This is a hard one to come out swinging against, because ecumenism is supposed to be about wonderful ideals like unity and peace and love.
True Christian unity is a precious thing indeed!
But the truth is, truth matters.
Defining terms:
The principle or aim of promoting unity among the world’s Christian Churches.
Ecumenism is the movement to promote unity by encouraging dialogue and collaboration among Christian denominations – in some cases even extending that unity to other religions. It seeks visible, institutional harmony and cooperation.
On the surface, that might sound like the answer to centuries of division and the right way to walk in love.
But what if the “unity” ecumenism offers isn’t the unity Scripture calls us to?
A quick history:
The ecumenical movement rose to prominence really within roughly the last century. Here’s a quick-and-dirty overview of its progression:
- Protestant liberalism (1800s): The seeds of ecumenism actually sprouted in Protestant circles. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, liberal theologians emphasized the “fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man,” pushing cooperation over doctrine.
- Paul Couturier (1881–1953): A French Catholic priest known as “the apostle of Christian unity” who was involved in Catholic-Orthodox relations in the 1930s and helped promote the worldwide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. He promoted “spiritual ecumenism,” urging Christians to pray together for unity while leaving doctrine aside – shifting the focus from theology to shared prayer and making ecumenism a spiritual duty. In other words: unity without theology.
- The World Council of Churches (WCC, founded 1948): Gathered hundreds of denominations – many with radically different doctrines. Over time it became more about political activism and interfaith dialogue than fidelity to the gospel.
- Vatican II (1962–65): Rome stopped calling Protestants “heretics” and started calling them “separated brethren.” Sounds friendlier than “heretics,” but the teaching never changed: Rome still claims to be the one true church, and the goal of “dialogue” is to bring others back under its authority. Even before Vatican II, Catholic missionaries and theologians used the language of “unity” to position Rome as the mother church. The idea was always that unity = return to Rome.
- Joint declarations and interfaith prayers: In the last few decades, ecumenical leaders have signed joint statements on salvation with groups that openly deny salvation by grace alone. Some gatherings even hold interfaith worship services where prayers are offered side by side with Muslims, Hindus, and others – and that folks, is straight-up syncretism.
- The broader spirit of the age: After two world wars, “unity” became a cultural value. The UN was founded in 1945. The ecumenical movement is simply the religious version.
Once the Catholic Church changed its language at Vatican II (Rome may not change their doctrine, but it’s a master at changing vocabulary!), suddenly Protestant ecumenists and Rome could partner – but they did so under wildly different assumptions.
Protestants thought they were building a big tent. Rome thought it was guiding everyone home.
The misdirections of ecumenism:
1. Ecumenism promotes unity at the expense of truth
Jesus prayed that His followers would be one… but He also prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Biblical unity is always rooted in God’s Word. When churches gloss over or deny differences about salvation, authority, or obedience in order to “look united,” the result isn’t unity.
2. Ecumenism confuses love with fellowship
We’re called to love all people, including those in error (we all have things we haven’t quite got straight!). But biblical fellowship (koinonia) requires shared faith and obedience. Scripture is clear: “What fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14). Ecumenism blurs that line, creating partnerships that imply endorsement of false teaching.
3. Ecumenism compromises on Scripture
To keep everyone copacetic, ecumenical projects tend to sidestep the Bible, leaning on tradition, consensus, or lowest-common-denominator theology. The result: the authority of Scripture is quietly hushed – exactly what the apostles warned against:
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:6-9
4. It elevates institutions over discipleship
Ecumenism is usually about denominations or leaders signing agreements, not about real people following Jesus more closely.
5. It opens the door to syncretism
Once you start watering down truth for “unity,” where does it stop? Many ecumenical initiatives have already drifted into interfaith worship and partnerships that mix & mash the gospel for convenience.
Ecumenical contradictions
All roads lead to relativism
If you believe Jesus’ claim that He alone is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), then it’s incoherent to behave as though truth is negotiable – even for the sake of “unity.” Truth, by definition, divides. Pretending all roads lead to the same place is either dishonest (because then you don’t really believe your own claims) or confused (because you’ve let appearances become more important than convictions).
Ecumenism erodes credibility
Ecumenism leaves people wondering: Do you really believe what you preach? If you insist your tradition holds the truth of the gospel, but then act like all other traditions are equally valid, it shows either a lack of conviction or a willingness to compromise. Either way, it undermines your witness.
Ecumenism is counterfeit unity
Rome, the expert at adapting and shifting language instead of sincerely reforming, is able to create the impression of generosity and even correction by softening its language: “separated brethren” instead of “heretics.” However, the teaching is still in place that salvation flows only through the Catholic Church, sooo…
The conundrum for Catholics, in particular
If Catholicism is really the only true way of salvation (CCC 846, 816, and 830) then ecumenism is just empty words. You can’t say “we are the one true church” and then act as if all paths are equally valid. To do so is hypocrisy. Rome’s agenda remains unchanged: to bring everyone under papal authority, and they’re happy to use ecumenism as one pathway or tool to that end.
“Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it.”
CCC 846
Ecumenism isn’t consistent with Scripture
Scripture never tells us to build unity by minimizing truth. It tells us to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). To preach salvation through Christ while behaving as though other gospels are equally valid is to deny Christ by your actions.
Ecumenism can lead to forced unity
Ecumenism may start with dialogue and cooperation, but it can end with pressure to fall in line – even if it means silencing the very truth that makes us free. “Dialogue” turns into pressure. Disagreement becomes disobedience. Fellowship becomes conditional. Truth gets traded for compliance.
And so you don’t think that last point is getting blown out of proportion:
- Joint declarations: The 1999 Catholic–Lutheran statement on justification pressured Lutherans to soften sola fide in order to sign.
- World Council of Churches: Groups that wouldn’t sign on because of doctrinal scruples were sidelined, marginalized, or left out – not necessarily a bad thing, but shows how “unity” can become conditional on compliance.
- Catholic–Orthodox talks: During the Catholic–Orthodox dialogues of the 20th century, Orthodox participants were regularly urged to recognize papal primacy “in some form” as a condition for unity.
- Interfaith prayer services: At events like the 1986 Assisi gathering, Christians who refused to join were branded divisive or unloving. Participation became a litmus test.
- Catholic canon law: Vatican II’s Unitatis Redintegratio (Decree on Ecumenism) calls Protestants “separated brethren” but states that unity must eventually be “restored” under Rome.
“For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the People of God.” (UR, §3)
“The children who are born into these [Protestant] Communities and who grow up believing in Christ cannot be accused of the sin involved in the separation, and the Catholic Church embraces them upon baptism as brothers. … Nevertheless, the differences that exist in varying degrees between them and the Catholic Church… constitute an obstacle to full ecclesiastical communion. … Our separated brethren… are not blessed with that unity which Jesus Christ wished to bestow on all those who through Him were born again into one body, and with Him quickened to newness of life — that unity which the Holy Scriptures and the ancient Tradition of the Church proclaim.” (UR, §3)
Unity DOES matter. Here’s what it should look like.
Scripture does call us to unity – just not the kind ecumenism offers.
Unity in Scripture is not organizational, it’s organic. It’s rooted in abiding in Christ, the true vine (John 15). It’s not manufactured by committees but given by the Spirit when people together submit to God’s Word.
That’s why Paul warned believers to stand firm against false gospels, even if it meant separating from those who promoted them (Rom. 16:17; Titus 3:10). Guarding the gospel matters more than guarding appearances.
“The greatest cause of division in the church is the departure from the truth of God’s Word. The only cure for division is a return to obedience.”
— Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Conversation closers
If you find yourself in a discussion about ecumenism, here are some questions you can use to get down to the roots:
Gentle questions:
- So at what point does unity become compromise? What parts of your faith or tradition are you willing to compromise?
- What authority sets the boundaries of unity? A religious institution? What if it’s different from Scripture?
- But if truth is being set aside to keep peace, is that the same kind of unity Jesus prayed for in John 17?
- So do you believe all roads lead to the same place?
- If you think your church holds the truth, doesn’t ecumenism feel dishonest to you?
- Would Paul have signed an ecumenical statement?
Questions for Catholics:
- If someone is saved by trusting Christ but never identifies with Rome, isn’t that salvation through Christ alone?
- Where does Scripture teach a two-tier system of ‘partial’ salvation vs. ‘fullness’ salvation? Didn’t Paul say in Christ we are complete in Christ (Col. 2:10)?
- If we’re truly brothers in Christ already, why insist we must submit to Rome? Isn’t that adding a condition to the gospel?
- If God saves people outside your church, doesn’t that prove salvation isn’t bound to it?
Takeaways
Ecumenism twists the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17:17-23. His prayer was for a) sanctification in truth, and b) unity with God – out of which brotherly unity flows.
→ Ecumenism doesn’t simply smooth over denominational divides – it steadily erodes the gospel itself.
→ Ecumenism is an optics play, not obedience.
→ The gospel is the only basis for Christian fellowship, and we’re told not to add to it or take away from it.
…that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
I John 1:3
“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”
Luke 12:51
As Christians, we don’t need ecumenism. It’s not even something worth aiming for! Ecumenism seeks unity between churches and institutions; Jesus breathes unity between God and His people.
We need obedience to the Messiah, who desires us to be one with God, as He is. Jesus’ message was and still is simple: Love me, obey my commands, love one another, stand firm, I’m coming back.
When we don’t make the message of Jesus complicated (like Christianity did), unity is much easier to achieve and there shouldn’t be a need for ecumenism in the first place. If we hadn’t complicated the gospel with layers of tradition, institutions, and denominational baggage, unity would be the natural fruit of simple faith in Christ!
Let’s talk about that next. Post coming soon!