THE PUBLICATION OF the ground-breaking article "Renewing the Heart of Faith," which calls for the constructive engagement of Christians together, is a happy moment to express to you the appreciation I have had for your work for many years.
The work of my office is to build bridges, on sound footings, between the mainstream ecumenical churches, Protestant and Catholic, and the evangelical churches -- "evangelical" as we use it today in the United States especially, where two different families or groupings of Protestant churches have evolved.
Jim Wallis' writings, grounded in evangelical faith and understandings, consistently contribute to the breaking down of dividing walls. Your evangelicalism does not define itself "as over against," but testifies to God's power in Christ, bearing witness at the same time to the apostolicity and power of evangelical faith. That faith, when packaged in adversarial wrappings, is strangely distorted. You help it shine forth in its true colors, allowing us in the conciliar churches more easily to claim some evangelical faith (the heritage of so many of us) for ourselves just as you so happily claim ecumenical convictions and impulses.
Elizabeth H. Mellen
Evangelical & Free Churches Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute
New York, New York
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