In this context, it is when the different branches of the Christian Church work together to make our unity more visible to ourselves and to show the world the unity which we have in Christ.
The Heart of Ecumenism
What causes our divisions?
Who are the Churches?
Reconciliation and Unity
It is the reality of Christ, the work of the Church and the hope for the World
For the Millennium celebrations, the Churches in Lyon, France created an exhibition to show the influence of the church in the city over the two thousand years of the Christian faith - and their hopes for the future.
At the time, I was the leader of the Lyon Anglican Church, serving the international English-speaking community in the area. For the exhibition, I was partly responsible for setting up the section on Ecumenism - drawing from the various traditions of the Christian Church which were active in Lyon - and a particular responsibility was to create the website section.
This site is virtually as it was created for that occasion - though translated into English! It does not claim to be comprehensive in any way - nor scholarly. Inevitably, when complex issues are simplified, they lose accuracy - but I hope this site gives a flavour of what has been, what currently is (or was in 2000!) and what could - and I believe should - be in the future.
Jim Perryman : Former Ecumenical Officer for the Diocese of Canterbury
