He's Got the Whole World in His Hand

A SURVEY on ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT
Asian and Philippine Ecumenical Movement
by: Ma. Beate Mantilla-Hernandez – Master of Divinity - Senior
Ecumenics and Mission


Ecumenical movement seeks to achieve unity among all religions through cooperation and fostering greater mutual understanding. The word is derived from Greek oikoumene, which means the inhabited world, and was historically used with specific reference to the Roman Empire. Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history and practice.
Its goal is to briefly identify its statement of unity, a fully committed fellowship to proclaim the teachings declared by Jesus Christ. Because of its increasing relation between members of churches, some may convey different articulations and definitions, to some it also impress deep results and affects the Church in its entirety.
There were many issues related to the Ecumenical movement which was designed to truly unite the Church in every aspect and stream of vision and mission, though designed to convey the mission and personality of the Church, it went through many areas of controversies. Premises on Church’s true essence in the society.
There were approaches which will concretely identify a possible solution to magnify and root the very core of a problem. Existing to understand how to go about procedure to primarily contextualize our efforts to align everything without neglecting each one’s need and purpose. The Ecumenical Movement has basically referred to as such important issues which may lead to root us in interpreting and communicate the Christian Gospel in relation to community, life of the Church and distinct dynamics of Asian realities.
There is a serious need to realize in understanding what Ecumenism tries itself to deliver in this society. Indeed we are called to participate in the active roles of each one as we go along.
As a survey, this work has defined the result of our education purpose as a Church, called for greater heights to proclaim, declare and seek the concern of our nation. Concretely, this paper study has touched the very meaning of education as it presumably connects the continuing reflection of our theological understanding no matter what the issue is all about, and how we go about theology to surface our need to attack the countries reality of hope and struggle in many areas of theological understanding.
Aforementioned in the survey, it will help us theologically construct, to finally implement, promote situation to interact issues such as globalization, global empire building, ecological and gender justice issues etc. not only on matters about doctrine and religion.
How do we go about it? Primarily, we need to define the root of our tradition and culture, seek the very essence of our being as a person, as a community of faith, as a country, as a people of God, as a group of people who lives in a land, and from which each one has able to develop their own purpose. In this manner, we will be able to start reflecting, developing and nurturing what we have as a person. Thereby making ourselves ready for ecumenical work and mission.
Finally, as I begin and orient in the reality that for a nation to be at its best is to understand the characteristics, self-identify its cultural identity and thereby reclaiming the faithfulness of God.
If we are unable to know our deepest roots, faith and understanding our teachings from what we have from the past, we will never come to grow for the purpose of keeping our heritage, culture and perspective. Thereby enabling individuals to ecumenical understanding in proclaiming and doing missions.
The Ecumenical movement has also much to develop in the years to come, and I have watched and observed its progress as time pass. We, are much in await to its improvement and developing as a curriculum, for the meantime, it has progressively indicated in our theological education as a result. Dealing such an issue indicates our urgent answer to the call of Churches to its mission while being faithful to Christ teaching of salvation and pastoral ministry.