Page 15 - AECA.org.uk ¦ Koinonia 63

Orthodox continue to work together in tackling many of the sharpest
contemporary issues which face us all, amongst them a creeping secular
fundamentalism in western societies and liberal democracies, the threat
from political Islam and expansionist Zionism in the Middle East –
leading to the current exodus of Christians from that region, and the
challenge of adapting our faith to new realities while remaining true to
the “faith once received.” An entirely di?erent situation pertains now
from that of 1864, as Orthodox Churches all have large Diasporas out-
side their historic homelands (especially in the UK) and the Anglican
Communion is now a global phenomenon, with the largest number of
Anglicans now in Nigeria. Globally, all of us face the growing challenges
of the increasing divide between rich and poor, and the consequential
degradation of the environment and de-humanising labour conditions
brought about by economic globalisation. Our Communions continue
to meet formally through the Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue and the re-
cently re-activated Anglican-Oriental Orthodox Commission. This
Commission will next meet in Cairo in October, hosted by the Coptic
Orthodox Church, and amidst the tension between proponents of dif-
ferent visions of society in Egypt. Equally importantly, an increasing
daily involvement in pastoral cooperation characterises our churches at
the local level. Pilgrimage has been and is one of the signi?cant activi-
ties of the AECA and this year has seen the launch of a new venture,
Holy Britannia, designed to bring Russian Orthodox Christians to the
holy places of the British Isles.9 I believe it true to say that our relations
have never been better or closer.

So in this year of 2014 we are marking, and will mark and cele-
brate this achievement in several ways. Earlier in the year, we launched a
very successful travel award for ordinands and students of theology to
mark the 1700th commemoration of the Emperor Constantine’s Edict
of Milan, with the winning student, Dr Catherine Reid, going to an Or-
thodox Convent in Minsk, Belarus. In October, we hold our 150th anni-

9 See the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pilgrimageholybritannia

13