The Ecumenical Movement: An Historical Overview

AUTHOR: (Revd Dr) Ray Williamson OAM

The modern ecumenical movement has its foundation in mission. It grew out of the International Missionary Conference in Edinburgh in 1910 though its origins can be traced back to the 19th century when Christians were coming together in educational contexts: the Sunday School Movement, the Young Men’s Christian Association, the Young Women’s Christian Association and the Student Christian Movement.

This movement is grounded in the conviction that God’s mission in the world, of which the Church is an instrument, is a mission of reconciliation and unity, and that division is a denial of the unity Christians have in Christ and thereby is a hindrance to mission.