Enduring Faith and Embracing Unity: Asian Ecumenical Institute 2025

It was timed to 1700 years of the First Ecumenical Council. Together with resource persons from various Christian traditions we explored how we can endure faith and embrace unity in the context of contemporary Asian societies.

I took part in the course as an ecumenical partner, because the Russian Orthodox Church, to which I belong, is not a member church of the Christian Conference of Asia. Taking into account, that we had six persons from India, five from Indonesia, four from Myanmar, three from the Philippines, two from Sri-Lanka, two from New Zealand, one from Laos, and one from East Timor, I was the only representative of the northern part of our Eurasian continent. I was also the only Eastern Orthodox participant. Nevertheless, I never felt marginalized: we equally attended the classes, shared the meals, spent our free time together and comprised a vibrant, yet diverse community.

The ecumenical movement in Asia has its own differences, which I was able to notice. Christians in this part of Asia are less concerned with the confessional arguments, but they focus on practical unity issues, common projects, interreligious dialogue, and public theology. As minority churches, shaped by colonization and Western missionaries, southeast Asian Christians often face hostilities and discrimination. It pushes them to embrace their unity beyond confessional borders, to inter-Christian solidarity in the face of persecutions. At the same time, being significantly influenced by the churches in Europe and North America, Christians in this region are divided into numerous communities – Anglican, Reformed, Baptist, Evangelical, etc. It reflects the divisions of the Western churches, but often does not correspond to the real life of Asian Christians, who demonstrate the true unity in communion, service and action, yet preserving the structures, shaped by former colonial powers. 

In this regard I think, that the Asian churches to some extent can be considered as the role models for the other churches, involved in the ecumenical movement. As an Orthodox Christian I was also deeply touched by the fact that all the participants every day recited the original Nicene Creed – the true sign of Christian unity and foundation of the ecumenical movement – while in other parts of the world it is still a stumbling block. 

However, the most precious for me in all this short journey was, that we were able to establish strong and close relations with each other. I believe, that events like this are necessary for the future of inter-Christian relations. Only the real life experience of diversity leads to its embracing, and only by sharing our faith we can endure it.