Loving Greetings in the Lord Jesus Christ,

We are writing to inform the Brotherhood of a change in our fellowship practice regarding the 2014 Commendation Letter. We pray this change will help promote unity and peace in the Central Fellowship in the Great Lakes region.

The Cambridge Ecclesia has consistently endorsed unity efforts. The most recent effort in Ontario used the 2014 Commendation Letter as a vehicle for unity. Although the decade-long Commendation Letter process demonstrated there was no doctrinal barrier to unity, it did not bring unity to the body of Christ. Since the Commendation Letter has not achieved its intended purpose, the Cambridge Ecclesia endorses the following statement:

“While recognizing the supremacy of the Bible above all man-made documents, the Cambridge Christadelphian Ecclesia accepts the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith (BASF) including ‘Doctrines to Be Rejected’ and the ‘Commandments of Christ’ as a true definition of the One Faith revealed in the Bible. We fellowship on this basis in keeping with Central practice.”

 

Our ecclesial decision means that we no longer endorse the Commendation Letter. We no longer recognize the commended Unamended ecclesias as a part of the Central Fellowship.

 

In keeping with Biblical teaching, we remain committed to finding a new way forward to heal the breach in the Lord’s Body:

• “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)
• “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:2-6)

Love in Christ,
Kurt Ruhland
Recording Brother, on behalf of the Cambridge Ecclesia