The Four Locations

I have created a Google map noting each of the four locations. Obviously we will not be driving, but the map gives a good idea of how the four places are situated with reference to one another. In two of the locations if you double click on them you will access a street view and some photos taken by other users.


http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=115756479068512388645.00047ca9c1e13ced0e724&z=4

Web Links

For more information about each location you may follow the web links.

The Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury

80 Million Christians
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/


The Orthodox Church and the Patriarch of Constantinople

250 Million Christians
http://www.patriarchate.org/


The Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican and The Papacy

1.1 Billion Christians
http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm

A huge website - I recommend using the search engine for specific inquires.

These Organizations are all housed in the Ecumenical Center in Geneva

The World Council of Churches

An alliance of 349 churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories, representing over 560 million Christians and including most of the world's Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches.
http://www.oikoumene.org/

The Alliance of Reformed Churches

75 million Christians
http://warc.jalb.de/

The Lutheran World Federation

69 million Christians
http://www.lutheranworld.org/

Itinerary

In this blog I will track preparations for the upcoming Ecumenical Journey of leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and, while we travel, post highlights of our experiences.

Sixteen of us will travel together from February 2 through February 17. The group is composed of Presiding Bishop Hanson and his wife, the ELCA Director of Communications and his wife, the Director of Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, three bishops, three members of the ELCA Church Council, members of the Churchwide staff in Chicago and three other leaders chosen by Bishop Hanson.

The Ecumenical Journey is designed to allow leaders in the ELCA to visit some of our ecumenical partners in Europe. The experience provides participants with new insights into the ecumenical movement and into the significant work accomplished by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in the global ecumenical world.

The ELCA office of Ecumenical Affairs has arranged for blocks of time (roughly three days) in each of four locations: London, Istanbul, Rome and Geneva. The host church in each location determines the schedule during the time we are in those locations. At present, we know mostly a rough outline of how our time will be spent.

The journey begins on February 2 when participants leave the United States. We will arrive in London on February 3. During the time in London we will meet with officials of The Church of England and the Anglican Consultative Council (the Anglican equivalent of the Lutheran World Federation). We expect to have time with the Archbishop of Canterbury, but have not yet seen a detailed schedule.

On February 6 we will fly to Istanbul, Turkey where we will meet with His All Holiness Bartholomew I, head of the Orthodox church. As the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church he represents 250 million Christians. The irony, of course, is that presently Turkey is 98% Muslim. In his own country the Patriarch presides over a very small congregation of the faithful.

On February 9 we will travel to Rome. There we will meet with officials of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. On February 10 we will have a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

The trip concludes in Geneva, Switzerland where meetings take place with officials of the Lutheran World Federation, the World Council of Churches, and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. All of these organizations are housed in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva.