can we come and see your after-school program? We need to establish one in our city.” |
| Mapping knowledge and identifying gaps: | “Who knows what, and what are we missing? What other groups should we connect with?” |