The modern ecumenical movement is based on the conviction that the Gospel
calls us to work for the visible expression of the unity that Christ has willed for the church.
The churches have entrusted the mission to promote ecumenical dialogue, education and study to
various institutes, centres, and agencies. Many of these are listed below. One conviction is
shared by all: there is only one ecumenical movement. All that promotes the unity of Christ's
church is good and holy.
International
International
- Biblica
- "In 1809, several believers gathered in lower Manhattan, New York, to discuss the city’s spiritual needs. Among them were community pillars including Henry Rutgers (Rutgers University) and William Colgate (Colgate Palmolive Corp). They formed the New York Bible Society, later renamed International Bible Society, and now Biblica. Our Bible outreach soon spread as far and rapidly as the young nation itself through outreach to mariners, soldiers, and pioneers heading west. And in 1810, the fledgling society funded its first translation, William Carey’s Bengali Bible translation in India.
Throughout our first 200 years, Biblica ministry was interwoven with historic times and worldwide events including: providing Bibles in 65 languages to U.S. immigrants for over 135 years, placing decision pages in Scriptures for Billy Sunday’s evangelism crusades, giving Bibles to soldiers in WWI and WWII, providing more than 4 million Scriptures to people in the Soviet Union following the collapse, and ministering to more than a quarter million survivors of the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami.
In 2007 International Bible Society (IBS) and Send the Light (STL) merged to multiply our evangelism and discipleship efforts, and in 2009, we formed Biblica and celebrated 200 years of ministry. Today, Biblica works in 55 countries in six regions of the world. Our global ministry continues to impact various groups such as children, at-risk teens, the unreached, disaster survivors, prisoners, and refugees. Biblica has translated, published, and provided more than 650 million Bibles and biblical resources to bring the good news of God’s love and mercy to people worldwide." [from the website]
- Conseil œcuméniques des églises (COE)
Conseil œcuméniques des églises
- Le Conseil œcuménique des Églises est une communauté fraternelle d'Églises qui confessent le Seigneur Jésus Christ comme Dieu et Sauveur selon les Écritures et s'efforcent de répondre ensemble à leur commune vocation pour la gloire du seul Dieu, Père, Fils et Saint Esprit. Cette communauté d'Églises est sur la voie de l'unité visible en une seule foi et une seule communauté eucharistique, exprimée dans le culte et la vie commune en Christ. Elle s'efforce de progresser vers cette unité, tout comme Jésus a prié pour ses disciples, "afin que le monde croie" (Jean 17,21).
Le Conseil œcuménique des Églises (COE) est la plus vaste et la plus inclusive des nombreuses expressions organisées du mouvement œcuménique moderne, dont l'objectif est l'unité des chrétiens. Le COE rassemble Églises, dénominations et communautés d'Églises d'une bonne centaine de pays et territoires du monde entier, représentant plus de 500 millions de chrétiens et comprenant la plupart des Églises orthodoxes, un grand nombre d'Églises anglicanes, baptistes, luthériennes, méthodistes et réformées, ainsi que de nombreuses Églises unies et indépendantes. A la fin de 2012, le COE comptait 345 Églises membres. Si les Églises fondatrices du COE se trouvaient pour la plupart en Europe et en Amérique du Nord, de nos jours ce sont les Églises membres en Afrique, en Asie, aux Caraïbes, en Amérique latine, au Moyen-Orient et dans la région du Pacifique qui sont en majorité.
Pour ses Églises membres, le COE constitue un lieu unique où elles peuvent réfléchir, parler, agir, prier et travailler ensemble, s'interpeller et se soutenir mutuellement, partager et discuter. En tant que membres de cette communauté, les Églises membres du COE
- sont appelées à atteindre l'objectif de l'unité visible en une seule foi et une seule communauté eucharistique;
- renforcent leur témoignage commun par leurs activités de mission et d'évangélisation;
- pratiquent le service chrétien en répondant aux besoins de l'humanité, en brisant les barrières entre les individus, en recherchant la justice et la paix et en sauvegardant l'intégrité de la création;
- encouragent le renouveau dans l'unité, le culte, la mission et le service.
