Mennonite Weekly Review

Interchurch relationships can lead in surprising directions. Here’s one: Mennonites and a denomination with Mormon roots have found a common identity as peace churches.

At a Mennonite Church USA Interchurch Relations Consultation June 29-July 1 in North Newton, Kan., the featured guest was Don Compier, dean of the Community of Christ Seminary at Graceland University in Independence, Mo. The Community of Christ was known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until 2001. It split from the mainstream LDS church in 1844.

Today, the Community of Christ has shed the Mormon label. While the church accepts the Book of Mormon, its use is op­tion­al. Many members don’t read it at all, Compier said. Of the Mormon church, he said, “I believe it departs in some fundamental ways from the Christian gospel.”

What’s really fundamental, Compier believes, is peace. He said the denomination’s conversion to the way of peace oc­curred in the 1980s partly because its balance of membership shifted overseas. Becoming a global church led to “the realization that we had become too tied to American culture,” he said.

But change came with a price. After decisions in 1984 to emphasize peace and allow women’s ordination, about 30,000 U.S. members left. Today, membership is about 250,000 internationally. The group’s headquarters and temple in Indepen­dence promote a peace identity with daily prayers for peace and a Children’s Peace Pavilion.

Compier spoke of Mennonites as role models for his emerging peace church. Mennonites responded by noting that we don’t always feel like we’re setting a great example.

Mennonite leaders recognize theological differences with the Community of Christ. There are no specific plans for this new friendship between denominations. But the willingness to connect shows that suspicion of ecumen­ism is fading. We are learning to set differences aside when our similarities can strengthen our witness. There are few enough peace churches. We need to stick together.