# Conference of European Churches

Christian denominations in the English-speaking world :
International associationsInterdenominational associations
World Council of Churches
World Evangelical Alliance
Denominational associations
Friends World Committee for Consultation
Mennonite World Conference
Anglican Communion
Baptist World Alliance
World Convention of Churches of Christ
Eastern Orthodox Church
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
International Lutheran Council
Lutheran World Federation
World Methodist Council
Pentecostal World Conference
International Conference of Reformed Churches
Reformed Ecumenical Council
World Communion of Reformed Churches
World Reformed Fellowship
Regional associations
Africa
All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC)
Association of Evangelicals of Africa (AEA)
All Africa Baptist Fellowship
Africa Lutheran Communion
Asia
Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
Evangelical Fellowship of Asia
Asia Pacific Baptist Federation
Asia Lutheran Communion
Caribbean
Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC)
Evangelical Association of the Caribbean
Caribbean Baptist Fellowship
Europe
Conference of European Churches (CEC)
European Evangelical Alliance
European Baptist Federation
Pentecostal European Fellowship
Middle East
Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
Latin America
Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI)
Latin American Evangelical Fellowship (FIDE)
Union of Baptists in Latin America
North America
North American Baptist Fellowship
Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America
North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council
Pacific
Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC)
Evangelical Fellowship of the South Pacific (EFSP)
Asia Pacific Baptist Federation :
AustraliaChristian denominations in Australia
Australian interchurch
Australian Evangelical Alliance  • website
National Council of Churches
Catholic
Catholic Church in Australia
Anglican
Anglican Church of Australia
Holiness and Pietist
Christian and Missionary Alliance
Christian Outreach Centre
Church of the Nazarene
Salvation Army
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Historical Protestantism
Australian Friends
Australian Baptist Ministries
Open Brethren
Christian Reformed Churches of Australia
Churches of Christ
Fellowship of Congregational Churches
Lutheran Church of Australia
Presbyterian Church of Australia
Uniting Church in Australia
Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia
Eastern Christian
Antiochian Orthodox of Australia and New Z.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
Serbian Orthodox of Australia and New Z.
Non-Chalcedonic
Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia
Pentecostal and related
Australian Christian Churches (AOG)
Christian City Church Intl.
CRC Churches International
Revival Centres International
Vineyard Churches Australia
Worldwide Church of God
Other
LDS Church
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CanadaChristian denominations in Canada
Canadian interchurch
Canadian Council of Churches
Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America
North Am. Presbyterian and Reformed Council
Anabaptist & Friends
Canadian Mennonite Brethren Churches
Canadian Yearly Meeting (Quakers)
Mennonite Church Canada
Baptist & Stone-Campbell
Association of Regular Baptist Churches
Baptist General Conference of Canada
Canadian Baptist Ministries
Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists
Fellowship of Evgcl. Baptist Churches, Canada
North American Baptist Conference
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Evangelical Christian Church in Canada
Anglican & Catholic
Anglican Church of Canada
Anglican Church in North America
Polish National Catholic Church
Catholic Church in Canada
Ukrainian Catholic, Winnipeg
Holiness & Pietist
Christian and Missionary Alliance, Canada
Church of the Nazarene
Evangelical Free Church of Canada
Baptist General Conference of Canada
The Salvation Army
Wesleyan Church
Lutheran
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Lutheran Church–Canada
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Methodist
British Methodist Episcopal Church
Free Methodist Church in Canada
United Church of Canada
Eastern & Oriental Orthodox
Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, N.Am.
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto
Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada
Orthodox Church in America
American-Canadian Macedonian Orthodox Diocese
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Am.
Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada
Pentecostal
Apostolic Church of Pentecost
Canadian Assemblies of God
Church of God of Prophecy
Intl. Foursquare Gospel, Canada
Intl. Pentecostal Holiness Church
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
Pentecostal Church of God
United Pentecostal Church Intl.
Presbyterian & Reformed
Canadian and American Reformed Churches
Christian Reformed Church in North America
L'Église réformée du Québec
Presbyterian Church in Canada
Presbyterian Church in America
Reformed Church in America
United Church of Canada
Other
Evangelical Orthodox Church
Messianic Jewish Alliance of America
Plymouth Brethren
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada
LDS Church
Vineyard Canada
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada
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IrelandChristian denominations in Ireland
Church of Ireland (Anglican)
Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland
Catholic Church in Ireland
Christian Churches Ireland
Elim Pentecostal Church
Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Irish interchurch
Irish Council of Churches
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Evangelical Alliance, UK
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New ZealandChristian denominations in New Zealand
New Zealand interchurch
National Council of Churches
Māori Council of Churches
Catholic
Catholic Church in New Zealand
Anglican
Anglican Church of New Zealand
Holiness and Pietist
Christian and Missionary Alliance
Church of the Nazarene
Salvation Army
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Historical Protestantism
Baptist Union of New Zealand
Open Brethren
Fellowship of Congregational Churches
Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand
Methodist Church of New Zealand
New Zealand Friends
Presbyterian Church of New Zealand
Wesleyan Methodist Church in New Zealand
Eastern Christian
Antiochian Orthodox of Australia and New Zealand
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of New Zealand
Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand
Serbian Orthodox of Australia and New Zealand
Non-Chalcedonic
Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand
Pentecostal and related
Assemblies of God
CRC Churches International
Revival Centres International
Vineyard Churches New Zealand
Worldwide Church of God
Other
LDS Church
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NigeriaChristian denominations in Nigeria
Nigerian interchurch
Christian Association of Nigeria
Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria
African initiated
Cherubim and Seraphim Society
Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim
Church of God Mission International
Church of the Lord (Aladura)
Anglican
The African Church
Church of Nigeria
Anabaptist
Church of the Brethren in Nigeria
Baptist
Mambila Baptist Convention of Nigeria
Nigerian Baptist Convention
Catholic
Catholic Church in Nigeria
Holiness and Methodist
African Methodist Episcopal Church in Nigeria
United Methodist Church of Nigeria
Lutheran
Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria
Lutheran Church of Nigeria
Pentecostal
The Apostolic Church Nigeria
Christ Apostolic Church
Deeper Christian Life Ministry
General Council of the Assemblies of God Nigeria
Gospel Faith Mission
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
The Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement
New Apostolic Church in Nigeria
Redeemed Christian Church of God
Winners' Chapel
Presbyterian and Reformed
Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria
Church of Christ in Nigeria
Church of Christ in the Sudan Among the Tiv
Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ
N.K.S.T
Presbyterian Church of Nigeria
Reformed Church of Christ in Nigeria
Other Protestant
Churches of Christ in Nigeria
Evangelical Church of West Africa
QIC-United Evangelical Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria
Word of Faith Ministries
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Papua New GuineaChristian denominations in Papua New Guinea vte
Papua New Guinean interchurch
Papua New Guinea Council of Churches
Anglican
Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea
Catholic
Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea
Lutheran
Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG
Gutnius Lutheran Church
Methodist and PresbyterianUnited Church
Others
Baptists
Evangelical Alliance
Iglesia ni Cristo
Jehovah's Witnesses
Members Church of God International
Pentecostalism
Salvation Army
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship
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South AfricaChristian denominations in South Africa
South African interchurch
South African Council of Churches
Catholic
Catholic Church in South Africa
Anglican
Anglican Church
Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church
Holiness and AIC
Die Heilsleër
Zion Christian Church
Pentecostal
Apostolic Faith Mission
[Assemblies of God]
Protestantism, Other
Baptist Union
Evangelical Lutheran Church
LDS Church
Methodist Church
Reformed
Dutch Reformed: NGK
Dutch Reformed: NHK
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church of Africa
Reformed Church in Africa
Reformed Churches: GKSA
United Congregational Church
Uniting Presbyterian Church
Uniting Reformed Church
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United KingdomChristian denominations in the United Kingdom vte
British interchurch
Affinity (formerly British Evangelical Council)
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Evangelical Alliance, UK
Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches
Churches Together in England
Action of Churches Together, Scotland (ACTS)
Churches Together in Wales
Evangelical Movement of Wales
Anglican
Church of England
Church of Ireland
Scottish Episcopal Church
Church in Wales
Baptist
Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland
Baptist Union of Great Britain
Baptist Union of Scotland
Baptist Union of Wales
Catholic
Catholic Church in the United Kingdom
Catholic Church in England and Wales
Catholic Church in Ireland
Catholic Church in Scotland
Lutheran
Lutheran Church in Great Britain
Methodist and Holiness
Methodist Church of Great Britain
Methodist Church in Ireland
Free Methodist Church
Wesleyan Holiness Church
Church of the Nazarene
Salvation Army
New Church Movement
Newfrontiers
Pioneer Church
OrthodoxEastern Orthodox
Greek Orthodox of G.B.
Georgian Orthodox
Romanian Orthodox
Bulgarian Orthodox
Oriental Orthodox
Armenian Apostolic
British Orthodox
Coptic Orthodox
Eritrean Orthodox
Ethiopian Orthodox
Syriac Orthodox
Pentecostal
Assemblies of God
Church of God in Christ
Elim Pentecostal Church
Presbyterian and Reformed
Asso. Presbyterian Churches, Scotland
Church of Scotland
Congregational Federation
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Newfrontiers
Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Presbyterian Church of Wales
United Free Church of Scotland
United Reformed Church
Other
General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
LDS Church in England
Quakers
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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United StatesChristian denominations in the United States
American interchurch
National Association of Evangelicals
National Council of Churches
Churches Uniting in Christ
Anabaptist
Church of the Brethren
Mennonite Church USA
Amish
Anglican
Anglican Church in North America
Episcopal Church
Baptist
Alliance of Baptists
American Baptist Association
American Baptist Churches
Baptist Bible Fellowship International
Baptist Missionary Association of America
Conservative Baptist Association of America
Converge
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
National Association of Free Will Baptists
National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A.
North American Baptist Conference
Southern Baptist Convention
Holiness Baptist Churches
Independent Baptist Churches
African-American Baptist
National Baptist Convention of America
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
Progressive National Baptist Convention
Catholic
Catholic Church in the United States
Eastern ChristianEastern Orthodox
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Orthodox Church in America
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Serbian Orthodox Church in USA
American-Canadian Macedonian Orthodox Diocese
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
Oriental Orthodox
Armenian Apostolic Church in USA
Coptic Orthodox Church in USA
Syriac Orthodox Church
Orthodox Tewahedo (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church)
Eastern Protestant
P'ent'ay
Evangelical Orthodox Church
Assyrian Evangelical Church
Assyrian Pentecostal Church
Mar Thoma Syrian Church
Armenian Evangelical Church
Eastern Catholic
Lutheran
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
North American Lutheran Church
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Methodist and Holiness
African Methodist Episcopal Church
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Christian and Missionary Alliance
Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)
Church of the Nazarene
Free Methodist Church
Global Methodist Church
The Salvation Army
United Methodist Church
Wesleyan Church
PentecostalHoliness Pentecostal
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
Church of God in Christ
Church of God of Prophecy
International Pentecostal Holiness Church
Finished Work Pentecostal
Assemblies of God
Church on the Rock International
Full Gospel Fellowship
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
Pentecostal Church of God
Oneness Pentecostal
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
United Pentecostal Church Intl.
Presbyterian and Reformed
Christian Reformed Church in North America
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Korean Presbyterian Church in America
International Council of Community Churches
National Association of Congregational Christian Churches
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Church in America
Reformed Church in America
United Church of Christ
Radical Pietist
Evangelical Covenant Church
Evangelical Free Church of America
Converge
Stone-Campbell
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian churches and churches of Christ
Churches of Christ
International Churches of Christ
Other
LDS Church
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Community of Christ
Grace Gospel Fellowship
IFCA International
Jehovah's Witnesses
Messianic Jewish Alliance of America
Plymouth Brethren
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship
Vineyard USA
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The Conference of European Churches (CEC) was founded in 1959 to promote reconciliation, dialogue and friendship between the churches of Europe at a time of growing Cold War political tensions and divisions.
In its commitment to Europe as a whole the Conference seeks to help the European churches to renew their spiritual life, to strengthen their common witness and service and to promote the unity of the Church and peace in the world.
The CEC is a fellowship of some 114 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 National Council of Churches and Organisations in Partnership. The CEC was founded in 1959 and has its office in Brussels.

