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World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 22/02/2005

WCC ANTICIPATES POST-ASSEMBLY "CONFIDENCE AND ENGAGEMENT"

Free photos available, see below

Church representatives have outlined an extensive reshaping and streamlining of the activity of the World Council of Churches (WCC), to better equip
the global Christian body for a "fast-changing" world context and new
patterns of church life.

The WCC's central committee urged the Council "to do less and to do it
well" in order "to develop greater clarity and coherence in its unique
role as a global fellowship of churches."

The committee also considered new ways of relating to Catholic and
Pentecostal churches, other ecumenical organizations and agencies, in
order to strengthen collaboration and effectiveness.

The proposals came as the body completed its work on 22 February, and
followed an evaluation of its programmatic activity prepared in advance of
the WCC's ninth assembly in 2006.

> Institutional and spiritual renewal

Earlier in the week, the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia
invited churches to "move with confidence towards a redefined ecumenical
engagement concomitant with the challenges and opportunities facing the
church at the beginning of the 21st century."

Optimism was expressed when the committee heard that improved management
had stabilized the Council's financial situation, and a 2005 budget of
almost 39 million Swiss francs was approved, although an underlying annual
income drop of around 5% will need to be addressed.

Alongside institutional renewal, Kobia also expressed his conviction "that
spirituality will occupy an even bigger place" in the future of ecumenism.

> Confronting violence and injustice

The overall theme of the meeting was "healing and reconciliation" and the
church body responded to situations of conflict and injustice worldwide. 
Responses included a statement calling for a termination of the US-led
military presence in Iraq and one on the "unconscionable and illegal
detention" of prisoners without trial by the US government in Guantanamo
Bay. The committee also approved recommendations regarding the situation
of migrants and the commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
genocide on April 24, 2005.

Next year, the WCC will mark the mid-term of its Decade to Overcome
Violence (DOV), and the Council's governing body decided that the annual
focus will be on Latin America in 2006, and on Europe in 2007. This year
the DOV focus is on Asia.

> Strengthened participation through consensus

As part of an underlying shift of culture, the 158-member body also
adjusted its rules and adopted consensus decision-making procedures. The
move promises to strengthen the participation and commitment of member
churches, particularly Orthodox churches, which have felt alienated by
earlier parliamentary-style procedures.

The new methodology was first applied during an open "ecumenical conversation" on the sensitive and, at times, controversial issue of human sexuality
during which church representatives reported on how WCC has sought to
offer a "space" in which churches with widely-differing views could share
experience and build trust.

> 350 member churches by 2006

In other actions, the committee received eight new member churches into
the fellowship, bringing the total WCC membership to 347. Pending
applications mean that the Council's total membership is expected to climb
to 350 churches in 2006, with a combined membership of more than 550
million people.

> Welcome to Brazil!

The final meeting of the top WCC governing body came exactly a year in
advance of WCC's ninth assembly in Brazil in 2006. The committee approved
plans to give a central place to youth at an assembly which, in the words
of Kobia, will signal "a new phase in ecumenism."

Free high resolution photos, full information, reports and documents in
five languages available at:
www.oikoumene.org > