World Methodist Council, 11 Other Christian World Communions Issue Letter for Common Easter Date and 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea
The World Methodist Council and 11 other Christian World Communions have issued a message to mark the shared date of Easter in 2025 by all Christians, in conjunction with the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea.
The message seeks to bear witness to the Resurrection of Christ and has been signed by General Secretaries and ecumenical representatives of 12 Christian World Communions.
It calls for Christians to work for the unity of the Church, praying for “the Holy Spirit to move our Communions to live and walk together, in obedience to the call of Jesus’ that all his disciples may be one.”
It also offers words of hope “at this time of great political instability in the world, when so many live with fear, suffering, persecution, famine, and other forms of instability and vulnerability.” All Christians are called together to proclaim the good news of “repentance and forgiveness of sins … to all nations” (Luke 24:47-48).
The statement embodies the Communions’ conviction that “that the Lord calls us to agreement, and unified witness,” in a year when the coincidence of Christian calendars will see all Christian churches, West and East, celebrate the Day of Resurrection on Sunday, April 20.
Historically, the date of Easter has differed between Eastern and Western churches. The Gregorian calendar, used by most Western churches, differs from the Julian calendar, which is the basis for calculating Easter in some Eastern Orthodox churches.
Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew have publicly advocated for a shared Easter date, seeing it as a step towards greater unity among Christians.
2025 is also significant as the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, formulated by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD (and later revised at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD).
The Nicene Creed presents the most authoritative statement of trinitarian Christian faith.
The Letter has been signed by:
The Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia.
The Anglican Communion.
The Baptist World Alliance.
The Christian Church and Churches of Christ.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The International Old Catholic Bishops’ Conference/Old Catholic Church.
The Lutheran World Federation.
The Moravian Church Worldwide Unity Board.
The Mennonite World Conference.
The Pentecostal World Fellowship.
The Salvation Army.
The World Methodist Council.
Speaking in support of the Statement, General Secretary Reynaldo Ferreira Leão Neto of the World Methodist Council said:
This year, unusually, all Christians celebrate Easter on the same day: 20th April. The General Secretaries of the World Christian Communions produced a joint letter to mark Easter. It also refers to the 1700 years of having a common creed: the Nicene Creed. May both the joint Easter and the Creed stand as a sign of unity, of one humanity and faith, even in a very divided world: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:5-6)
Speaking in support of the Statement, President Debra Wallace Padgett of the World Methodist Council said:
What a powerful witness it will be when Christians all over the world celebrate Easter this year on April 20th. This occurrence happens during years when Christian calendars from the East (Julian) and West (Gregorian) align in observing Easter Day. A letter written by the General Secretaries of the World Christian Communions to commemorate Easter Day as well as the 1700th anniversary of the first ecumenical Council of Nicaea are reminders of our unity in the midst of diversity. Praise God for what we hold in common through the Resurrected Christ. May we renew our commitment to fulfill Jesus’ prayer, ” that they may all be one.” (John 17:21)
The World Communion’s Easter message
‘You are witnesses of these things.’ —Luke 24:48
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world,
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
As representatives of 12 Christian World Communions, present in every nation on earth, we are moved and grateful to speak with one voice and one heart about our Lord’s resurrection, which we have witnessed and profess together. Together — from East and West, North and South — in this year of our Lord 2025, we have been given by God the great gift of a shared date of Easter. Devout Christians have prayed for generations that this may be possible. Though we have not yet achieved agreement on the date of Easter in perpetuity, we have no doubt that the Lord calls us to agreement, and unified witness, so that the world may believe (John 17:21). As a further summons, God in his mercy has enabled us this year to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and its Creed. We are humbled and amazed that we can, on this Easter, profess together the fact that
“On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.”
In the light of these gifts, we call upon the Holy Spirit to move our Communions to live and walk together, in obedience to the call of Jesus’ that all his disciples may be one. We hope to hear his ‘words’ anew, just as when he appeared to his disciples after his resurrection and ‘opened their minds to understand the scriptures,’ namely, that the Messiah must suffer and rise, ‘and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations’ (Luke 24:44-47). At this time of great political instability in the world, when so many live with fear, suffering, persecution, famine, and other forms of instability and vulnerability, we would seek together to be ‘witnesses of these things’ of God, accomplished by our Lord and Saviour (24:48). For this purpose, we pray over and over again with eager expectation and hope that we may all be one, ‘clothed with power from on high’ (24:49).
May the Lord grant us his Spirit of cooperation and obedience, forgive us our sins, and use us as his instruments of reconciliation and healing in the world.
And may God bathe our hearts and minds in the cleansing light of his resurrection from the dead.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
