PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: cathcil@cathcil.org
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE PARTICIPATION OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH IN THE GLOBAL CHRISTIAN FORUM
MEETING IN KENYA

The first meeting of the Global Christian Forum was convened on November 6-9
in the Kenyan city of Limuru. 250 representatives from several families of
churches and international religious organizations attended the meeting
under the theme "Our Journey with our savior Jesus Christ."

His Holiness Aram I delegated Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer) to
participate in the meeting. Bishop Alemezian also represented the Middle
East Council of Churches (MECC) and read out the Council’s address to the
meeting.

Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian (Primate of the Diocese of England) represented
the Catholicosate of All Armenians.

During the course of daily collective prayers, Bible readings and full and
group sessions, the participants had an opportunity to meet Christians from
other geographic locations and different church traditions. They discussed
the difficulties churches and ecclesiastical organizations face in the field
of the collective Christian legacy.

The prospects for formation of the Global Christian Forum started forming in
the 1990s. His Holiness Aram I as moderator of the World Council of Churches
played a significant role in this process. The meeting in Kenya was the
culmination of regional meetings in Asia, Africa, Europe and South Africa.

***

The annual meetings of the secretaries of the Greek Orthodox, Russian
Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformist, Methodist and other
Protestant Churches was held in Nairobi (Kenya) on November 10-12, 2007.

Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer) participated in the meeting as
Moderator of the WCC/Joint Commission between Christian World Communions and
the World Council of Churches and presented the Commission’s report.
Responding to the request of the participants, Bishop Alemezian also
presented a brief introduction on the family of Oriental Churches,
highlighting the historic reconciliation, in July 2007, between the Coptic
and Ethiopian Churches as a result of the efforts of His Holiness Aram I.

Other participants presented reports on their respective families of
churches and discussed the results of the first meeting of the Global
Christian Forum held a few days before in Kenya, the possibilities of
organizing a conference with the participation of several churches and
church councils and a number of urgent issues related to the ecumenical
movement.

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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.