"TOGETHER IN MISSION": REPORT ON THE ORTHODOX
CHURCHES CONSULTATION WITH CHRISTIAN
MISSION SOCIETY

Moscow, 25 - 30 April 2001
The title of this consultation was at the same time a declaration of its aim: together in mission. Alongside mission personnel from the Christian Mission Society (CMS), organizers of the conference, and ecumenical guests, were representatives from a wide range of Orthodox Churches (Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, Romania, Ukraine and Syria) as well as from the Coptic Church in Egypt, the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Mar Thoma Church of India; representatives were also present from the Anglican Churches of the UK, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East; and from Baptist and Evangelical Churches in the same countries. Canon Mark Oxbrow (CMS) facilitated the consultation process. SYNDESMOS had been invited to send a representative, who was warmly welcomed as a representative of Orthodox youth.

An introductory session, consisting of a historical review of relations between the Orthodox and the CMS, placed the encounter in context, and led on to discussions of specific social realities that provide the theatre for modern day missionary activity: post-Marxist societies, Islamic societies and secular/materialist societies. Against this background, the concrete praxis of mission was brought into play and worked on in four discussion groups, yielding valuable consensus on the various forms which missionary witness can usefully take among non-Christians: service or diakonia; dialogue (of especial relevance in relations with Islam); religious education for the young; and engagement in issues of justice, peace and reconciliation.

Attention was drawn particularly to the importance for the future, firstly of restoring mission in Orthodox awareness, now that the Orthodox Church is emerging from oppression and persecution, and is less constrained by the need to be on the defensive, and secondly of restoring mission in Orthodox theology where the more active or practical dimension is felt to be missing. In this respect, educational work with the clergy was felt to be a necessary initiative: the Gospel must be preached, and social help must be offered, in areas where these are lacking!

Much discussion revolved around the theme of loneliness, as the characteristic symptom of secularism (and in this respect believing Christians can be as tragically susceptible to secularism as non-believers…), a world view that implies an alternative Creed which, instead of affirming 'I believe in one God, Father, Almighty' might begin with the affirmation: 'I believe in man alone, and limited human resources'. Mission, in a broader sense, can therefore be seen as outreach to others' loneliness, an invitation to life in communion with Christ crucified and risen.

Inevitably, this introduced thoughts of broken communion and the role of ecumenism, which must be a joint movement from all
directions (i.e. on the part of all the denominations) towards Christ, where the only true unity is to be found.