A handbook of councils and churches profiles of ecumenical relationships

Church Family: Reformed

Membership: 20,000

Congregations: 38

Preaching stations: 20

Pastors: 22

Lay preachers: 4

Member of: WCC (1948) – MECC – MEEC – WARC

Periodical: Al-Nashra (monthly, in Arabic)

The National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon has its origins in the evangelical revival in the region in the early 19th century, which was part of the intellectual awakening in the Arabic-speaking parts of the Ottoman Empire. The revival found guidance and support in the witness and service of Reformed mis­sionaries from North America and Britain. The Ottoman authorities recognized the Evangelical (Protestant) faith in 1848, and the first churches were founded in Beirut and in Hasbaya on the slopes of Mt Hermon. Eventually congregations were established in most of the major cities and in many villages in what ulti­mately became the independent countries of Syria and Lebanon. The synod is the administrative body for Arabic-speaking congregations and groups in some sixty centres where the expression of the Evangelical faith follows the Reformed tradi­tion and the Presbyterian polity. The synod was organized in 1920 as a union of several presbyteries; other parishes have joined the synod more recently. Since

Middle East

1959 the synod has assumed responsibility for the direction of nearly all the work of former mission bodies from the United States, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ire­land, Scotland, France and Switzerland. There is a continuing relationship of partnership in service with some overseas bodies.

Although there has been a steady growth in new members over the years, there has also been emigration of a significant number of Evangelicals to the Americas, Australia and Scandinavia. The troubled times of the decade of war and violence in Lebanon following 1975 led to the damage or destruction of a number of churches and schools and the scattering of some congregations.

The synod has chosen to carry on the educational ministry which has been a part of the Evangelical movement from its earliest days. This is a service to the larger community and a means of reconciliation in a society troubled by sectarian divisions. The synod and its churches sponsor eight secondary schools and sev­eral elementary schools with an enrolment of about 12,500 pupils of all religious backgrounds. It also has a hospital in Lebanon and joins with other groups in pro­grammes of social service. The synod shares in the sponsorship and governance of the Near East School of Theology and the Lebanese American University, and is also a member and co-founder of the Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches, the Middle East Council of Churches, and the Supreme Council of Protestant Churches in Syria and Lebanon.

Church Family: Reformed

Membership: 9,500

Congregations: 25

Pastors: 25

Member of: WCC (1948) – MECC – FMEEC – WARC

Periodicals: Religious monthly for Youth

Literary monthly for Juniors

Devotional quarterly to promote Family Worship (all in Armenian)

This church is an autonomous body comprised of congregations throughout Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Iran, and also Australia. It began in the 19th century as an indigenous reform movement within the Armenian Apostolic Church, and developed into an independent community in 1846 in Istanbul, and in subsequent decades registered a membership of 60,000 throughout the Ottoman empire. After the First World War, when the Armenian population was decimated and the remnant deported from its historic homeland in what is now Turkey, the Union was reorganized in Syria and Lebanon. The Union is com­posed of autonomous congregations. Its organizational pattern is a kind of modi­fied congregationalism. The annual convention of the Union is the highest authority. The central committee of 12 members, elected at the convention, acts as an administrative body supervising and coordinating the activities of the member churches and church-related institutions.

From its inception, the Armenian Evangelical Church has stressed the impor­tance of education. It now operates 23 schools and four high schools and owns the only university in the Armenian diaspora: Haigazian University, with an enrolment of 650 students. It operates four conference centres in Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Turkey. Together with the Arabic-speaking Evangelical churches, the Union owns and operates a secondary school in Aleppo and the Near East School of Theology in Beirut (the latter also supported by foreign missionary agencies).

With the Armenian Orthodox and Armenian Catholic Catholicosates it operates the old people’s homes in Aleppo and Beirut, and a sanatorium in Lebanon.

It has developed ecumenical ties with several churches and fraternal relations with the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, the Armenian Evan­gelical Union of France and the Armenian Evangelical Union of Armenia. In spite of grave problems of emigration and persecution, the Union continues to function with a growing awareness of its mission in its territories.

SYRIA

Population: 18,650,334 Surface area: 185,200 sq.km Capital: Damascus GNI per capita: 1,190 US$ Classification: Developing economy Languages: Arabic Religions: Muslim 92 %; Christian 5%; Jewish 1% Christianity*: Orthodox 1,490,000; Catholics 615,000; Protestants 80,000;

Asssyrians 40,000

Ancient Syria was home to the Canaanites, Assyrians, Persians and Babyloni­ans. Antioch (now in Turkey) was the Christian centre of the eastern part of the Roman empire. With the Arab conquest and Islamization in the 7th century, Christians became a minority. Syria was part of the Ottoman empire until 1918, and under French rule until it achieved independence in 1946. After a brief union with Egypt (1958-61), the socialist Ba-ath party seized power and established a radical regime. A military coup in 1970 brought president Hafiz al-Asad into power, until his death in 2000. He was succeeded by his son. Syria is the only sec­ular country in the Arab world. It does not tolerate opposition, neither Islamic nor political. The country has been in the forefront of support for the Palestinian cause, and the struggle against Israel. Syria’s economy is based on agriculture, some manufacturing industry, and oil production and export. All major enter­prises have been nationalized since the 1960s and the economy is under govern­ment control. The main Orthodox churches in Syria are the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, which is Arab and uses the Arab liturgy, the Syrian Orthodox Patri­archate (Oriental), and the Armenian Apostolic Church, also Oriental. There are six Catholic rites: Melkite, Armenian, Syrian, Maronite, Latin and Chaldean. The Ancient Church of the East (Assyrian) is also present, and is part of the WCC through its patriarchate in the USA. The main Protestant churches are the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, and the Union of Evangelical Armenian Churches.

*Statistics: Secretariat of the Patriarchal Documents – Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Damascus.

Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East

Church Family: Orthodox (Eastern)

Middle East

Priests: 408

Member of: WCC (1948) – MECC

Periodicals: The Word (in English)

Orthodoxia (in Spanish)
Al-Kalima, An-Nour, An Nachra (in Arabic)
Website: www.antiochpat.org
The Orthodox Church of Antioch goes back to the time of the apostles (cf. Acts). In the 4th century the total Christian population of the eastern province of the Roman Empire, of which Antioch was the capital, was under its jurisdiction, and in the 6th century it had more than 150 metropolitans and bishops. Since then, however, the number has gone down because of the division of the church, the heresies of the 4th and 5th centuries, the granting of independence to the churches of Cyprus and Iberia, the Islamic advance in the 7th century and the for­mation of the Uniate Church in the 18th century. Since the beginning of the 20th century, especially after the second world war, an enormous number of Orthodox people belonging to the Church of Antioch have been emigrating or moving from the countryside to the big towns and to different parts of the world (Europe, Latin and North America, Australia).

The jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East covers all of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran, the Arabian peninsula, the whole orient and also certain areas of southern Turkey (Antioch region where there are six Antiochian congregations). It also extends to the Arab-speaking Orthodox who live in Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. The holy synod is the highest ecclesiastical authority of Antioch and consists of the patriarch as presi­dent and the metropolitans who are the diocesan leaders as members. Priests are trained at St John of Damascus theological faculty at Tripoli, Lebanon and the theological seminary at Patriarchal St George Monastery, Syria. Currently there are 100 students.

The Patriarchate is greatly concerned about the suffering in the Middle East, the creation of a Palestinian state, and its responsibilities for its people in the midst of a multi-religious society. An authentic witness to the Christian faith, pas­toral care of youth, and reorganization of its establishment in order to express more clearly its apostolicity and its unity, are high on its agenda. Particular emphasis is laid on the coherence of the family which is the centre of the church and the source of spiritual formation, as well as on youth who represent the active elements of the church and its future leaders. Besides, the diaconal services and ecumenical activities have a significant place on the agenda of the Patriarchate today.

*Distribution: Middle East: 1,250,000 Asia: 80,000 Europe: 40,000 Latin America: 2,500,000 North America: 450,000

Church Family: Orthodox (Oriental)

Membership: 1,430,000*

Dioceses: 39**

Parishes : 950

Bishops: 41

Priests: 1050 Member of: WCC (1960) – MECC

Periodical: Journal of the Patriarchate (in Arabic)

According to tradition, St Peter established the Holy See at Antioch in AD 37 and presided over the church, prior to his journey to Rome. In the 4th century the Catholicate of the East was established for the administration of the churches in the Persian Empire, Iraq and the Far East. Syrian missionaries went as far as India, China, and Mongolia. An outstanding saint was St Jacob Baradaeus (500­578) who revived the spiritual life of the church in Syria, Armenia, Egypt, Persia and Cyprus. At the beginning of the 13th century the Syrian Orthodox Church had about 20,000 parishes and hundreds of monasteries and convents. During the 14th century the church suffered greatly through the Mongol invasions. At the end of the 18th century its strength was further reduced because of the establish­ment of a separate Uniate Patriarchate of Antioch (Syrian Catholics), and at the turn of the present century it suffered severe persecution at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. Hundreds of thousands perished. In 1964 the Catholicate of the Orthodox Syrian Church of the East, vacant for centuries, was re-established in India. The seat of the patriarchate, after many moves over the centuries, is now in Damascus.

The Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (SOPA) refused to accept the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon about the person of Christ, on the ground that they had made too many concessions to the Nestorians. Their doctrinal position is thus similar to that of the Armenian, Coptic and Ethiopian churches. Veneration of the saints and prayers for the dead are essential elements of the church’s tradition. The seven traditional sacraments are recognized. The Old Testament was translated into Syriac during the first century, the New Tes­tament in the second century.

The liturgical language of the church is Syriac Aramaic. Other Syriac transla­tions of the Bible were subsequently made by various Syrian scholars. Famous schools of theology were established in Antioch, Nassibeen, Edessa and Qen­neshreen. St Aphrem the Syrian, St Jacob of Sarug, Philexinos of Maboug and Jacob of Edessa graduated from these schools. Ignatius Ephrem Barsaum (Patri­arch, 1933-57) was the author of a valuable history of Syrian Orthodox literature in Arabic (recently published in English: History of Syriac Sciences and Literature). Since the church has spread widely during the centuries, languages like Arabic, Malayalam, Turkish, English, Spanish and Portuguese are today used, alongside Syriac, in religious services.

The SOPA maintains a number of monasteries which are an integral part of its spiritual and cultural heritage. There are two major and three minor seminaries for the training of the clergy. The church also operates other schools and institu­tions. It has close relations with the Coptic, Armenian and Ethiopian Orthodox

Middle East

North America

Population: 31,972,474

Hindu 1% Christianity: Catholics 14,000,000; Protestants 4,636,290; Anglicans 718,000; Orthodox 691,610; Independent 1,689,130

Canada, which was colonized first by the French and later by the British, became a confederation in 1867, and adopted its own constitution in 1981. Ten­sions between French- and English-speaking Canadians continue over language and culture to the present day. Immigration has brought people from many parts of the world to Canada, and multiculturalism is a defining characteristic of Cana­dian society. The indigenous people of Canada, called the “First Nations”, have successfully lobbied for increased autonomy and the settlement of their claim to their traditional lands. They have also obtained reparation for abuses suffered in the “Native Residential Schools”, which were operated by the Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian and United churches as official agents of the government’s policy of assimilation. This has been a test, also financially, for the churches, which have acknowledged and lamented their past with a remarkable sense of responsibility. Ecumenism has been a strong dimension of the Canadian churches. The United Church of Canada is one of the oldest organic unions in the ecumenical move­ment. In the 1980s the so-called “coalition model” marked the cooperation between the Canadian churches and ecumenical groups dealing with issues such as social justice, peace, etc. The Canadian Council of Churches, which includes the Catholic and Orthodox churches, has evolved into a “forum”. Working rela­tionships with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, an affiliated body of the WEA, are good. Evangelicals and Pentecostals represent about 29 percent of the Protestants, and seven percent of the total number of Christians.

*Canadian Council of Churches

Founded in 1944.

Basis: The Canadian Council of Churches is a community of churches which con­fess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures and therefore seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of one God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and also other churches which affirm the same faith but which do not make doctrinal confessions.

Member churches:

North America

Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Canadian Yearly meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada

Christian Reformed Church in North America-Canada

Mennonite Church of Canada

Salvation Army

Associate member: British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada

Website http://www.ccc-cce.ca

The Canadian Council of Churches is affiliated with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches.

(Eglise anglicane du Canada)

Church Family: Anglican
Membership: 641,845
Dioceses: 30
Parishes: 2,884
Bishops: 42
Priests: 3,591
Member of: WCC (1948) – CCC – ACC
Periodicals: The Anglican Journal (10 times a year)

Ministry Matters (3 times a year)
Website: www.anglican.ca
The Anglican Church of Canada came into being as a result of missionary activ­ities by churches in the British Isles and particularly the British Missionary Soci­eties. The church owes much to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the Church Missionary Society, both based in London, which sent missionaries and teachers to the new land in the 18th and 19th centuries. The first bishop was consecrated in 1787. Provincial synods date from the 1860s and the general synod was organized in 1893. There are now four ecclesiastical provinces.

The Anglican Church of Canada is the second largest Christian community in the country. The church’s membership includes about 10 percent from the Indige­nous peoples of Canada, First Nation, Inuit and Métis, as well as from many of the immigrant populations of Canada, such as British, Chinese, Scottish, South African, Haitian, Sri Lankan, Indian, West Indian, South and Central American, Pacific Islanders, etc. Both women and men are ordained to the priesthood and the episcopacy. The church has a long history of involvement in social and envi­ronmental justice issues, working ecumenically and internationally to promote peace, justice, human rights and the stewardship of creation. It is a member of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) provides the church’s response to interna­tional development needs and to natural disasters, while Partners in Mission nur­tures mission relationships with the other provinces of the Anglican Communion.

The Indigenous members of the church are working towards greater self-deter-mination within the Anglican family, and the whole church continues to support First Nation, Inuit and Métis people in their struggle for justice and the recogni­tion of their rights.

Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Church Family: Free Church

Membership: 1,200

Local constituent meetings: 23

Member of: WCC (1948) – CCC – FWCC

Periodical: The Canadian Friend

Website: www.quaker.ca

The Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) is composed of constituent meetings which are the local worshiping congregations of Quakers, and which convene for business monthly, quarterly and half-yearly. Committees of the yearly meeting, representative of all Canadian Friends, take care during the year of activities approved by the yearly meeting at its annual ses­sions, and report to it. Twice a year, between sessions of the yearly meeting, busi­ness is conducted by the representative meeting. The greatest part of the service work of Quakers in Canada is carried out under the auspices of the Canadian Friends Service Committee, formed in 1931. The CFSC, a standing committee of CYM with its own charitable organization status, works to aid war victims, the oppressed, the poor, and victims of social injustice around the world, as well as promoting peace education and a responsibility to the natural environment, as an expression of the Quaker belief in the worth of all human beings and all creation.

The Canadian Friends Foreign Missionary Board is active in Quaker medical and educational work overseas, in particular in Kenya. The Home Mission and Advancement committee seeks to nurture meetings, new and old, and to interpret the religious emphases of the society, answering enquiries, operating a Quaker book service, and publishing a periodical, The Canadian Friend. Other commit­tees operate a Quaker camp, provide religious education, oversee representation on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, maintain records and archives, and admin­ister the affairs of the society.

Canadian Yearly Meeting maintains membership in the Friends General Con­ference based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA), and the Friends United Meet­ing based in Richmond, Indiana (USA), both groupings of Friends yearly meet­ings in North America, and with the Friends World Committee for Consultation, a world-wide association of Friends yearly meetings. The association with the CCC and the WCC enables Canadian Friends to keep abreast of ecumenical think­ing and participate in actions at national and international levels.

Church Family: Disciples

Membership: 2,606

Congregations: 25

Pastors: 30

Member of: WCC (1948) – CCC – DECC

North America

The Christian churches in Canada had their beginnings in the early part of the 19th century, through the immigration of members of the Scottish Baptist Church from Scotland and of the Christian churches in the USA. These two movements united at the end of the 1840s to form the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada. A western Canada region was formed early in the 20th century and a national structure in 1922. The church officially functions as one of the regions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada (see Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) USA).

Church Family: Lutheran

Membership: 11,000

Congregations: 52

Pastors: 31

Member of: WCC (1962) – CEC – LWF

Periodical: Eesti Kirik (quarterly, in Estonian)

In 1940, Estonia, which had become independent in 1920, was annexed by the Soviet Union. This caused great upheaval in the nation and in the Estonian Evan­gelical Lutheran Church (see also under Estonia). In 1944, at the end of the German occupation, a mass exodus occurred of some 80,000 people, accompanied by the archbishop of the church and seventy pastors; 30,000 went to Sweden, 50,000 to Germany. The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Exile was established in Sweden. In war-torn Germany the situation was much more diffi­cult. Eventually most of the Estonians who had sought refuge there emigrated to other countries. Currently the church has 21 congregations in the USA, 13 in Canada, eight in Sweden, four in Germany, four in Australia, one in Argentina and one in England. Through prayer, worship, witness and pastoral counselling in the Estonian language the church continues to serve its people in their coun­tries of settlement. It no longer calls itself “in Exile” but the Estonian Evangeli­cal Lutheran Church Abroad. The aim of the church is to serve, together with the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Estonia, Estonians world-wide as long as it is needed and possible.

The EELCA shares the history, ecclesial self-understanding and doctrinal con­fessions of the church in Estonia. Its headquarters have moved from Sweden to Canada.