From the President: What Can Catholics and Protestants Learn From One Another Today? 

On November 1, 1944, a woman from the Christian Reformed Church married a man from the Catholic Church. The wedding took place in Roseland, Illinois. Even before their wedding, the couple had resolved that they would honor each other’s faith and seek to find a church where they both felt at home. They did so and a number of years later, they became parents to Jackie, who is my wife of over thirty-five years.

Jackie grew up in a home where the religious background and heritage of both her mother and father were known and appreciated. Her faith story — which included knowing about first communion and midnight mass as well as profession of faith — was one that resonated with the diverse group of people who entered into the new church that we were privileged to help begin in the Chicagoland area many years later.

Our last Forum issue looked back to what came to be known as the Five Solas of the Reformation. It is out of that biblical and theological framework that we present this issue — “What Can Catholics and Protestants Learn From One Another Today?”

Are there still differences? Absolutely. But we need to ask what can we learn from one another and see as points of convergence in an increasingly secular age. Jesus Christ himself desires for us to exhibit as much unity as possible with those who also acknowledge him as their Lord and Savior. 

Along with these articles, I invite you to visit vimeo.com/239693144 to watch a video of an October 5 event held at the Calvin College Chapel of the same title as this Forum issue where a Catholic Professor from Hope College and the Catholic Bishop of Grand Rapids brought their own voice to this important topic.

Thanks for taking the time to listen in and also learn from our faculty who have been a part of such conversations for many years. We all benefit when we humble ourselves to listen to other brothers and sisters.

In His Service With You, 

Jul Medenblik