Commission one on ecumenical leadership formation has started a lot of really interesting discussions. Today the question arose : how is inter-faith dialogue related to ecumenism ?

How can we engage the broader religious world in a way that enriches all sides ?

Evangelism came up as a problematic piece of that question. From my own perspective, we must walk into dialogue knowing that the process itself is the purpose, not necessarily whether the person I'm talking to becomes convinced of my own position.

Instead of evangelizing, I wonder if we should think of ourselves as Testifying to the power of our own Faith in our own experience, and listening, whole-heartedly, to another's experience. If people are convinced, that's terrific, but at the very least we are both Witnesses to the Spirit of God in action.

Some fears exist, I think, about entering into those kinds of dialogue. Fears about how one's identity may be challenged by that process. In my own experience though, sharing our Faith only strengthens that identity because we are made to articulate how an abstract thing (theology), becomes real and tangible in our lives.

It's a revelation for ourselves as much as it is for the other, because it demands we reflect and articulate our own spiritual experiences.

Stephen Dotson, USA, Society of Friends (Quaker) Assembly steward.