THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT - SOME IMPORTANT DATES

1910 - Edinburgh World Missionary Conference

1920 - Encyclical Letter from Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople called for closer cooperation by all Christian churches

1921 - International Missionary Council formed

1925 - Universal Conference on Life and Work at Stockholm

1927 - First World Conference on Faith and Order at Lausanne

1937 - Conference of Faith and Order met at Edinburgh and Conference on Life and Work met at Oxford

1938 - Constitution drawn up at Utrecht for joint organization of Conference of Life and Work and Conference on Faith and Order

1948 - World Council of Churches had first meeting at Amsterdam

1950 - National Council of Churches formed in the U.S.

1958 - All-Africa Conference of Churches formed

1959 - East Asia Christian Conference formed

1960 - Vatican formed Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity

1961 - World Council of Churches united with International Missionary Council; first official Vatican observers at Assembly of WCC

1964 - Vatican Council II declared that members of other communions were "separated brothers" rather than outside the church

1965 - Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras removed anathemas from 1054

1989-90 - The first Agreed Statement on Christology and Second Agreed Statement recommending lifting of anathemas were adopted by the Joint Commission of the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches

1999 - Lutheran World Federation and Roman Catholic Church accepted Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification