November 10, 1999

CLEVELAND—Four major forums and a special tour prompted discussion at the National Council of Churches anniversary meeting around ecumenism and theology, public education, faithful living in America, environmental justice, and rock & roll culture. Some 900 people (879 pre-registered) are taking part in the 50th anniversary events here.

Theology and Ecumenism

Churches should keep talking—even when it's hard—according to the Rev. Dr. William Rusch who said the "search for unity has its foundation in Jesus." Dr. Rusch, a Lutheran, is head of the NCC's Faith and Order Commission. He led a forum on "Theology and Ecumenism."

Speakers encouraged expanded and new unity discussions and agreements among communions. They also noted some obstacles: the notion that ecumenical dialogue is a "watering" down of the specific theological expression of a particular tradition, the absence of the voice of youth, and strained, even hostile, relationships among Muslims and Christians in many parts of the world.

Participants voiced support for the tradition and accomplishments of interfaith dialogue, and encouraged the expansion of bilateral and multilateral discussions and agreements among communions.

Ecumenical dialogue is "a movement that searches for the will of God in life and work," said Dr. Rusch. It concentrates on unity as God's gift.

Gospel, Culture and Music: The Impact of Rock and Roll on America

Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was host to some 100 people who talked about the influence of popular music on worship and the position of the gospel in popular culture. Participants freely roamed the sprawling museum that includes four floors of exhibits and plenty music representing different eras of Rock and Roll.

There was lively debate about what kind of music is appropriate for the worship of God. Dr. Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr., Assistant Professor, Department of Music, University of Pennsylvania, encouraged participants to consider the history of American religious music and its relationship to blues, jazz and rock music.

Thomas Beaudoin, author of "Virtual Faith," was asked if popular music could be used to bring more people into church. He responded with his view that having a lot of people in church doesn't mean the gospel is being preached.

Instead, Mr. Beaudoin said, the church's challenge is to recognize the powerful symbols of popular culture, including music, and acknowledge that they often have transforming meaning for people. The church should give respect and dignity to the place these symbols have in people's lives, he said.

The Churches' Commitment to Public Education at the Edge of a New Century

Public education must become the next frontier of the civil rights movement, said David Hornbeck, and faith communities must lend their voices to the struggle. The superintendent of Philadelphia Public Schools spoke in the forum on "The Churches' Commitment to Public Education at the Edge of a New Century." Mr. Hornbeck called for "genuine school reform that goes beyond simply increasing revenues to needy school districts." He said, "Money, by itself, doesn't get the job done."

Mr. Hornbeck named "essential" components to effective school reform:

• believing that all kids can learn;
• identifying high standards;
• smaller classes and decentralized administrative structures;
• increased professional development for teachers;
• quality early childhood education;
• the establishment of community and support services;
• partnerships with employers and volunteers;
• better facilities, books, computers and other tools;
• increased financial resources.

Living Faithfully in America: A Multi-Faith Conversation

A roomful of Christians gathered together with a Buddhist and a Muslim to talk about life together at "Living Faithfully in America: a Multi-Faith Conversation." The forum's theme was chosen to evoke discussion on the manner in which people see and respect people of different religions in their communities.

Dr. Peter Junger, Case Western University, represented the Cleveland Shin Buddhist community. He said Buddhists are often "misunderstood and find that not all Americans are hospitable to their religion." Buddhism teaches one to be faithful to one's belief, he said. The bottom line is "Don't get hung up on life and try to see things as they are related to other things."

Imam Fawaz Damra from the Islamic Center of Cleveland presented a Muslim viewpoint. In America, Muslims are a minority religion in contrast to the Eastern world where they are a majority, he said. All Muslims are not united, and take different approaches to interpret their faith.

Dr. Damra said, "Muslims cannot live in isolation, but for the first time their faith has been under attack and they are always on the defensive in America.

It was a cordial discussion with more questions than answers. "How do we talk about others when they are not in our presence?"—the key test of the spirit of inter-faith tolerance, according to one forum participant.

In addressing the need for teaching one's own faith, the Rev. Bert Breiner, co-director of the NCC Interfaith Commission suggested that "we must learn to live faithfully in a multi-faith society and to live in relationship to God, humanity and the Bible."

Dr. Damra provided the closing thoughts, emphasizing that despite personal links to other lands and people "we are all God conscious people before we are American. We must not only act together but influence American foreign policy not to have a secular approach but to ground policy in the teachings of all faiths."

Environmental Justice Tour

The spectacle of flames on the Cuyahoga River startled millions of television viewers in 1969 but the gurgling inferno sparked major efforts to clean up the environment, not only in Cleveland but also around the nation. The Cuyahoga Planning Commission staff told the story to participants in an "environmental justice tour" during the NCC anniversary assembly here.

The NCC has supported the efforts of Christians committed to healing and protecting God's creation. Richard Killmer of the NCC Environmental Justice Office expressed hope that tour participants would find in Cleveland useful models for addressing similar concerns in their home communities.

"Believe it or not, good things did come out of the burning of the river," said Virginia Aveni, manager of environmental planning for Cuyahoga County. The terrible publicity gave the mayor and other leaders the necessary leverage to demand strong environmental protection laws.

The bus toured the grounds of LTV Steel which extend seven miles on either side Cuyahoga River. In 1969, the company was the major polluter of the waterway. "In the 1960s the river actually foamed," Aveni said. The river flows into Lake Erie which was "dying" at the time, according to Aveni.

Strong political action led LTV Steel to take drastic measures costing the company $100 million to clean up its act. "Now LTV's discharge is a higher quality than the drinking water that comes from the lake for treatment," Aveni said.

NCC participants also visited the construction site of a recreation center on the once-polluted grounds of a former coin-operated laundry. The redevelopment is being undertaken by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cleveland. The laundry business left carcinogenic chemicals in the soil but the archdiocese has helped return the property to residential standards, according to Aveni.

The NCC bus visited several other Cleveland "brownfields," a term describing decaying urban properties that are too expensive to clean up and redevelop. Among them was the site of an abandoned woolen mill, which also attracted national attention when it burned in July 1992. The site is still empty as developers seek the means to improve it.