▁the ▁Father , ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Nic ene ▁Cre ed , ▁establish ing ▁uniform ▁observ ance ▁of ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁E aster , ▁and ▁prom ul g ation ▁of ▁early ▁canon ▁law . ▁ ▁Over view ▁▁ ▁The ▁First ▁Council ▁of ▁N ica ea ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁ec umen ical ▁council ▁of ▁the ▁church . ▁Most ▁significantly , ▁it ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁uniform ▁Christian ▁doctrine , ▁called ▁the ▁Nic ene ▁Cre ed . ▁With ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁cre ed , ▁a ▁preced ent ▁was ▁established ▁for ▁subsequent ▁local ▁and ▁regional ▁coun c ils ▁of ▁b ish ops ▁( syn ods ) ▁to ▁create ▁statements ▁of ▁belief ▁and ▁can ons ▁of ▁do ctr inal ▁orth odox y — the ▁intent ▁being ▁to ▁define ▁unity ▁of ▁belief s ▁for ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁Christ end om . ▁ ▁Der ived ▁from ▁Greek ▁( ), ▁" ec umen ical " ▁means ▁" world wide " ▁but ▁generally ▁is ▁assumed ▁to ▁be ▁limited ▁to ▁the ▁known ▁inhab ited ▁Earth , ▁ ▁and ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁in ▁history ▁is ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ; ▁the ▁earliest ▁ext ant ▁uses ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁for ▁a ▁council ▁are ▁E use b ius ' ▁Life ▁of ▁Const antine ▁ 3 . 6 ▁around ▁ 3 3 8 , ▁which ▁states ▁" he ▁conv oked ▁an ▁ec umen ical ▁council " ▁() ▁and ▁the ▁Let ter ▁in ▁ 3 8 2 ▁to ▁Pope ▁Dam as us ▁I ▁and ▁the ▁Latin ▁b ish ops ▁from