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Mapping the Oikoumene: A Study of Current Ecumenical Structures and Relationships Overview and summary of findings

Mapping the Oikoumene: A Study of Current Ecumenical Structures and Relationships Overview and summary of findings Commissioned by the World Council of Churches Jill Hawkey, 2004. Based on interviews with 65 people. Organisation Relationships Structure of ecumenical movement

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Mapping the Oikoumene: A Study of Current Ecumenical Structures and Relationships Overview and summary of findings

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  1. Mapping the Oikoumene: A Study of Current Ecumenical Structures and Relationships Overview and summary of findings Commissioned by the World Council of Churches Jill Hawkey, 2004

  2. Based on interviews with 65 people • Organisation • Relationships • Structure of • ecumenical movement • Role in movement

  3. Roman Catholic Church -1 billion members WCC Member Church 550 million 342 member churches 120 countries Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  4. USA 635 different denominations Niue population 1300 7 different denominations Source: World Christian Database

  5. National Council of Churches • 105 countries National National Council of Churches Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  6. Other National Ecumenical Organisations -focus of a particular area eg: refugees, broadcasting, hospital chaplains, human rights -undertaking work on behalf of churches National National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  7. Agencies/ Specialised Ministries • Focus on relief and development • Many founded at end of World War 2 • Together they fund large proportion of diaconal work in • ecumenical movement • Besides WCC, they probably have strongest network of • relationships with other actors in ecumenical movement National Agencies National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  8. Agencies/ Specialised Ministries (continued) • Southern Agencies: • eg: CASA India, CCD Honduras, Christian Care Zimbabwe • working with and through local churches National Agencies National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  9. Regional Ecumenical Organisation (REOs) All Africa Conference of Churches Caribbean Conference of Churches (RC) Christian Conference of Asia Conference of European Churches Latin America Council of Churches Middle East Council of Churches (RC) Pacific Conference of Churches (RC) Regional Regional Ecumenical Organisations National Council of Churches Agencies National National Ec Orgns Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  10. Other Regional Ecumenical Organisations • Associations of Theological Institutes • Issue focused groups eg: human rights, women, the environment Regional Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Organisations Other Ecumencial Orgs National National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Agencies Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  11. Sub-Regional Fellowships • FOCCISA (Southern Africa) • FECCLAHA (Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa) • COFCEAC (Central Africa- French speaking) • FECCIWA (West Africa) • Founded in 1990s in response to conflict • work in peace building/ making, good governance, capacity building Regional Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Organisations Other Ecumencial Orgs Sub-regional Fellowships National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches National Agencies Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  12. Global Christian World Communions (CWCs) Regional Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Organisations Other Ecumenical Orgs Sub-regional Fellowships National National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Agencies Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  13. Christian World Communions (CWC’s) • Membership: • Largest: LWF, Anglican Communion, WARC • - 65-75 million each • Smaller: Church of the Brethren, Friends World Committee • -less than 500 000 • Staff: • -most less than 15 • -LWF: 70 in Geneva • Dept World Service employs 5000 people in 31 countries • Bilateral Dialogues: dealing with issues and matters of faith • which has led to conflict and division in the past

  14. Global (CWCs) World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Regional Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Organisations Other Ecumenical Orgs Sub-regional Fellowships National National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Agencies Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  15. Global CWCs WEA International Ec Orgns Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Organisations Other Ecumenical Orgs Regional Sub-regional Fellowships National National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Agencies Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  16. Mission Bodies Eg: Council for World Mission Global CWCs WEA International Ec Orgns Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Organisations Other Ecumenical Orgs Regional Sub-regional Fellowships National National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Agencies Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  17. Global CWCs WEA Mission Bodies WCC International Ec Orgns Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Organisations Other Ecumenical Orgs Regional Sub-regional Fellowships National National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Agencies Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  18. Global CWCs WEA Mission Bodies WCC International Ec Orgns Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Organisations Other Ecumenical Orgs Regional Sub-regional Fellowships National National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Agencies Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Other Churches Christian Population (2 billion)

  19. Vision Can we develop a vision for the whole of the ecumenical movement which is owned by all the actors and relevant for the 21st Century? Global CWCs WEA Mission Bodies WCC International Ec Orgns Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Org Other Ecumenical Orgs Regional Sub-regional Fellowships National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches Agencies National Other Churches Roman Catholic WCC Member Church Christian Population (2 billion)

  20. Are the Churches Committed to Working Together? • Ecumenical organisations: • difficult to get churches working together • 2. Perception that churches are focusing on their Confessional • family rather than working ecumenically • Ownership: • When things get difficult, the staff become the Botswana Christian • Council rather than the churches • Church leadership having greater role in ecumenical Councils • (resulting in more men in leadership of Councils)

  21. Issues Around Structural Relationships • A: Participation and Membership: 3 issues • 1: Member of an organisation or participant in a movement? • ‘we can’t talk about ecumenism because Roman Catholic Church • and Pentecostal churches aren’t part of the ecumenical movement’ • Pontifical Council ‘we are part of the ecumenical movement, despite • not being a member of the WCC’ • Overall, desire for greater participation of the Roman Catholic Church • and Pentecostal churches in ecumenical organisations including WCC • Global Christian Forum; bringing all churches together • Concern about impact of greater participation • Will ecumenical organisations be less able to be prophetic on issues • if they are only able to speak on issues where there is full consensus?

