Willem A. Visser't Hooft

Last January the Christian Century noted with considerable concern that the man who has guided the World Council of Churches since its formation fifteen years ago would be stepping down from his position as General Secretary "within a year or two." The ecumenical magazine pondered the chances of replacing Willem Adolph Visser't Hooft and concluded that it was not possible. For Dr. Visser't Hooft is at once a kind of charismatic leader-prophet, an astute theologian, and a gifted diplomat. His successor may be one or some of these things, but it is unlikely that he will be them all.

The Dutch-born Protestant leader prefers to think of himself as simply "an international Christian worker." He has never been anything else. Thirty-eight years ago the American ecumenist John R. Mott picked Visser't Hooft out of the State University of Leyden and made him the secretary of the YMCA's World Alliance. Two years later Visser't Hooft became head of the World Student Christian Federation. When the 1937 Oxford Conferences of the Life and Work and Faith and Order Movements resulted in the establishment of a Provisional Committee to set up the World Council of Churches, Visser't Hooft was the obvious choice for the job of general secretary. Despite the delay in the Council's formation caused by the war, the dream of Christian unity finally began to take shape with the Council's First Assembly in 1948 at Evanston, Ill.

Since then, the World Council has grown steadily to its present membership of over 200 churches, with congregations totaling nearly 400 million Christians. At every step of the Council's development, Willem Visser't Hooft has made his leadership and wisdom felt. It was he who paved the way for the historical entry of the Eastern Orthodox churches into the World Council in 1962. He has taken a first hand interest in racial problems in South Africa as well as in missionary work all over the globe. Although he directs an international staff of 150 people at the WCC's general headquarters, Visser't Hooft also attends countless international meetings each year.

The pre-eminent Protestant figure in the ecumenical movement believes that this twentieth century Reformation of Christendom is the work of God. "We have not created this present ecumenical situation," says Visser't Hooft. "We have been led into it. We have been used for purposes larger than we had in mind."

Certainly, the ecumenical movement has progressed far beyond anyone's hopes in 1948. Visser't Hooft is confident that the churches will continue "their tremendous resilience." He admits that the churches have often failed to make themselves relevant to modern man, but he adds, "It is precisely because the churches have great powers of recuperation when they are in difficult situations that one can not help but have hope today."

Visser't Hooft describes the ecumenical movement as "a great effort of the Church to get into a real conversation with the world." By this he does not mean that the churches must change their fundamental tenets; rather, he believes their truth must be proclaimed anew by a church "united in a common divine calling." He recalls that the theme of the Oxford conferences in 1937 was, "Let the Church be the Church." And he admires the German theologian Karl Barth because "Barth felt the church had lost its soul in making adjustments to historical trends. He called the church to be itself again," says Visser't Hooft.

Long experience in ecumenical affairs has given Visser't Hooft both hope for the church's continued renewal and a realism concerning the difficulties involved. he becomes excited at the possibility of spiritual renewal when churches examine themselves in the "ecumenical encounter." "Once the churches take each other seriously, once they see each other as Christians," says the Protestant leader, "there is hope that they will be liberated from the captivity of their own provincialisms."

Though joyful that the ecumenical spirit has prompted the Catholic Church to seek ecclesiastical renewal, Visser't Hooft speaks cautiously, about the chances for the ultimate reunion of Protestants and Catholics. "We must understand," he said, "that the Spirit is at work in the new self-examination and self-correction of the Roman Catholic Church, but that the fundamental issues which keep us apart remain stubborn realities."

To the non-Christian world the difficulties facing the ecumenical movement may seem irrelevant and the church itself an anachronism. But it would be foolish to dismiss the importance of the new spirit which pervades the Christian world today. For as old walls of misunder-standing fall, as love comes to dominate hate, it may be possible that the work of people like Dr. Visser't Hooft will ultimatcly make all men feel closer to one another.