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Ecumenical Relations and the Canadian Council of Churches

The participation of the Archdiocese of Canada in ecumenical activities is a major way of bearing witness to the Orthodox Church as the One, True and Full Church of Christ on earth. Our involvement in ecumenical bodies is an acknowledgement that numerous other Canadians are also seekers and followers of Christ, according to the light that they have received and to which they respond in all sincerity. The ecumenical movement in Canada, at a national level represented mainly by the Canadian Council of Churches, thus reflects the desire of all Christians to fulfil Christ’s words in his priestly prayer with his Apostles “That they may be One, even as we are One” (Jn 17:22).

October 2024 Report

  • The mission of the Canadian Council of Churches is to respond to Christ’s call for unity and peace, to seek Christ’s truth with affection for diversity, and to act in love through prayer, dialogue, and witness to the gospel.
  • The Council’s “tag line” on its logo highlights “Christ – Community – Compassion.”
  • The Council has 26 members, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the major Protestant Churches, several Evangelical communities, three Eastern Orthodox Churches (Greek, Ukrainian, and the OCA) and three Oriental Orthodox Churches (Coptic, Ethiopian, and Armenian).
  • The Canadian Council of Churches is the most comprehensive national association of churches in the world, with its members representing about 85% of Christians in Canada.
  • Participation in the various commissions and other functioning bodies of the Council is typically on a three -year basis, within the current cycle running from 2024 to 2027.
  • The current Council President is Rev. Amanda Currie of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Vice-Presidents are Rev. Fr. Anthony Mourad (Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada), Dr. Patrick Fletcher (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops), and Emily Savage (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada). 
  • Representatives of the Archdiocese are typically the most active Orthodox members of the CCC commissions and other Ccouncil bodies on which the Archdiocese is represented.
  • The Governing Board oversees all the activities of the Council. The Archdiocese is represented by Dr. Paul Ladouceur (St. Benoît-de-Nursie Parish, Montreal). Adama Chineluba (Holy Myrrhbearers Mission, Toronto) is a young adult member of the of the Governing Board.
  • The Commission on Faith and Witness (CFW) deals with matters of faith and theology and is responsible for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity held annually in January. The major priority of the Commission on Faith and Witness for the 2024-27 triennium will be “Theology of Christian Citizenship,” with the aim of developing a common understanding among commission members on a Christian understanding of relations between Christians and their churches and the state, in a secular setting. Archdiocesan representatives on this Commission are Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Ready (Holy Myrrhbearers Mission, Toronto) and Dr. Paul Ladouceur (St. Benoît-de-Nursie Parish, Montreal).
  • The Commission on Justice and Peace (CJP) promotes ecumenical reflection and action on peace and social justice in Canada and the world. Major priorities are the development of anti-poverty and anti-racism policies, the advancement of the rights of indigenous peoples, climate change, and the elaboration of statement on Christian Principles of Peace. The Archdiocesan representative on this Commission is Justin Grimmond (St. Maria of Paris Parish, Hamilton).
  • The Sexual Exploitation Working Group develops policies and actions against sexual exploitation. In July and September 2024, the Working Group held two webinars: ““Tackling the Demand: Rethinking Deterrence and Protection Measures”; and “Eradicating the Demand with Technology.” Savelia Curniski (Holy Resurrection Parish, Saskatoon).
  • Rev. Dr. Richard René (St. Silas Orthodox Prison Ministry) is the Archdiocesan representative on the newly-established Working Group on Corrections and Restorative Justice.
  • The Working Group on Faith and Life Sciences brings a faith perspective on leading issues in science and technology, for example in such areas reproductive technologies, genetically-modified organisms, nanotechnologies and most recently artificial intelligence. In collaboration with the World Council of Churches, the Working Group organized an international webinar on “Theology and Artificial Intelligence” on October 1, 2024, which featured two Orthodox speakers, Gayle Woloschack (United States) and Aristarchos Gkrekas (Greece). The Archdiocese is not currently represented on this Working Group.
  • The Council’s activities are financed mainly by contributions from member churches. With declining church membership in several large churches, contributions have decreased in recent years, resulting in some reductions in activities.