John H. Armstrong contends that our competitive and consumer culture in America are great obstacles to ecumenism and unity in the larger Christian church (the body of believers).

We live in a competitive culture of winners and losers, where individual free choice is so highly valued that church shopping has become the norm. This has forced congregational pastors/leaders to resort to recruiting behavior to build up their numbers and thereby maintain financial viability.

Freedom of choice has also resulted in American protestant churches in particular, being rigidly divided along lines of race, class and ethnicity, in addition to more obvious denominational and doctrinal differences.

I believe the answer is making a conscious shift to promote an increase in shared cultural values of community, cooperation and interconnectedness. A more pervasive global world view can also promote ecumenism and cooperation among peoples, although in times of stress isolationist tendencies will still tend to emerge.

What are your thoughts about how we can bring about more unity in the church?

photo by indigo_girl via Flickr