In Edinburgh, the Christian Churches of the world will meet this year from 2nd to 6th June to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the World Missionary Conference that took place in 1910 and is now regarded as the official birthday of the modern ecumenical movement.
On 14-23 June 1910, over one thousand delegates from different branches of Protestantism and Anglicanism, joined by one Orthodox delegate as well, met in the Scottish town to reflect together on the need to achieve unity in order to credibly announce Jesus’ Gospel.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the Conference, an anniversary that has been the focus of the Week of Prayer for the Unity of Christians. The Edinburgh meeting – presented in a release by the World Council of the Churches – will aim to “offer new perspectives for the mission of the XXI century”.
About 250 leaders from all over the world will take part in the Centenary Conference. Guests will include delegates of the Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical Churches as well as delegates of the Pentecostal Churches. On Sunday 6th June, the 250 delegates will be joined in by about 800 local and international guests for a religious celebration in the historical premises of the Conference, the Assembly Hall or The Mound, Edinburgh. The service will be officiated by the Anglican archbishop of York, John Sentamu.