- Ecumenical Church Loan Fund (ECLOF)
Ecumenical Church Loan Fund
- The ECLOF is a microcredit lending organization committed to fostering greater social and economic justice. ECLOF works in 40 countries throughout the world making loans to churches, non-governmental organizations, and groups of individuals who have no other access to fair credit.
ECLOF has a clear mission to promote social justice and human dignity through microfinance. Microfinance services offer vulnerable and excluded people and group access to capital resources that enable them to build sustainable livelihoods. This can open up a path from vulnerability to self-reliance. ECLOFs relationship with clients must be a partnership of equals, not the one-way relationship between donor and recipient.
Our responsibility is to lend capital on reasonable terms appropriate to the circumstances of our clients. Their duty is to use it well, and then repay it. Both of us do our utmost, in the language of the gospels, to be excellent stewards of the resources we share. Our highest priority is to reach vulnerable communities, particularly in rural areas, which are excluded from access to formal sources of finance. We support them without regard to gender, race, creed or political persuasion.
- Ecumenical Network for Youth Action (ENYA)
Ecumenical Network for Youth Action
- Transforming churches and communities through training, resource sharing and networking. "ENYA is an inclusive ecumenical international movement of Churches/ Faith Communities and their related associations, which is membership / partnership driven. Including children, youth and women's organisations, diaconal projects, Christian Education groups, children's, youth and women's rights and protection activist networks, ecumenical youth movements, social movements, justice, peace, reconciliation and environmental groups, NGO's, lay training academies / centres, and individuals in over 50 countries around the world. ENYA is working with ecumenical local and international partners, to implement many challenging and forward looking initiatives, programmes, internships, interactive training for transformation projects, pilgrimages, campaigns, resource kits and solidarity work."
- Ecumenical Youth
- The World Council of Churches' Youth Web Site seeks to strengthen the ecumenical youth movement and young people's solidarity networks, promote ecumenism and the search for Christian unity among young Christians. This is a place where young people across cultures and across confessions can meet, discuss, share and learn from each other, as well as from the information provided on site. This is a place for YOU!
- Fédération Universelle des Associations Chrétiennes d'Étudiants (FUACE)
- "La Fédération des Associations Chrétiennes d'Étudiants invite les étudiants à vivre la Bonne Nouvelle de l'Évangile de Jésus-Christ. Elle leur offre un lieu de rencontre par-delà toute barrière culturelle, raciale ou confessionnelle, un espace où l'on peut développer la formation des cadres, renforcer le rôle des femmes, analyser de façon critique l'enseignement supérieur dans le contexte actuel de la mondialisation, élaborer des alternatives à ce phénomène, et explorer la théologie et la spiritualité qui sous-tendent les espoirs et les problèmes des étudiants du monde entier.
Il y déjà plus d'un siècle que la Fédération des Associations Chrétiennes d'Étudiants rassemble de jeunes chrétiens de toutes Églises et nations. En 1895, des étudiants originaires de dix pays d'Amérique du Nord et d'Europe créent la FUACE au Château de Vadstena, en Suède. Parmi les principaux membres fondateurs, se comptaient John R. Mott (États-Unis) et Karl Fries (Suède). Historiquement, la FUACE est la première organisation internationale d'étudiants et, avec l'UCJG et l'UCJF, elle est l'un des plus anciens mouvements pour la jeunesse.
Au long de son histoire, riche et active, la Fédération a joué un rôle essentiel au sein des mouvements missionnaires et œcuméniques. Dès la fin du XIXe siècle et le début du XXe, la FUACE a encouragé les étudiants à s'engager activement dans la diffusion de l'Évangile, en insistant sur l'importance de la communication réciproque, la coopération et les enjeux des principales Églises institutionnelles. Elle a toujours travaillé et travaille encore pour assurer l'unité dans l'Église et dans le monde."
- Interchurch Families International Network (IFIN)
- "Interchurch families live their faith in the richness and the diversity of different Christian traditions. These pages explore some of these riches and the challenges and opportunities they present. The Association is a support network and information service: for interchurch families (where the partners belong to different denominations usually Roman Catholic and another Christian communion); for partners and parents, growing children and young adults; for clergy, ministers, relatives, and all others concerned in the welfare of interchurch families; and a voice in the churches: by keeping the pastoral needs of interchurch families before church leaders and communities, at local, regional, national and international level, the Association is linked with groups of interchurch families in many parts of the world; by affirming the gifts of interchurch families and their potential as a catalyst for wider church unity." [from the British website]
The international site contains links to interchurch family and mixed marriage resources worldwide. Extensive list of documentation and discussion of these resources. Subscribe to the AIFW listserv, an English language discussion group for interchurch families and their supporters.
- Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism (LCWE)
- "The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization is an international movement for the purpose of encouraging Christians and churches everywhere to pray, study, plan and work together for the evangelization of the world. Lausanne was a congress called by a committee headed by Billy Graham in 1974 in the beautiful city of Lausanne, Switzerland. Christian leaders attended from 150 countries and many denominations. Lausanne gave its name to a Covenant which, for over 25 years, has challenged churches and Christian organizations to do a better job of making Jesus known in the world. Lausanne continues to organize consultations and conferences, publish newsletters, books, and in other ways encourage the work of world evangelization. Lausanne is a volunteer network of individuals and groups who affirm the Lausanne Covenant and who are committed to support the work of world evangelization, wherever it is done in a way that is true to the Bible. Lausanne's network has about 25 committees in different countries and regions of the world. Lausanne is supported financially by the people in its network and by the gifts of those who believe in its work." [from the website]
- Oikocredit International
- Oikocredit is a worldwide cooperative and social investor, providing funding to the microfinance sector, fair trade organizations, cooperatives and small to medium enterprises. We lend to microfinance institutions (MFIs) across the world. In turn, they provide financial services to low-income earners, with a special emphasis on: rural areas, women, agriculture, trade. We offer our investors a triple return: financial, social and environmental. In addition to a modest financial return, investors are safe in the knowledge that their money is being used to: improve livelihoods, promote fair trade, respect the environment. Oikocredit is dedicated to measuring social results, ensuring investments support initiatives for sustainable livelihoods, women's empowerment and the environment. Our members and investors expect our work to achieve a positive triple bottom line: social, environmental and financial results.
- World Alliance of YMCAs (YMCA)
- The World Alliance of YMCAs was founded in 1855 at its first World Conference, held in Paris. At that time, conference participants developed the YMCA’s first mission statement, the Paris Basis. Since then, the YMCA’s mission statement has been interpreted to reflect contemporary realities, first in 1973 with the Kampala Principles, and most recently in 1998 with Challenge 21. Challenge 21, adopted at the 14th World Council of YMCAs, Frechen, Germany, 1998 states that:
“Affirming the Paris Basis adopted in 1855 as the ongoing foundation statement of the mission of the YMCA, at the threshold of the third millennium we declare that the YMCA is a world-wide Christian, ecumenical, voluntary movement for women and men with special emphasis on and the genuine involvement of young people and that it seeks to share the Christian ideal of building a human community of justice with love, peace and reconciliation for the fullness of life for all creation. Each member YMCA is therefore called to focus on certain challenges which will be prioritized according to its own context. These challenges, which are an evolution of the Kampala Principles, are:
• Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and striving for spiritual, intellectual and physical well-being of individuals and wholeness of communities.
• Empowering all, especially young people and women to take increased responsibilities and assume leadership at all levels and working towards an equitable society.
• Advocating for and promoting the rights of women and upholding the rights of children.
• Fostering dialogue and partnership between people of different faiths and ideologies and recognizing the cultural identities of people and promoting cultural renewal.
• Committing to work in solidarity with the poor, dispossessed, uprooted people and oppressed racial, religious and ethnic minorities.
• Seeking to be mediators and reconcilers in situations of conflict and working for meaningful participation and advancement of people for their own self-determination.
