What is Ecumenism?
Ecumenism comes from the Greek word “oikoumene,” which mean 'worldwide', 'universal' or 'the inhabited world'.
 

The modern Ecumenical Movement is promoted generally by the World Council of Churches (comprising Orthodox and Protestant Churches) and the Roman Catholic Church.

Ecumenism has a two-fold aim
The goal of Ecumenism, first and foremost, is to bring together the Roman Catholic Church and all Protestant denominations into a full and visible unity of the Church of Jesus Christ.

But in a broader sense, the Roman Catholic Church has an ultimate goal to achieve unity with all the religions of the world. Ecumenism that started primarily with a tolerant acceptance of other churches, denominations and para-church organizations is now moved toward unity with all religions, evolving into what is called 'Interfaith Dialogue'. (It is also known as, 'Interfaithism', 'Interfaith Unity' and 'Interfaith Globalism').

Unity among the Christians
The world's 2.2 billion Christians are visibly divided into different communions or denominations. This includes the 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
 

The Ecumenical Movement serves as a means to show the world that all Christians are in ‘Unity’. The goal is therefore to promote cooperation and unity among Christians. The emphasis is for people to focus primarily on Christ and to set aside individual doctrines. It is believed that Christ is at work in the diverse churches and various denominations, bringing unity in His Body. Ecumenical alliances are thus rapidly taking place between the Roman Catholic Church and the various Protestant denominations.
 

Ecumenism seeks to promote love, cooperation and better understanding among different Christian churches and denominations through dialogues, coming together for common prayer, cooperation on projects for the common
good, etc. This process is brought about by emphasizing Scripture verses such as Ephesians 4:3-6 'endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit' and John 17:21'that they all may be one'.
 

The Role of the Roman Catholic Church in Ecumenism
The Roman Catholic Church has been at the forefront of the Ecumenical Movement. The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Through the 'Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity' (PCPCU), the Roman Catholic Church seeks to promote unity among all Christians.

The Roman Catholic Church is of the belief that a divided Christianity 'openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature' (Decree on Ecumenism-1 Vatican Council II, p. 1).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, states: "Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time". Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit ... (CCC 820).
 

The Ecumenical Agenda of the Roman Catholic Church
The ultimate hope and objective is that 'through internal renewal, holiness, prayer, fraternal (brotherly) knowledge of each other, ecumenical formations, theological dialogues, meetings among Christians of different churches and communities and collaboration on 'Human service', (CCC 821),3 the Roman Catholic Church will ‘realize the holy objective of the reconciliation of all Christians in the unity of the one and only Church of Christ’ (CCC 822).
 

The Roman Catholic Church claims that Christ founded just one Church, not many churches and declares herself as the 'One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church' (CCC 811).

According to the Roman Catholic Church, 'the Pope is the 'perpetual and visual' pastor of the entire Church. He is the Vicar of Christ and has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church' (CCC 882). The Pope is therefore invariably the supreme head and leader of this Ecumenical union.
 

The final goal and outcome of Ecumenism is therefore the reconciliation and unity of all Christians with the one and only Church of Christ, which is the Roman Catholic Church, with the Pope as the ‘full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church'.
 

But does the Bible really advocate such a unity?

The Coming One World Religion
What began by the Roman Catholic Church as drawing the "separated brethren" of Protestantism into unity, also includes bringing all non-Christians into an 'Interfaith unity' with the Roman Catholic Church. ‘All men are called to this catholic unity of the People of God...’ (CCC 836). ‘To reunite all his children, scattered and led astray by sin, the Father willed to call the whole of humanity together into his Son's Church...’(CCC 845). Such religious unity could well signal the coming of the 'One World Religion', mentioned in Revelation 17. The Antichrist will have absolute authority, power and control over such a false religious system. Everyone will be forced to worship the dragon (Satan) and the beast (Antichrist) according to Revelation 13:4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
 

Conclusion
Should Biblical Christians be involved in the Ecumenical Movement?

There can be no unity, unless there is unity in the faith ‘once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). According to Ephesians 4:1-6, true unity is in the Spirit, in our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 17:21-23, we find that unity is found only in Jesus Christ. It is not man-made but God-made. The only way to be united in the ‘One Body’ is for a person to be born-again (John 3: 3), and placed into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit - “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body...” 1 Corinthians 12:12-13.

To accept everyone into an ecumenical unity is to deny the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and the gospel.

Ecumenism is devoid of Biblical truth, and therefore Biblical Christians should refrain from getting involved in the Ecumenical Movement.