D) Religious identity through unification
The development of the Ecumenical Movement since 1910 (World Missionary
Conference)
Many divisions within Christianity and conflicts for many centuries.
There is the ‘ecumenical’ movement which is ‘the entire, inhabited world’ from the greek
oikoumene, used to describe efforts at Christian unity. Supported by bible in scripture.
- Supported by Prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-22 ‘I ask not not only on behalf of these,
but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their world, that they may
all be one’
‘Spiritual power united in worship’ (Matthew 18:19-20), underlying their differences is that all
christians are in deep fellowship with God they live in deep fellowship of one another.
However, many different aspects of Christian faith, highlighted in gospels.
However what churches need to agree on and surrender as ‘non essential’ is the most
important challenge of the Ecumenical movement
The Edinburgh Missionary conference
The 1910 conference of mostly Anglo American Protestant missionaries to promote unity
within mission work, bringing together a huge number of christian groups, leading to the
formation of todays world council of churches.
1200 missionaries from 160 missionary boards gathered for 10 days to discuss missionary
work, in order to allow a self supporting/governing church. Although, there was conflict as
New churches in Africa and Asia argued western churches were intervening.
Slogan adopted of ‘Doctrine divides but service unites’, as bigger problem than church
disputes required to spread Christian message, leading a committee carrying on
coordinating missionary activity.
The conference spread unity by commitment to work together and future gatherings,
although the Roman Catholic church and Orthodox Churches weren't invited, and no
differences between beliefs explored and no agreement reached.
After the conference
In 1920, Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople proposed a ‘league of Churches’, after the
‘league of nations’ was established.
International missionary conference in 1921, extended work of the edinburgh conference,
discussing issues such as the gospels relevance to war and slavery and Christian message
in a secular world.
The development of the Ecumenical Movement since 1910 (World Missionary
Conference)
Many divisions within Christianity and conflicts for many centuries.
There is the ‘ecumenical’ movement which is ‘the entire, inhabited world’ from the greek
oikoumene, used to describe efforts at Christian unity. Supported by bible in scripture.
- Supported by Prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-22 ‘I ask not not only on behalf of these,
but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their world, that they may
all be one’
‘Spiritual power united in worship’ (Matthew 18:19-20), underlying their differences is that all
christians are in deep fellowship with God they live in deep fellowship of one another.
However, many different aspects of Christian faith, highlighted in gospels.
However what churches need to agree on and surrender as ‘non essential’ is the most
important challenge of the Ecumenical movement
The Edinburgh Missionary conference
The 1910 conference of mostly Anglo American Protestant missionaries to promote unity
within mission work, bringing together a huge number of christian groups, leading to the
formation of todays world council of churches.
1200 missionaries from 160 missionary boards gathered for 10 days to discuss missionary
work, in order to allow a self supporting/governing church. Although, there was conflict as
New churches in Africa and Asia argued western churches were intervening.
Slogan adopted of ‘Doctrine divides but service unites’, as bigger problem than church
disputes required to spread Christian message, leading a committee carrying on
coordinating missionary activity.
The conference spread unity by commitment to work together and future gatherings,
although the Roman Catholic church and Orthodox Churches weren't invited, and no
differences between beliefs explored and no agreement reached.
After the conference
In 1920, Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople proposed a ‘league of Churches’, after the
‘league of nations’ was established.
International missionary conference in 1921, extended work of the edinburgh conference,
discussing issues such as the gospels relevance to war and slavery and Christian message
in a secular world.
