What is the background of the Ecumenical Movement?
Ecumenical aspiration can be clearly traced from the New Testament, but the movement itself may be identified as a particular theological development of the twentieth century. Important landmarks during this century include: • 1925 Universal Conference Life and Work (concerned with Christianity in society). • 1927 World Conference Faith and Order (concerned with theology of unity). • 1948 World Council of Churches (WCC) was born as ‘the fellowship of Churches which accept our Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour’. This included all mainstream confessions and denominations except the Roman Catholic Church and the Unitarian Church. • 1961 Roman Catholic observers were permitted to attend WCC and in 1963 non Roman Catholic Churches were invited to attend the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church.
