WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ECUMENICAL?

*    The word ‘ecumenical’ derives from the Greek oikoumene, which literally translated means ‘inhabited earth’.  In secular usage it carried the connotation of the civilised world; in other words the Graeco-Roman Empire. However, from the 4^th century onwards ‘ecumenical’ became applied to the Church and referred to all matters, institutions and decisions that effected the entire body.

*    Over the ensuing centuries, the church split into various factions, due to theological, doctrinal and political differences. One of the results of this today is the plethora of Christian denominations and most notably the split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church.

*     The Ecumenical Movement is the name given to the 20^th century search to restore Christian unity, which officially dates itself from the World Missionary Conference at Edinburgh in 1910.

*      In the eyes of some, divisions among Christians were not simply a practical impediment to mission; they amounted to ‘the scandal of disunity’. Advocates of the movement referred the churches to

various Scriptures which speak to the unity of the Body and God’s own reconciling nature. For example:

                              ·     2 Corinthians 5:19 - The Church is entrusted with the message of reconciliation

   ·     Ephesians 2:11-22 – God is reconciling himself to the Church through Jesus Christ. In Christ, the body ( which is the Church) is built up.

   ·     1 Corinthians 12: 12- 31 – The Church, as the Body of Christ, is made up of many parts. All parts are necessary for the Body to function properly.

   ·     John 17: 20-26 – As The father and the Son are one, Jesus prays that his followers will be one.

*    To develop a spirituality of ecumenism is not the same as conformity. To be ecumenical is to declare a willingness to explore with other Christians the common roots of the faith; of most importance in Christian ecumenism is that people focus primarily on Christ, not on separate church organizations:

“Ecumenical spirituality expresses the common life shared by Christians in spite of the separation of their churches. It is the recognition that in virtue of their baptism and commitment to Christ, Christians are brought into membership of the church. This common Christian life has to be manifested by the followers of Jesus if his gospel of reconciliation and unity is to have relevance and credibility for non-Christians……As Christians meet and interact there develops an atmosphere of acceptance and friendship. They become aware of the need to eliminate words, judgements and actions which do not correspond with the truth and fairness demanded by the actual conditions of each other’s belief and practice.”

*Extract from ‘A Dictionary of Christian Spirituality , Ed Gordon S Wakefield    Published by SCM Press Ltd 1983

Ø      Ecumenical is not to be confused with inter-faith, which is another issue all together. An Ecumenical Chaplaincy is not the same thing as a Multi-Faith Chaplaincy.

Ø      Whilst there have been debates over the years about matters to do with ‘watering down the Gospel’, the modern day ecumenical movement focuses around those denominations and churches which declare an orthodox understanding of the Word of God and which proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour. 

 The Chaplaincy at Loughborough University & Colleges endeavours to reflect this understanding of ecumenism, as it seeks to work alongside Christian churches of all denominations. Similarly each Chaplain, by signing up to the Chaplaincy Working Agreement ( see below), practice their ministry as part of an ecumenical team.  

The Chaplaincy at Loughborough University and Colleges

Declaration of Intent - Working Agreement

We, the Christian Chaplains serving at Loughborough University, Loughborough College and RNIB Vocational College, confess together our faith in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour according to the Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church. We acknowledge our calling to serve God and to proclaim the Gospel in the communities of the University and Colleges and in Loughborough and its surrounds.

We give thanks for the growing unity God is already giving to us, and we affirm our intent to work and pray together for that unity which is Christ's will for His Church. We pledge ourselves to work towards greater mutual accountability and consultation in both appointments and activities and to support and resource one another for our shared ministry.

We rejoice in the rich variety of our different Christian traditions, and recognise that in the unity we seek there will be not uniformity but reconciled diversity, based on unity in faith. We therefore commit ourselves to working in partnership, to joint prayer, fellowship, learning and worship, whilst respecting each other and each other's traditions and disciplines.

Within the institutions we serve, we also pledge that we will seek further ways in which this commitment may be expressed as we endeavour to be God's instruments for peace, reconciliation and unity. In particular we will seek to further develop active participation by the Chaplaincy in the life of the University and Colleges and involvement by members of these institutions in the life of the Chaplaincy.

Agreement signed and endorsed - 12 February 2004