We thank our God, the life-Giving Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for the opportunity to celebrate this joyful season of the Resurrection with our sisters from Europe, North and South America, Australia and the Middle East.

We gathered together in Istanbul, Turkey for this conference on 'Women in the Life of the Orthodox Church' entitled "Discerning the Signs of the Times". Over 50 women and men from the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches met from May 10-17, 1997 as participants officially delegated by their churches, as observers, and as resource people to discuss the concerns and questions of Orthodox women from our perspective countries. This meeting took place within the context of the Ecumenical Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women.

It has been a tremendous blessing to meet and get to know one another, learning more ahout each other's histories and traditions. We have rejoiced in the commitment to seeking God's will in loving and costly service that has so often been clear in presentaitons and conversations. While at times we differed in thinking and acting, we have learned that the respect and love which exists between us, which is a gift from Jesus Christ and the main goal of our life, society and church, is one of the most important characteristics of this conference. We realise the importance of committing ourselves to the construction of a community united in diversity.

This is the last of three World Council of Churches' sponsored meetings within the Ecumenical Decade for Orthodox women (the others being Crete 1990 and Damascus 1996). We realize the need to deepen our reflection on many topics and themes, and we are grateful for this conference in that it has helped us to continue this reflection.

We have had the opportunity to visit and worship at some of the historic and ancient Christian sites of this city. We toured Hagia Sophia, the Great Church of Constantinople, the Monastery at Chora where we were inspired by the beautiful iconography of the 11th century, and the Theological School at Halki where we felt as if we had entered a modern-day Garden of Paradise. Also, we had the honour of attending the Divine Liturgy celebrated by His All-Holiness, Bartholomew I, at the monastery of Zoodochos Pege, the burial site of the Ecumenical Patriarchs, and drank from the spring whose water has been known for centuries as a source of healing. We believe Christ, who is the place (chora) of life, revealed Himself through the deep spiritual and prayer experiences of our daily worship at Holy Trinity Church, and throughout the entire week.

The name of Mother Maria Skobtsova came up repeatedly during the conference and we felt as the week progressed that she was very close to us. Her utter self-giving for the care and salvation of everyone who came her way in World War II France was especially inspiring. Russian students needing a mother, homeless women needing a place to stay, those feeling persecution needing shelter and a hiding place-all came under the wing of her love and compassion. In the end, she gave her life for her friends. She is a holy woman of our day, a model for us, one who lived in our century and in a culture and under conditions that are familiar to us.

We are exceedingly grateful for the generous hospitality of the Ecumenical Patriarch, His All- Holiness, Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome. In his opening address, the Ecumenical Patriarch spoke of the desire on the part of many people to achieve a more meaningful relationship with the living God. There is a deep longing for spiritual growth and an even greater longing for holiness, healing and forgiveness which comes from God alone. He blessed not only our conference but our pilgrimage to this holy city, a centre of inspiration and spiritual nourishment and asked us to keep the local community in our prayers.

We were also very warmly received at the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople by His Beatitude Patriarch Karekin II. We took part in morning prayers and were encouraged to take the initiative in the important ministry work of our church, given the many gifts women offer. His Beatitude mentioned the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church has taken the initiative in ordaining women to the Order of the Diaconate, an order in which both men and women are ordained and perform similar duties.

Both Patriarchs addressed the current official theological dialogue taking place between the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches and both eagerly anticipate the final reconciliation and restoration of ecclesiastical communion between the two families.

It is equally important to thank the World Council of Churches Women's Programme for sponsoring this historic event. This conference for Orthodox women, the Orthodox Church and world-wide ecumenical dialogue.

Lastly, we must thank all who have gone before us, women and men, laity and clergy, who have initiated and contributed to the inter-Orthodox dialogue, without whose dedication and love for our Church we would not be here today. Their work, specifically over the last 20 years, has been a source of encouragement and hope for many of us. The consultations of Agapia(1976), Rhodes (1988), Crete (1990) and Dmascus(1996) have laid the foundations for the work we are doing here.

This consultation studied the statement that emerged from the Damascus consultation and has affirmed many of the concerns there. In addition, we offer the following:

There is a need to stimulate a desire in our people to take an active role in the life of the Church.This may happen with the realization, on the part of Orthodox Christians, of their own royal priesthood.
There is a need for new workers in the church, including children and young people, to be nurtured and educated to play a more active role in the various ministries. We must call upon all people to bring their gifts forward, the gifts which have been bestowed upon the laity through the Holy Spirit, for the life and growth of the Church. We must stimulate the interest of lay people who feel that they have been excluded in the past and remind them of their individual responsibilities as members of a 'holy nation' (1 Peter).

