"Seeing so many different perspectives on the issues of the church and being involved in such a rich ecumenical gathering is really a great experience," says Allie Colp, a Canadian Anglican from Nova Scotia. Photo: Contributed
A young Canadian Anglican has gained a new appreciation for church life and ecumenism following a weeklong stint as a steward for the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee meeting.
Alexandra “Allie” Colp, 22, was chosen from more than 250 applicants for the stewards program, which is open to Christian youth ages 18 to 30. She is now one of two stewards from North America at the meeting of the WCC’s governing body, held Aug. 28 to Sept. 5, at the Orthodox Academy of Crete in Kolympari, Greece.
“Seeing so many different perspectives on the issues of the church and being involved in such a rich ecumenical gathering is really a great experience,” said Colp, who is a parishioner at St. John’s in the Wilderness Anglican Church in New Germany, N.S.
As a steward, Colp is part of a team that projects documents, names of speakers, videos and tracks the speakers in sessions for documentation purposes. “I knew it would be unlike anything I had done before and I couldn’t wait to learn new things, meet new people, and have a great time,” said Colp. In her final year of an undergraduate degree in environmental biology at Guelph University in Guelph, Ont., Colp attends St. David’s and St. Patrick’s Church when at school.
In an email interview, she said she didn’t realize how “complicated” ecumenism could be until she heard world church leaders discuss mission, evangelism and other issues affecting Christianity. “I thought that it was fairly simple. We have the same Bible, and we believe in the same God, but there are so many differences,” Colp told the Journal. Importantly, the discussions underscored that differences among Christians are “an asset rather a limitation” and “that is something that will definitely stick with me,” Colp said.
Founded in 1948, the WCC has 349 member churches, denominations and fellowships representing over 560 million Christians in over 110 countries.