  22. Issues Around Structural Relationships 2. The ‘Drop-Off’ Factor World Council Of Churches Regional Ecumenical Organisation National Council Of Churches

  23. The Drop-Off Factor- Questions: 1: Could membership of an NCC lead to membership in regional and global ecumenical organisations? 2: How can NCCs engage their entire membership in the regional and global issues being addressed by REOs, the WCC and other organisations? 3: Are global ecumenical bodies (including WCC, ACT, EAA etc) relating to NCCs in such a way as to promote participation of all members and not just members of WCC?

  24. The Drop-Off Factor: Christian World Communions Overall, less than half of the members of Christian World Communions are also members of WCC. How can ecumenical organisations at the regional and global level work with CWCs so their concerns reach a greater audience? What more can CWCs be doing to promote ecumenism amongst their membership?

  25. Issues Around Structural Relationships Participation and Membership A. The Numerous Levels of Belonging WARC WCC CWMission EAA Pacific Conference of Churches Christian Conference Of Asia CCANZ Christian World Service National Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

  26. Numerous levels of belonging Difficulties for churches: 1: to absorb the programmes of the various organisations into the life of their church 2: to participate in the life of these organisations 3: to fund the many organisations

  27. Issues Around Structural Relationships B: Relationships between Organisations 1: Conciliar Bodies • lack of consistent reflection and analysis • from national to regional to global • people on governing body of WCC may not • be involved in ecumenical organisations at • national and regional level • potential for conflict and competition between • REOs and WCC, particularly role of area desks • competition for funding WCC REO NCC

  28. B: Relationships between Organisations • 2: Christian World Communions and the WCC • tension historic: founding of WCC – national churches to be members • rather than confessional bodies • perceptions • From the WCC side, there is the feeling that CWCs aren’t promoting • unity and are only promoting their own identity. On the CWC side, • there is the feeling that WCC doesn’t understand their realities ….

  29. Duplication • HIV/AIDS • Globalisation • Inter-faith issues • Violence against women • How can we work together more effectively on these issues ?

  30. Overcoming the Barriers that Divide Us I see it as very territorial. There is not a lot of recognising different roles and not a lot of mutual respect. There is more a spirit of competition than cooperation. The ethos of competition and logic of the corporate world are beginning to make inroads into the field of ecumenical organisations -Konrad Raiser 2002 How do we move beyond competition? How can we have a greater understanding and appreciation of each other’s work? Are we prepared to be accountable to each other ?

  31. Who Can Fund the Ecumenical Movement? A relatively small number of agencies in Nth America and Europe are funding a large proportion of the ecumenical movement Global CWCs WEA Mission Bodies WCC International Ec Orgns Regional Theological Instit’s Regional Ecumenical Organisations Other Ecumencial Orgs Sub-regional Fellowships National Agencies National Ec Orgns National Council of Churches

  32. Who Can Fund the Ecumenical Movement? 1: Influencing Priorities -mandates limited to diakonia Every time we have tried to adjust priorities, it fails to make any difference because the bulk of the funding comes from the agencies. We look at areas that are important for the Council such as the Global Christian Forum, interfaith work and the understanding of mission work in faith and order, but if you look at the money, they are constantly marginalised. 2: Mistrust of agencies

  33. The Role of the WCC • WCC has a vital role to play in the ecumenical movement • Identified Roles • gives expression to the reality that the body of Christ • cannot be divided • fellowship of churches • holds together diakonia, mission, ecclesiology and unity • enabling a common value system • global analysis and action • voice of the Christian world • facilitator • WCC to clarify its role focusing on those things which only • it can do and taking a greater facilitation role

  34. Key Questions Arising From the Study • 1: Can we develop an ecumenical vision which is owned and • acted upon by all the actors in the ecumenical movement • including the churches? • 2: What tasks need to be undertaken to achieve this vision: • are they best undertaken at the national, regional or global level? • which tasks are best undertaken ecumenically and where can • confessional bodies add extra value? • 3: What type of organisations do we need and how should the • tasks be divided between them?

  35. Key Questions Arising From the Study • 4: What mechanisms can be put in place to ensure • coordinated planning and work so that duplication is avoided • coherence between ecumenical organisations at the national, • regional and global level • churches are not overwhelmed by their involvement in, and • financial commitment to, many different organisations • 5: How can funds available to the ecumenical movement be used • most effectively? • How can the funding base be broadened? • 6: What will be the values and principles that underpin the way • in which we all work together?

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