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2.5 ACOP & ECP Merger
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I think it was a mature and important change for Small to accept a merge and form more of a fellowship. The Bible is so clear the God intends for followers to be involved in each others faith and that community and accountability is so important.
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The merger created a stronger fellowship for both organizations that is still going strong 70 years later. Being able to love and fellowship with others who have doctrinal differences is important because Jesus called us to love as He did. He calls us to be in unity with one another and when we are it is when God is at work most effectively through us. We are unified through our faith in Jesus Christ and have salvation in and through Him alone.
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I think that the decision of the ACOP to merge with the ECP made sense and is an example of how groups that have small doctrinal differences can overlook them for the greater good of the Kingdom. It's very interesting that the issues were quite similar to those that prevented the merger with the PAOC – I believe this demonstrates growth and maturity. Unity and fellowship should be of higher importance than doctrinal differences. The body of Christ is commanded to love each other and walk in unity, not to focus on differences. I would say that a fellowship should function where there are doctrinal differences much in the same way that individual churches should – by walking in love and offering grace. I don't think it is likely, or even possible, to bring a group of people together – even within the same church – who all agree completely on doctrine. That being said, we are commanded to dwell in unity – as difficult as that may sometimes be!
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One thing that I wondered hearing about the ECP/ACOP merger is how much of their mission was aligned? I wondered if an alignment of mission allowed them to agree to compromise on certain doctrinal differences. That is just my speculating, and hope to learn a little bit more in the readings. I see that unity, fellowship, and relationship should always be held as the highest importance, as well as the primary truths laid out in the Word. I don't think we can ever compromise primary truths; for example, the physical death and resurrection of Jesus. To have differing doctrine on those kinds of issues of doctrine would lead to a ministry that has no ability to carry out its mission. However, we can still stay in loving relationships with others even when our missions don't align.
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