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Leaders of two Reformed church bodies approved a draft constitution in an unprecedented move to merge into one global communion.
The executive committees of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council met last week in Geneva, Switzerland, where they took a significant step toward overcoming longstanding divisions.
"The decision is in line with John Calvin’s commitment to Christian unity," said Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the WARC, in a statement. "It signals that Reformed churches today are ready to do their part."
The two bodies are joining to become the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Through the merger, they hope to strengthen their common witness as Reformed churches, which have divided into separate denominations since the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
Peter Borgdorff, president of REC, said Reformed churches are "seeking to overcome their divisions and come together as one body in the tradition of Biblical teachings which describe the Christian church as one body made of many parts."
According to the draft constitution, "no individual or church may claim precedence or dominance over another." Also, member denominations of the new communion will accept the ordination of each others' clergy and respect the rites of each tradition.
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Among other actions in laying the foundation for the new communion, the executive committees approved a new staff structure – reducing the size of the staff – agreed to eliminate the current budget deficit by 2011, and approved a draft budget for the WCRC.
"Our objective was to create a sustainable model for our combined organizations," WARC president Clifton Kirkpatrick said.
The proposal for a merger – which combines WARC's 75 million members and REC's 12 million – was introduced in 2006 and approved by the executive committees of the two bodies in 2007.
The draft constitution will be presented for approval at the Uniting General Council in June 2010, when the merger is expected to be formally approved.
