CATHOLIC-PENTECOSTAL INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE

Rottenburg (Germany), July 15-22, 2003

The sixth annual session of the fifth phase of the Catholic/ Pentecostal International Dialogue took place at the Johann-Baptist-Hirscher-Haus in Rotten-burg (Germany), July 15-22, 2003. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and some Classical Pentecostal Churches and leaders. The Catholic team hosted this year’s session.

The purpose of the Dialogue is a deeper mutual understanding and respect between the two communities; it does not aim at structural unity.

The focus of the fifth phase of Dialogue is on becoming a Christian, from biblical and patristic perspectives. Since 1998 the Dialogue group has been discussing the related topics of faith, conversion, Christian experience in community, discipleship and Christian formation, and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit on the basis of the New Testament and the witness from the early Church. The entire work of this year's session was devoted to working towards constructing a report which will point out both convergences and divergences between Pentecostals and Catholics.

The discussions were characterised by an attitude of trust and openness. Each day was opened and closed with joint devotions led alternatively by members of the two teams. The dialogue group took the opportunity to visit two places of great significance for the region both from a spiritual and an artistic point of view: the Franciscan cloister of Siessen and the baroque church of Steinhausen. On Saturday evening, they received the visit of Bishop Gebhard Furst of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, who joined them for dinner. The dialogue members also attended Sunday Worship in the Cathedral of St. Martin in Rottenburg.

Co-Chairs of this Dialogue session were the Rev. Cecil M. Robeck Jr. (Assemblies of God, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, USA) and Msgr. John Radano (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Vatican) USA.

The Pentecostal team included: the Rev. David Cole (Open Bible Churches), Eugene Bible College, Eugene, OR (USA); the Rev. Clayton Endecott (Church of God of Prophecy), Langen (Germany); Dr. François Moller (Apostolic Faith Mission), Auckland Park Theological Seminary, Petervale, Sandton (South Africa); the Rev. Stephen Parker (Church of God of Prophecy), Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA (USA); the Rev. Huibert Zegwaart (Verenigde Pinkster - en Evangeliegemeenten), Azusa Theological Serninary, Amsterdam (Netherlands); the Rev. Steve Overman (International Church of the Foursquare Gospel), Eugene Faith Center, Eugene, OR (USA), who served as co-secretary,

The Catholic team included: Sister Maria Ko Ha Fong, EM.A. (Pontificia Facoltà Auxilium, Rome), China; Dr. Ralph Del Colle (Marquette University) Milwaukee, WI, USA; Mr. Hans Gasper (Deutsche Bischofskonferenz, Bonn) Germany; the Rev. William Henn, O.F.M. Cap. (Gregorian University, Rome) USA; the Rev. Patrick Lyons, O.S.B. (Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick), Ireland; the Rev. Luis Ramos, O.P. (Convento Santa Sabina, Rome) Mexico; and the Rev. Juan Usma Gόmez (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Vatican) Colombia, who served as co-secretary.

[Information Service 113 (2003/II-III) 79]