Sixty-seven national Christian leaders from five Christian families – Evangelical/Pentecostal, Historic Protestant, Historic Racial/Ethnic, Orthodox and Catholic—met in their fifth and largest gathering to pray and dialogue together at the Jesuit Conference Center in Los Altos, California, from June 1 – 3, 2005. Since its initial gathering in 2001, Christian Churches Together seeks to form a fellowship of the broadest spectrum of Christian churches and traditions in the USA. The gathering at Los Altos brought together a wider, more diverse circle of Christian church leaders than at any of the previous four meetings.

Thirty-one churches and national Christian organizations have already formally decided to join Christian Churches Together. Twenty additional church leaders attended as observers from denominations that are actively considering joining. Through two and a half days of sharing, prayer and worship, the participants wrestled with difficult and complex issues in a spirit of love and good will. Relationships with the Historic Black Churches were deepened through intensive dialogue and sharing. Participants received a report about the Global Christian Forum, a global initiative to bring together the wide diversity of Christian traditions into fellowship and cooperation.

We agreed that the next meeting would continue common activities of prayer, biblical reflection, worship and relationship building as well as wrestle in depth with the issue of poverty in the United States. The Reverend Wesley Granberg-Michaelson was unanimously reelected as moderator to lead an expanded Steering Committee.

The decision was made to delay a formal launch planned for this fall in order to continue the productive and positive conversation with churches and organizations actively considering joining. Participants enthusiastically reaffirmed their commitment to “grow closer together in Christ in order to strengthen our Christian witness in the world.”

Wesley Granberg-Michaelson
Chair, CCT Steering Committee
Reformed Church in America
4500 60th Street SE
Grand Rapids MI 49512
616-698-7071