Church & Ministries | Sunday, May 16, 2021

This week in Christian history: Council of Nicaea, Geneva embraces Reformation, missionary travels to Persia

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor

Tourists visit The Chora (Kariye) Church Museum, the 11th century church of St. Savior on August 21, 2020, in Istanbul, Turkey. The Chora Church Museum dates back to the Byzantine era when it was originally built as a monastery, during the Ottoman era it was converted into a mosque before being changed to a museum in 1948. The interior is decorated with some of the oldest surviving Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. | Getty Images/Burak Kara

Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance.

Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births, notable deaths and everything in between.

Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while other happenings might be previously unknown to most people.

The following pages highlight events that happened this week — May 16-22 — in Christian history. They include the arrival of a missionary to Persia, the opening of the Council of Nicaea, and Geneva accepting the Protestant Reformation.