Ecumenism in the context of the Christian church means different things to different people. In general, Ecumenism means inclusiveness, or acceptance of others. In the context of Christianity, Ecumenism is often used to describe cooperation between Catholic and Protestant denominations. It is also sometimes used to describe inclusion of groups of people into churches or ordained ministry who have historically been excluded, including women and gay people.

In the broadest sense, Ecumenism means inclusion or acceptance of all people, regardless of faith, creed, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Ecumenism is not the same as Syncretism. Syncretism involves attempting to meld a variety of separate faiths and beliefs into a single system of beliefs.

The word Orthodox comes from the Greek "Orthodoxos," which literally means "right thinking" or "right opinion". Orthodoxy represents a doctrine of "right opinion."

Historically, orthodoxy has often been defined through the development of creeds. A Creed describes a set of core doctrines or values, often in a religious context.

In the early Christian church, Ecumenical Counsels of Bishops met to develop creeds as a guides for interpreting Christian Scripture. Probably the most famous is the Nicene Creed, formulated in 325CE. Many many Creeds have been developed since then, in fact every Christian denomination and many individual churches have published sets of core beliefs.

The Ecumenical Christian Creed advocates Christian love and respect for others and the celebration of differing cultures, traditions and orientations. This creed is offered as a revised orthodoxy for Christians who feel called to love, accept, and even celebrate others.

From an Evangelical perspective, Ecumenism promotes peaceful, respectful dialog between people of different faiths and cultures. This, coupled with charitable works, is the most effective way of sharing one's faith with others. Ecumenicists hope for a world where people of different faiths and cultures evangelize through engaging in peaceful, respectful dialog and works that promote healing and peace.