February 24, 1999

Nine mainline denominations
seek more cooperation
___ST. LOUIS (RNS)--Leaders of nine mainline Protestant religious bodies have forged a proposal aimed at establishing greater church unity beginning by the year 2002.
___For almost four decades, the groups have struggled to find ways to work together--first holding out the hope of organic merger but, in recent years, reaching agreement on a way to present a unified voice on issues on which they agree.
___At the conclusion of a five-day meeting in January, the Consultation on Church Union decided on a new name--Churches Uniting in Christ--and proposed their member churches work especially hard on combating racism.
___The proposal calls for the churches to mutually recognize each other's congregations, members and ministries.
___Member bodies are the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the Episco-pal Church, the International Council of Community Churches, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church.

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