Webster’s dictionary defines ecclesia as "an assembly of Christians." It is actually a transliterated Greek word which means "those called out."

We see Ecclesia as a gathering of those who have been called out of limits, out of prejudices, out of brokenness, out of self-centeredness.

One cannot be called out of anything without also being called into something. Ecclesia strives to be a community called into life, called into love, called into being, called into wholeness, called into God.

In Ecclesia, we enter a world of intellectually stimulating conversation about the vital theological issues of our day. However, conversation alone is not enough. We come to the discussion out of a deep commitment to the Christian faith, a sense of responsibility to help revitalize lively theological reflection in the church, and a conviction that all of us are called to love and serve God with the mind as well as with the heart. We understand that these are not small tasks, and they require the kind of discernment that has the courage to examine issues from many angles, the openness to ask probing questions, and the willingness to give a fair hearing to many and diverse viewpoints.