Ecumenical Easter Lunch (April 2026)

Christian leaders share thoughts on unity at Easter gathering

(Published in Catholic News)

Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Bible-Presbyterian, Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church, and Mar Thoma Syrian Church Christians celebrated our Lord’s resurrection with meaningful conversations and food on April 21. Photos: AIRDECS.

Representatives from various churches and communities got together for an annual ecumenical Easter lunch on April 21 at the Church of Saint Teresa in Kampong Bahru.

Organised by the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Ecumenical Dialogue (ACCED) and the Archdiocesan Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism Centre of Singapore (AIRDECS), the ninth edition of this event was the largest and most varied in representation since it began in 2014, with 32 participants from at least nine communities.

At the event, participants shared their personal thoughts on how they understood Christian unity in light of the Gospel of John (17:20-26).

For Methodist Bishop Philip Lim, unity is not uniformity.

Mr Chwa Wei Jie from The Bible Society of Singapore introducing himself at the event.

“Unity does not mean we will not have disagreements,” he said. “Unity is actually a holy harmony that holds our diversity together in Christ. The Church is called to imitate the unity found in the Holy Trinity – Three distinct Persons but One Being.”

Reverend Peter Chan, General Secretary of the Synod Office of the Presbyterian Church in Singapore, shared how he felt as a young pastor attending the World Evangelical Fellowship where more than 90 nations were represented.

Seeing people of every tribe and nation gathered, as in the Book of Revelation, was like a foretaste of Heaven which overwhelmed him.

“The Church is not made up of only one denomination,” he said. “With our different theological persuasions, traditions, and practices…how can we see ourselves as one tribe but of different stripes?”

Fr Fenelon guiding attendees on a tour of the Church of St Teresa, where he serves as parish priest.

For Father Joby George, Vicar of the St Thomas Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, unity and diversity are both blessings.

“We are here because of the diversity of our faith traditions,” he said. “Within that diversity, we are serving God, and many churches are blessed.”

“The sea is very large, but how is it formed? Because of the many streams and rivers which join. Our diversity thus unites us,” he added.

Monsignor Peter Zhang CDD, the Roman Catholic Vicar General for Interreligious and Ecumenical Relations, likened Christ to a magnet which attracts Christians of different traditions – metal pieces in different forms.

Participants enjoying fraternal conversations over lunch in the Church of St Teresa canteen.

“The closer we approach Christ, the closer the metal pieces will get together because we assume the love of Christ,” he said.

Dr Bryan Goh, a Catholic from the Department of History at the National University of Singapore, described ecumenism in Singapore as akin to popiah (spring roll) with different ingredients and a common sauce, which he likened to the Holy Spirit.

“What holds everything together is the skin which is fragile and easily broken,” he said. “If Christian unity is that skin, we need to continuously work to wrap it.”

Ms Charmaine Chow, a Catholic with the Taizé prayer group, suggested that churches could organise common activities such as soccer games for the youth, or get-togethers to cook meals for migrant workers.

Closing the event, ACCED Chairperson Fr John Joseph Fenelon acknowledged the variety of ideas shared and thanked everyone involved.

By Gerald Kong, Executive Secretary of AIRDECS