wfn.org | MECC Relays News on Dialogue Initiative

[mecc <mecc@cyberia.net.lb>]

International Dialogue Session between Orthodox and Evangelical Reformed
Churches in Beirut
Lebanon hosted a Consultation between the Orthodox and Evangelical Reformed
Churches in the Middle East from October 13-19, 2005, at the Evangelical
Conference Center in Dhour Choueir-Lebanon.  Orthodox participants included
representatives of the four Old Patriarchates, namely, Constantinople,
Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem in addition to the Patriarchates of
Moscow, Belgrade (Serbia) Bucharest (Romania) and Albania, the independent
Orthodox Churches i.e. Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Czech Republic and Finland.
The Reformed Churches representing 80 million Evangelicals were represented
by the Presbyterian and Congregational churches spread in Europe and the
Americas, Africa and the Middle East.

The dialogue between these churches goes back to 1979 and started between
the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul and the World Alliance of Reformed
Churches, initiated by the latter. The dialogue resulted in the formation of
an official working group for dialogue which met for the first time in
Leuenberg ­ Switzerland in 1989. Parts of the Nicean Creed/Constantinople
were taken as basis for their dialogue. Publications following the meeting
summarized points of agreement and disagreements around the Trinitarian,
Christological and Pneumatic doctrines. This dialogue is being pursued today
on Church Doctrine.

A communiqué and Common Statement were issued at the end of this session in
Lebanon.

Middle East Council of Churches
Office of International Ecumenical Relations
P.O. Box 5376, Beirut, Lebanon

Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary
mecc@cyberia.net.lb or guirgissaleh@cyberia.net.lb

+961-1-353-938
http://www.mec-churches.org/