Roger Maatje

MANIFEST FOR UNITY "WE CHOOSE FOR UNITY" WE CHOOSE FOR UNITY, because Christ is undivided. Christ has torn down the walls that keep people separated. If Christ has torn down the walls, we are not to rebuild them. WE CHOOSE FOR UNITY because Christ prayed: ‘that they may be one’ (John 17:22) WE CHOOSE FOR UNITY, because it is our common commission: To proclaim the Gospel and to be a living Church for the people of today. We believe that each person needs Jesus Christ. Many people have become alienated from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For many, God is the great unknown. Many no longer have a link to the community of believers in Christ. The de-Christianization of our country and Europe continues and secularization is increasing. For this reason our society is in crisis. Hearts have been hardened due to individualism and group interests, and cohesion is missing due to a lack of empathy and social compassion. We are called to be spiritually aware and to fight against the powers that destroy people and relationships between people. We believe that Christ unites people. WE CHOOSE FOR UNITY, in diversity. We are Christians who belong to different churches with different cultural and historical backgrounds. We do not always agree with each other. In our teaching and our life, we do not always make the same choices. We belong to churches with different expressions of faith. We do not wish to deny that. WE CHOOSE AGAINST indifference and contempt towards each other. We acknowledge that we have failed to act in the spirit of Christ on this matter. He has commanded us to consider the other more than ourselves. Too many times we have done the opposite. We have often been arrogant and proud. We have not honoured the name of God. We have neglected our commission to be witnesses of God’s love. Therefore, we ourselves too have caused the de-Christianization of France and Europe. WE CONFESS our guilt before God and each other. As disciples of Jesus, we have been given to each other. We need each other. Established churches cannot be the whole Church today without new impulses from outside their walls. In the same way, churches from outside the establishment cannot be the whole Church without the tradition and historical roots of well established churches in French and European society. Together we are the church. ( translated version of Wij keizen voor éénheid) We as Mission 4 Unity stand behind this manifest and have take this manifest as one of our values.

Bible, Israel, Evangelism, Church, Prayer, Christian network, Inter-denominational