The World Methodist Conference (WMC) will adopt the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) agreed in 1999 between the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), which, in practice, eliminated the main theological element of division between Catholics and Lutherans. The act to extend the Declaration will take place in Uiwang near Seoul, during a special church service in the presence of Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and Rev. Ismael Noko, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The WMC will release its statement on the affirmation of the JDDJ on Sunday, 23 July 2006.
"This was one of the issues that created the split that formed the Protestant church," said the Rev. George H. Freeman, general secretary of the World Methodist Council, speaking in advance of the World Methodist Conference meetings. "Methodists are certainly in agreement with the idea of justification by faith, and we ought to add our names to this declaration," said Freeman.
In a press conference in Seoul Cardinal Kasper said "it will be a historic moment for me to testify to the ceremony here in Seoul on the pope's behalf." The 73-year-old cardinal also noted that, ever since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the Roman Catholic Church has promoted ecumenism by establishing 16 official dialogues with different Christian Churches.
According to traditional Roman Catholic teaching, as reconfirmed in the Tridentine Council, two conditions are necessary for human salvation: God's grace and good deeds. However, Martin Luther taught that only God's grace is needed. The Catholic-Lutheran agreement reconciles those views by saying human salvation is possible with God's grace, while God's grace asks people to do good deeds.
In the 1808 edition of the "Methodist Articles of Religion", a statement of how Methodists interpret the Holy Scriptures, Article 9 deals with the issue of the Justification of Man: "We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith, only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort".
Methodists believe good works, pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, spring from a true and living faith, for through and by them faith is made evident. Justification by faith alone, in the classical Protestant sense, is God’s declaration that a person is righteous in lieu of their faith in Jesus as lord and saviour.
The Methodist movement originated in England in the 18th century as a movement of spiritual, missionary and social renewal. Today it is present in close to 100 countries. An estimated 75 million people worldwide belong to the Methodist community, but the number has gone into steady decline especially in North America where an increasing number of people are becoming more inclined to join theologically conservative churches.
The World Methodist Conference (WMC) represents 76 denominations, with member-bodies located in 130 countries across the globe. The last gathering was held in Brighton, England, in 2001.