## Assemblies

CEC assemblies take place once every five years. The 4th CEC assembly (1964) had to be held on a ship on the Baltic Sea owing to the difficulties of obtaining visas for delegates from eastern European countries.

### Past assemblies

* I. 1959 Nyborg, Denmark: "European Christianity in Today’s Secularised World"
* II. 1960 Nyborg, Denmark: "The Service of the Church in a Changing World"
* III. 1962 Nyborg, Denmark: "The Church in Europe and the Crisis of Modern Man"
* IV. 1964 Baltic Sea, on board the M.V. Bornholm: "Living Together as Continents and Generations"
* V. 1967 Pörtschach, Austria: "To Serve and Reconcile: the Task of the European Churches Today"
* VI. 1971 Nyborg, Denmark: "Servants of God, Servants of Men"
* VII. 1974 Engelberg, Switzerland: "Act on the Message - Unity in Christ and Peace in the World"
* VIII. 1979 Chania, Crete, Greece: "Alive to the World in the Power of the Holy Spirit"
* IX. 1986 Stirling, Scotland: "Glory to God and Peace on Earth"
* X. 1992 Prague, then Czechoslovakia (now in Czech Republic): "God Unites - in Christ a New Creation"
* XI. 1997 Graz, Austria: "Reconciliation, Gift of God and Source of New Life"
* XII. 2003 Trondheim, Norway: Jesus Christ Heals and Reconciles: Our Witness in Europe"
* XIII. 2009 Lyon, France: Called to One Hope in Christ
* XIV. 2013 Budapest, Hungary:“And now what are you waiting for?” CEC and its Mission in a Changing Europe
* XV. 2018 Novi Sad, Serbia:"You shall be my witnesses" Witness, Justice, Hospitality
* XVI. 2023 Tallinn, Estonia:"Under God's blessing: shaping the future"

## Governance

Until 2013, the CEC was governed by an annual Central Committee meeting between assemblies. The 12th Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (Trondheim, 2003) elected the 40-member Committee. This Committee, according to the CEC Constitution, was "empowered to conduct the business of the Conference when the Assembly is not meeting". At the 14th CEC Assembly (Budapest 2013) the Central Committee was replaced by a 20-member Governing Board. The Governing Board meets twice annually to oversee the implementation of the decisions of the Assembly. (art. 6.1)
The President of the CEC (from 2009 to 2013) was H.E. Metropolitan Emmanuel of France. He was succeeded in 2013 by Christopher Hill, a retired Church of England bishop (formerly Bishop of Guildford. On 4 June 2018, Rev. Christian Krieger, from the Reformed Church in Alsace and Lorraine was elected President, in Novi Sad, Serbia. Since 19 June 2023, H.E. Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain is the President of the CEC.
The longstanding membership status of the Associated Organisations from all strands of the ecumenical movement was cancelled after a controversial debate by the 14th CEC Assembly in a second vote during a closed session requested by the Protestant Church in Germany, one of the main contributors to the CEC budget. The organisations excluded were offered a non-voting status of organisations in partnership like national councils of churches in the CEC. It is affiliated with the World Council of Churches (WCC).

## Secretariat

The offices of the Conference of European Churches are (since 2014) based in Brussels, Belgium - formerly the offices used by the Church and Society Commission of the CEC. The CEC General Secretariat and the (former) Churches in Dialogue Commission were previously located in the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, Switzerland - which remains also the headquarters building of the World Council of Churches. Rev. Frank-Dieter Fischbach was appointed by the Governing Board of CEC on 14 March 2024 as the new General Secretary, starting his role on 1 July 2024. Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen was General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches until December 2023. General Secretary Very Revd Protopresbyter Heikki Theodoros Huttunen from the Orthodox Church of Finland succeeded Rev. Dr Guy Liagre, formerly President of the United Protestant Church in Belgium and Rev. Prof. Dr Viorel Ionita who served as Interim General Secretary from 2010. The former General Secretary (2005-2010) was the Venerable Colin Williams, formerly Archdeacon of Lancaster in the Church of England; he succeeded the Rev. Dr Keith Clements.

## Former Commissions

By 2014 the two former Commissions of the CEC were fully integrated into the core work of the CEC.

### Church and Society Commission

In 1999 the European Ecumenical Commission on Church and Society (EECCS) merged with the CEC, becoming the CEC's Church and Society Commission. The Church and Society Commission's secretariat was located in offices in Brussels, Belgium and Strasbourg, France. The Director of the Church and Society Commission from 2002 until 2013 was the Rev. Rüdiger Noll. Recent annual plenary meetings of the Church and Society Commission have been held in El Escorial, Spain (2003), Wavre, Belgium (2004), Dunblane, Scotland (2005), Sigtuna, Sweden (2006), Etchmiadzin, Armenia (2007), Prague, Czech Republic (2008) and Nyborg, Denmark (2009). Following the 14th CEC Assembly in Budapest in 2013 the programmes of the Church and Society Commission were integrated fully into the work of the CEC, a move completed in 2014.

### Churches in Dialogue Commission

Based in Geneva, the staff member in charge was until July 2012, Rev. Professor Father Viorel Ionita, of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The new General Secretary of CEC, Rev. Dr Guy Liagre succeeded him from 2012. From 2013 the work of the Churches in Dialogue Commission has been fully integrated in the work on ecumenical relations led by the CEC General Secretary.

## Relations with the Roman Catholic Church

The largest Christian body, the Roman Catholic Church, is not a member of the CEC for the same reasons that it abstains from officially participating in the World Council of Churches, which is that such organizations do not recognize any kind of Roman Catholic primacy in the governance of the universal Church.
The Third European Ecumenical Assembly (co-organised by the CEC and the CCEE) was held in Sibiu, Romania, 4–9 September 2007.