• Defending God’s creation against all that would destroy it and preserving and protecting the earth’s resources for coming generations. To face these challenges, the YMCA will develop patterns of co-operation at all levels that enable self-sustenance and self-determination.”
- World Association for Christian Communication (WACC)
- The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) is a non-governmental organisation that builds on communication rights in order to promote social justice. Today, we offer guidance and support to people of all faiths, ethnicities, and cultures worldwide. We believe that everyone has the right to communicate and to be communicated to, in the same way that they have the right to food, shelter, and security. In strategic alliances, we aim to be a catalyst for change for the common good, sharing information, knowledge, and experience in the field of communication. WACC has members in 120 countries. Working with them at local, national, and regional levels, we address communication needs, strengthen capacities, advocate for communication rights, and tackle ongoing challenges such as the need for gender-sensitive reporting, peace-building, and participatory communication for development. As a global ecumenical association made up of individual, institutional, and faith-based members, we focus on advancing greater understanding and participation based on everyone’s right to communicate openly and democratically about decisions and events that affect their lives. Working with many different partners enables us to advance together towards achieving our goals. Wherever WACC is present, we aim to make a positive difference to people and communities.
- World Council of Churches (WCC)
World Council of Churches
- The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures, and therefore seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a community of churches on the way to visible unity in one faith and one eucharistic fellowship, expressed in worship and in common life in Christ. It seeks to advance towards this unity, as Jesus prayed for his followers, "so that the world may believe" (John 17:21). The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the broadest and most inclusive among the many organized expressions of the modern ecumenical movement, a movement whose goal is Christian unity.
The WCC brings together churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories throughout the world, representing over 500 million Christians and including most of the world's Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches. At the end of 2013, there were 345 member churches. While the bulk of the WCC's founding churches were European and North American, today most member churches are in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Pacific.
For its member churches, the WCC is a unique space: one in which they can reflect, speak, act, worship and work together, challenge and support each other, share and debate with each other. As members of this fellowship, WCC member churches: are called to the goal of visible unity in one faith and one eucharistic fellowship; promote their common witness in work for mission and evangelism; engage in Christian service by serving human need, breaking down barriers between people, seeking justice and peace, and upholding the integrity of creation; and foster renewal in unity, worship, mission and service.
- World Student Christian Fellowship (WSCF)
World Student Christian Fellowship
- "The World Student Christian Federation calls students to live out the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, providing a meeting place for students across boundaries of culture, race, and denomination. It is a space for leadership development, empowerment of women, a critique of higher education in the context of globalization, the development of alternatives to globalization, as well as the exploration of a theology and spirituality rooted in the hopes and struggles of students worldwide. Over a century ago, the World Student Christian Federation began providing a meeting place for young Christians from all churches and nations. Students from ten North American and European countries established the WSCF in 1895 at Vadstena Castle, Sweden. Key founders include John R. Mott (USA) and Karl Fries (Sweden). Historically, WSCF is the first international student organization and, together with YMCA and YWCA, it is among the oldest youth movements. Throughout it's rich and active history, the Federation played a fundamental role in both the modern missionary and ecumenical movements. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, WSCF encouraged students to engage actively in the work of spreading the gospel, emphasizing the importance of mutual communication, cooperation, and challenge with the mainline institutional churches. The Federation has and continues to work for unity in the church and in the world." (from the website)
- World Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)
- The World Young Women's Christian Association (World YWCA) is a global network of women leading social and economic change in over 120 countries worldwide. The World YWCA advocates for peace, justice, human rights and care for the environment and has been at the forefront of raising the status of women for more than a century. The World YWCA develops women’s leadership to find local solutions to the global inequalities women face. Each year, it reaches more than 25 million women and girls through work in over 20,000 communities. Through advocacy, training and development the World YWCA empowers women, including young women, to lead social change.
This grassroots development experience shapes the organisation’s global advocacy agenda. The World YWCA work is inspired by Christian principles and a commitment to women’s full and equal participation in society. It is a volunteer membership movement inclusive of women from many faiths, backgrounds, and cultures. The World YWCA affirms that women’s human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated.