Ecumenical Outreach
Diocesan Press Service. February 23, 1972 [72020]
GREENWICH, Conn. (DPS) -- An unprecedented gathering of leaders in the ecumenical movement took place here February 22-24 at the meeting of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church.
Participating in a discussion on the whole scope of the Episcopal Church's ecumenical outreach were: The Rev. Herbert Ryan, S.J., of the Roman Catholic Church; Dr. Paul Crow, General Secretary of the Consultation on Church Union (COCU); the Rev. Dr. Robert Stephanopoulos, of the Greek Orthodox Church, and Mrs. Cynthia Wedel, President of the National Council of Churches (NCC).
Father Ryan said the fundamental problem facing the Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church in their theological dialogue is, "Do we agree on the mission of the Church, her order of priorities, her outreach to the world?"
He said that if the two Churches can agree in answering this question, "then the future prospects are excellent and the only problems facing our Churches in the matter of working out their organic union are problems of communication, education, patient pastoral counseling and the development of trust in leadership which will be necessary to carry our people forward into union."
In response to a question, Dr. Stephanopoulos said that the issue of the ordination of women could be an obstacle to union between the Anglican and Greek Orthodox Churches.
Mrs. Wedel, reviewing the work of world, national, regional and local councils of churches, said, "I see the development of local councils of churches as more important than almost anything happening farther up, because if we begin to get a real feeling of ecumenism at the grass roots level in the local community, between the people in the local churches, then we have something solid to build on. This is the most important thing happening today."
The ecumenical overview concluded with a panel discussion of the National Council of Churches' restructure plans by Bishop John Burt of Ohio and Council members Mrs. Jean Jackson of Portland, Ore., and the Rev. Canon Gerald McAllister of San Antonio, Tex.
The Council adopted two resolutions, reaffirming the Episcopal Church's participation in the National Council of Churches, and welcoming the report of the NCC's Committee on Future Ecumenical Structure " as a serious effort to revise the structure and operational style of the National Council of Churches to fit the needs of today's world."