Leader Brings Vision to Council : Ecumenism: The Rev. Gordon Sommers heads the tiny Moravian Church but has ambitious plans as president of the National Council of Churches.

As a leader of the tiny Moravian Church, the Rev. Gordon L. Sommers had a flock of 56,000 to tend to. Now he has 49 million.

Sommers was sworn in this month as president of the National Council of Churches, a New York-based ecumenical group that represents people in 32 Protestant and Eastern Orthodox denominations.

The council focuses on social advocacy, refugee assistance, public policy issues, education and dialogue among Christianity’s different denominations. About 80% of its budget goes to refugee assistance overseas.

Sommers, 58, is the first minister from the Moravian Church to serve as president of the council. He has been president of the Moravian Church’s executive board in Bethlehem, Pa.

One of Sommers’ goals is to rebuild bridges to grass-roots ecumenism--promoting cooperation and understanding of differing religious faiths.

“We must facilitate regional and local ecumenism,” the minister said. “We’ve been accused of ignoring evangelism and issues dealing with Christ.”

But the council will not ignore its tradition of taking on social issues, Sommers said.

At this year’s annual board meeting in Baltimore, the group denounced violence in the media. It called on government to develop media standards and toughen regulations but said censorship is not the answer to the problem of violence.

“It’s self-evident that we don’t beat up our neighbor,” Sommers said. “It’s a theological issue. But if it also involves politics, so be it.”

The council has taken on other issues. In 1989, it adopted a resolution that supported banning assault weapons and restricting handguns. It supports universal health care and is waiting to take a position on health care reform.

Sommers dismissed critics who say the council is too closely tied to liberal positions on social issues.

Council members hold views that transcend the ideological spectrum and reflect the group’s diversity, he said.

“I’d tell the critics, don’t confuse these positions with a corporate response to society which is integral to the Christian faith,” Sommers said. “It’s a matter of faith.”

Ecumenism and evangelism have been the two driving forces in Sommers’ life.

Born in Edmonton, Canada, Sommers was educated at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa. He has earned advanced degrees in divinity and theology from the Moravian Theological Seminary and the Princeton Theological Seminary. He holds a doctorate in ministry from the New York Theological Seminary.

He has served several Moravian pastorates in central Pennsylvania and suburban Washington, D.C.

The Moravian Church was brought to the United States by German missionaries in the 18th Century. The church most closely resembles Presbyterianism with an emphasis on evangelism and liturgy.

He also has worked as a missionary in Nicaragua and Guyana.

“I’ve lived in four different cultures and worked with a variety of people,” Sommers said. “My son says he knows what it’s like to live as a minority in a different culture.”

Sommers wants to reach out to the Roman Catholic and Pentecostal churches and establish talks about a possible future together, although he acknowledged that there has been a reluctance from Catholics and Pentecostals to join the council.

“We want to sit down and try to map something out,” Sommers said. “We have the green light on our side.”

In early December, Sommers and other council leaders will travel to the Vatican to present Pope John Paul II with a Bible--a newly revised version written in contemporary language.

Sommers hopes that the message goes beyond a religious context and begins to lay the groundwork for discussions between the council and Catholic Church.

“If a new entity means the death of the council, the council will die,” he said. “It’s not a static entity. It’s changing.”