The 2010 Uniting General Council recommended “a consultation within WCRC to consider the possibility of associating with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ).”

The JDDJ, signed by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Roman Catholic Church in 1999, states that they share “a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ.” The JDDJ praises this consensus as an important step on the way to Christian unity. For this reason the Catholic Church and the LWF invited other churches and ecumenical bodies to associate with the declaration.

The issue of association was discussed over several years by the WCRC Executive Committee. At its meeting in Havana in May, the Executive Committee decided to proceed with an association process. The Committee also resolved that the Statement of Association should emphasize the connection between justification and justice as a Reformed contribution to future ecumenical dialogue on the understanding of justification.

A small group of theologians subsequently worked on a draft Statement of Association to emphasize the Reformed contributions to the common understanding of justification. The headings that structure the document point to the particular Reformed emphasis that guides the WCRC’s association with the JDDJ:

• “We hear the consensus and agree”
• “We particularly appreciate some of the distinctive insights in the JDDJ”
• “The Reformed have particular emphases and additional insights to bring”
• “We wish to underscore the integral relation between justification and justice”

This draft Statement of Association is being shared with member churches for feedback and comment. In December the Executive Committee will review the responses and, if the way is clear, will take action to adopt the Statement. If action is taken it will become a part of a common celebration of Christian unity at the 2017 General Council.

More information on the process to associate with the JDDJ can be found at wcrc.ch/jddj