Who is global Christianity?
Let’s not open the door too wide—or close it too tightly
Whoever is not against us is for us. —Mark 9:40
My Monday posts will be on global Christianity. But who constitutes “global Christianity”?
That can be a touchy question. People have been fighting about who should be considered a Christian for a long time. A few examples:
The Catholic Church anathematized Martin Luther. Ever since then, some Protestants have viewed the Catholic Church as the antichrist.
In 1923, Gresham Machen, a professor at Princeton Seminary, wrote a book called Christianity and Liberalism, arguing that his opponents were actually creating a new religion contrary to essential Christianity.
In 1988, at a Society for Pentecostal Studies conference, I argued that Kenneth Copeland did not hold a Christian view of God and should be treated as heretical. Thirty-seven years later, Copeland still preaches and flies around the world in his jet, and few people care about my opinion of him. 😊
In 2021, the World Council of Churches discontinued the membership of the 100-year-old African Kimbanguist Church on theological grounds.
In addition, we’ve seen major denominational divisions recently, most notably among Methodists and Anglicans. Generally, the dividing parties have still recognized each other as Christians, but sometimes, especially in disagreements over biblical inspiration, the discourse can become quite intense.
How do we make sense of this situation?
First, ignoring disagreements is NOT the answer. Sometimes, they are life-and-death matters. At times, I have worked to expose abusive, authoritarian, or dishonest practices among professing Christians. Doing so protects the true gospel from dishonor and is consistent with Paul’s willingness to name names when warning about false teachers (1 Tim 1:20; 2 Tim 2:17; also 3 Jn 9).
Similarly, decisions whether to baptize infants, ordain women, or support a military action are of great significance. We should earnestly debate these and many other issues.
But except in extreme cases, although we may decide who is in our denomination, we do not decide who is in the body of Christ. That is ultimately God’s decision (Mt 13:24-43).
Thus, although I identify with evangelical Christianity and have served many evangelical organizations, a blog on global Christianity should discuss and help us learn from a broader range of views, especially since we can grow spiritually through exposure to diverse Christian streams.
I find Wesley Hill a valuable model of dealing with Christian disagreement. He describes himself as gay, celibate, and theologically evangelical. He engages respectfully with liberals who embrace same-sex marriage and conservatives who believe his same-sex attraction should disqualify him for ordination. He has lived out his concern for church unity by remaining within the U.S. Episcopal Church when fellow conservatives separated to form the Anglican Church of North America.
About 25 years ago, the World Council of Churches, recognizing that it didn’t represent all Christians, reached out to non-WCC members. The result was the creation of the Global Christian Forum, comprising the WCC, World Evangelical Alliance, Pentecostal World Fellowship, and the Vatican. The GCF builds mutual respect through personal relationships and enables collaboration without theological compromise on shared concerns such as persecution and sharing our faith ethically.
I invite your comments on how best to show the world a global Christianity characterized by diversity, integrity, and gospel faithfulness.
Reader reaction
Two readers challenged my claim last week that no Trump supporter was willing to engage in civil discourse. In response, I’m open to interviewing a Trump supporter for a future blog post. Three criteria: the person must be evangelical, knowledgeable, and willing to defend Trump in a civil public setting. Anyone interested can e-mail bruce.barron0@gmail.com.
Next week
Next Monday, I plan to begin introducing other global voices who deserve to be heard by interviewing Dennis Petri, who heads the International Institute for Religious Freedom.
I like Thomas C. Oden's take on this subject. He defines "classic Christianity" from the early Church and how the consensus nature of how the Church arrived at what was global or classical Christianity. "That which has been believed everywhere, always and by all" and in tandem with Universality, Apostolic Antiquity and Conciliar Consent. This was based on the Ecumenical Approach in convening Church Councils and as was done by the Apostles in Acts 15.
One organization which characterizes global Christianity by diversity, integrity, and gospel faithfulness is the Global Christian Forum, whose gatherings include trinitarian Christians from across the denominational spectrum from Eastern Orthodox to Pentecostals. I attended the GCF gathering in Accra in April 2024. It was a great time of unity in Christ, having fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ from across the globe who have a living relationship with our common Lord and Savior.