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Sesquicentennial dinner

ON THE 29th October 2014, members of the AECA and guests gathered at
Lambeth Palace for a gala dinner to celebrate the sesquicentenary of the Angli-
can and Eastern Churches Association. The meal took place in the presence of
our Orthodox President, Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain,
and our Anglican President, Bishop Richard Chartres, who delivered messages
of greetings from the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Archbishop spoke highly and warmly of the work of the AECA, and his
words are included in full below.
Archbishop of Canterbury’s Message to the Anglican and Eastern Churches Association
on the celebration of their 150th anniversary
Our Lord's high priestly prayer in John 17 is “that they may become completely
one.”

As your Anglican Patron, this is also my prayer for you, members and
guests of the Anglican & Eastern Churches Association, as you gather at Lam-
beth Palace to celebrate 150 years of service to the unity of the church.

Good relations between Anglicans and Orthodox are not for us an op-
tional extra. Rooted in the creeds of the early church, both families of churches
share many characteristics and face common challenges, which the AECA has
always used as the foundation for its work. For this reason, His All Holiness

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