Die Spannungen zwischen Orthodoxen und Protestanten im ÖRK waren im Vorfeld der achten Vollversammlung des ÖRK 1998 öffentlich geworden, als die orthodoxen Kirchen Georgiens und Bulgariens aus dem ÖRK austraten und die orthodoxe Familie ihre Unzufriedenheit in einer Stellungnahme im Mai 1998 in Thessaloniki, Griechenland, formulierte.

In der Erklärung unterstrichen die orthodoxen Kirchen einerseits ihre lange ökumenische Tradition und ihre intensive Mitarbeit im ÖRK, andererseits beklagten sie die gegenwärtigen ÖRK-Strukturen, die eine angemessene orthodoxe Beteiligung erschwerten. Weitere Kritikpunkte waren in der Thessaloniki-Stellungnahme die Stagnation "in den multilateralen theologischen Diskussionen zwischen Christen", der liturgische Sprachgebrauch im ÖRK sowie Fragen der Frauenordination und der sexuellen Orientierung.

Im Dezember vergangenen Jahres war auf der achten Vollversammlung in Harare aufgrund der aufgetretenen Differenzen beschlossen worden, eine orthodox-protestantische Gesprächskommission einzurichten, die sich mit den orthodoxen Anfragen befassen und Lösungmöglichkeiten erarbeiten soll.

Unter den derzeit 337 Mitgliedskirchen des ÖRK sind 21 orthodox ; sie repräsentieren mehr als ein Drittel aller Christen und Christinnen, die ÖRK-Mitgliedskirchen angehören. Die Russische Orthodoxe Kirche ist die grösste Mitgliedskirche des ÖRK.

Liste der Teilnehmer und Teilnehmerinnen (Stand : 3.12.99):

• Dr Anna Marie Aagaard, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Denmark
• Very Rev. Nareg (Manoug) Alemezian, Armenian Apostolic Church (Cilicia), Lebanon
• Hieromonk Dr Hilarion Alfeyev, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Federation
• H.E. Metropolitan Ambrosios of Kalavryta, Church of Greece, Greece
• Mr George Andriadze, Georgian Orthodox Church, Georgia
• Mr Andrei Dan Apostu, Orthodox Church in Czech Lands and Slovakia, Czech Republic
• H.E. Metropolitan Athanasios Papas, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Turkey (Substitute for: H.E. Metropolitan Ambrosius of Oulu)
• Mr Ramez Attalah, Synod of the Nile of the Evangelical Church, Egypt
• H.E. Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Armenian Apostolic Church (Etchmiadzin), Australia
• H.E. Metroplitan Anba Bishoy of Damiette, Coptic Orthodox Church, Egypt
• Bishop Gustáv Bölcskei, Reformed Church in Hungary, Hungary
• Ms Manoushag Boyadjian, Armenian Apostolic Church (Cilicia), Lebanon
• Mr John Briggs, Baptist Union of Great Britain, United Kingdom
• H.E. Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Ephesus, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Greece
• H.E. Metropolitan Chrysostomos Zafiris, Church of Greece, Greece
  (Substitute for H.E. Metropolitan Ambrosius of Kozani)
• H.G. Bishop Chrystopher of Olomouc and Brno, Orthodox Church in Czech Lands and Slovakia, Czech Republic
• Rev. Yadessa Daba, Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, Ethiopia
• Mr Jean Fischer, National Protestant Church of Geneva, Switzerland
• Rev. Ying Gao, China Christian Council, China
• Rev. Fr Dr K.M. George, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, India
• Bishop Hans Gerny, Old Catholic Church of Switzerland, Switzerland
• Ms Anne Glynn-Mackoul, Greek Orth. Patr. of Antioch and All the East, United States of America
• Ms Eden Grace, Society of Friends, United States of America
• Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, Reformed Church in America, United States of America
• H.E. Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim, Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, Syria
• Fr Mikhael Gundyaev, Russian Orthodox Church, Switzerland
• Mr Gabriel Habib, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, United States of America
• Bishop Dr Thomas L. Hoyt Jr, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, United States of America
• Bishop Voitto Huotari, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Finland
• H.E. Archbishop Jeremiasz of Wroclaw, Polish Autocephalic Orthodox Church, Poland
• Ms Jana Kalinová, Czechoslovak Hussite Church, Czech Republic
• H.G. Bishop Basil Karayiannis of Trimithus, Church of Cyprus, Cyprus
• The Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, Orthodox Church in America, United States of America
• Bishop Dr Rolf Koppe, Evangelical Church of Germany, Germany
• Dr John Lappas, Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, Greece
• Dr Janice Love, United Methodist Church, United States of America
• Archbishop Makarios Tillyrides of Zimbabwe, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, Zimbabwe
• H.G. Abune Mekarios, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Ethiopia
• D. Dr Soritua Nababan, Huria Kristen Batak Protestan, Indonesia
• H.G. Bishop Dr Nifon of Slobodzia & Calarasi, Romanian Orthodox Church, Romania
• Dr Mercy A. Oduyoye, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Ghana
• Archbishop Michael Peers, Anglican Church of Canada, Canada
• H.E. Metropolitan John Pelushi, Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, Albania
• Rev. John Phiri, Reformed Church in Zambia, Zambia
• Dr Agidew Redie, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Ethiopia
• Fr Dr Ioan Sauca, Romanian Orthodox Church, Switzerland
  (Substitute for Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Ica, Jr.)
• Prof. Constantine Scouteris, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, Greece
• Archpriest David Sharashenidze, Georgian Orthodox Church, Georgia
• Dr Mary Tanner, Church of England, United Kingdom
• Bishop Dr Zacharias M. Theophilus, Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, United States of America
• Very Rev. Dr Georges Tsetsis, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Switzerland
• Rev. Dr Eugene Turner, Presbyterian Church (USA), United States of America
• Rev. Dr d'Arcy Wood, Uniting Church in Australia, Australia

Entschuldigt:

• Dr Agnes Abuom, Anglican Church of Kenya
• Bidhop Vinton R. Anderson, African Methodist Episcopal Church (USA)
• H.E. Metropolitan Aristarchos of Constantine, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem Bulgarian Orthodox Church
• H.E. Bishop Ignatije of Branicevo, Serbian Orthodox Church
• H.E. Bishop Irenej of Backa, Serbian Orthodox Church
• Bishop Dr Christoph Klein, Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania
• Archbishop N.W.H. Ndungane, Church of the Province of Southern Africa
• Rev. Ofelia Ortega, Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba
• Bishop Federico J. Pagura, Evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina
• Rev. Dr Jong-Wha Park, Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea
• Dr George Sabra, Reformed Church/Lebanon
• Bishop Munib Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church/Jerusalem

Gäste:

• Mr Andrei Elisseev, Russian Orthodox Church
• H.E. Metropolitan Gennadios Limouris of Sassima, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
• Archimandrite Benedict Ioannou, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople