Coptic Church & Ecumenical Movement - Saint Mina Coptic ...

The Coptic Orthodox presence in ecumenical bodies has influenced the life and work
of these ecumenical bodies, by promoting Trinitarian theology, the primacy and
urgency of unity of doctrine, the ecclesiology of the local church, spirituality and
sacramental life and the centrality of the liturgy.
AMBASSADORS OF ORTHODOXY
Several clergy and lay personalities have been outstanding ambassadors of the Coptic
Orthodox Church in ecumenical circles. Mention is made of the great pioneering
efforts of the Very Reverend Father Ibrahim Luka (1897-1950) the first delegate to
represent the Coptic Church at the formation of the WCC in September 1948. Key
ecumenical personalities include: the late Bishop Samuel (1920-1981), member of
WCC central committee (1964-1981) founder and president of MECC (1974-1981);
Metropolitan Athanasius of Benisueif, member of WCC central committee (1981-
1991); Metropolitan Bishoy, Secretary of the Holy Synod (member of the Central
Committee of the MECC from 1987 +).
Metropolitan Bakhomous of Behera, member of AACC executive committee; Bishop
Moussa, Bishop for Youth Affairs, member of several MECC committees and
founder of ecumenical youth committee in Egypt; Bishop Serapion, former Bishop of
Ecumenical Relations (1985-1995), presently Bishop of Los Angeles, who is
presently serving on the WCC central committee from 1991+ and was vice president
of the AACC from 1992-1997; Bishop Antonious Markos, Bishop for African Affairs,
was vice president of AACC from 1981-1992; Very Reverend Father Tadros Malaty,
member of the Inter-Orthodox Dialogue 1985+; Reverend Father Shenouda Maher,
member of the Inter-Orthodox sub-committee.
Many lay persons have invested considerable effort and time in various ecumenical
circles including: Miss Iris Habib El Misry, Dr. Maurice Assad, Associate General
Secretary of the MECC; Ms Marie Assad at the WCC; Mr Sarwat Shehatta, Associate
General Secretary of AACC from 1972-1980; Mr Samir Marcos, Associate General
Secretary of the MECC 1994+; Mr Magdy Makram, Head of the Youth Unit of
MECC 1994+; Dr Joseph Faltas, Head of the Ecumenical Studies Unit at the Coptic
Orthodox Church Development Institute. All these personalities have been
outstanding ambassadors of Coptic Orthodoxy in various ecumenical circles.
All these persons faithfully served their church and the ecumenical movement,
witnessing to the new reality of a profound fellowship with other churches while
remaining rooted in their rich Orthodox Tradition.
At the local level, the Coptic Orthodox Church is a member of the National Council
of Churches of Christ (USA) since 1970, National Council of the Churches in
Australia, August 1973 and Canadian Council of Churches (1966), Conference of
Churches in Aotearoa, New Zealand (1997).
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