As members of the church we feel ready to carry out our responsibility to promote the welfare of the Church particularly by encouraging the various ministrIes of women

b... We recommend that the churches encourage the present efforts of women who are engaged in producing journals, both academic and for the community, in order to inform and educate women and men on the Orthodox faith. There is a real need on the part of women for the creation of a forum where women are able to write their experiences and engage in theological research. Women need to be notified of publications, theological seminars and other events and materials that are of benefit to them.
c...There is a tremendous need for resources and materials in the following areas:
i... for church schools,
ii... in multiple languages to address the increasingly multi-national nature of our churches,
iii... on how to live one's faith daily
iv... providing up-to-date translations of ancient Christian liturgical and patristic texts specifically dealing with the Theotokos and other women saints

b... We recommend the incorporation of the lives of the martyrs and the new experiences of the people of this century in the hymnography of the Church. While this may be happening in some churches, we recommend a universal incorporation of the new martyrs of this century in the life of our Church. Perhaps the best forum for such a recommendation is the upcoming Great and Holy Council

b... We have differing positions on the role of the female deacon. While some see the diaconate for women as a sacramental ministry which takes place by ordination, for others the ministry is not sacramental and can be described as church ministry. This question has become for some more academic than practical. Therefore while some may affirm the work of our sisters from the previous meetings of Orthodox women regarding the importance of the re-emergence of the order of the female diaconate for others there is still work to be done in order to come to a fuller understanding.

c... With the re-emergence of the order of the female diaconate, we would not want this ministry in any way to diminish the other ministries of the laity in the Church.

b...We recognise that the churches have been helping one another by sending missionary teams and providing materials in local languages. We recommend that the churches incorporate the experiences of women in their teaching materials. These experiences will enrich the spiritual life of the people.

c... Women benefit from sharing spiritual experiences with one another. Opportunities for such sharing should be provided and supported by our churches. This has begun with meetings organised by the WCC for Orthodox women, such as the present one in Istanbul. Networking and sharing should continue on international, national and parish levels. We recommend the appointment of women delegates as representatives of the Orthodox church to the various gatherings and bodies of the ecumenical movement, whether on the international, national or local level.

b... We recommend our people support, spiritually and materially, those Christian churches which are still suffering in various ways, socially, politically, and economically. We are also aware of the current climate of increased religious fundamentalism which is affecting the lives of people in all our countries. Some churches need educational materials to help develop programmes for the faithful to combat erroneous teachings.

c... We recommend the issue of sexism be seriously considered by the churches and that theological and soteriological debate be supported and encouraged through consultations and workshops.

b... We recommend the development of youth and Church school exchange programmes between our churches through national or regional councils of churches.

b... With the advent of a more technologically oriented society, we are finding that our world is changing at a very rapid pace. It is important for our churches to become aware and stay abreast of these changes because, at times, they can be used to contribute to the life of the Church. Women, also, must find a way to become better informed and learn to cope with these changes. We believe this will happen with better educational opportunities.

c... With regard to the various offices with the churches we recommend the churches encourage the participation of women on the local and higher levels.

b... We support and look forward to a resolution to the calendar differences amongst all Orthodox churches. We realize that the differences which exist are a result of certain historical difficulties. However, we await the day when our churches will celebrate the liturgical year together.

b... We recommend the establishment of a resource centre where theological research and writings of Orthodox women and the reports of conferences such as this will be made available for all.

c... We hope and pray that Orthodox theological institutions which have been closed, such as the Theological School at Halki, will be shortly reopened and we ask that women be able to participate in theological studies and research at all other theological institutions.

d... Some participants at the consultation welcome the idea of organizing an inter-Orthodox conference on the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood. We realize that for some this question is not an issue and will not be discussed. However, any study and examination of the issue in no way pre-supposes a commitment to move in this direction. This would simply provide the opportunity for women and men to examine this topic in greater depth from both the theological and spiritual perspectives. This conference would include attendance by clergy, laity and monastics.

e... Many recommendations have emerged from previous meetings of Orthodox women. While some recommendations have been addressed many others have not. We are concerned about the reception of this document and recommend that our churches make this statement available for women either through general publications or correspondence to parishes.

f... We have gained considerable knowledge and great benefit from the present conference. It is our hope from now on and into the coming millenium our churches will continue to sponsor conferences for women where we can come together to enjoy fellowship, share our concerns and learn from one another.

Our spiritual experience was enriched by our visit to the important monuments of the Orthodox heritage, St Sophia and the Monastery at Chora. The mosaic of the Incarnate Word of God, which is the embodiment of living human beings, re-assured us of the spiritual reality that salvation is for all.

Finally, the fresco of the Resurrection depicting the Risen Christ pulling both man and woman from the grave shows us, once again, that our common faith and expectation is the central theme of this consultation on 'Discerning the Signs of the Times'.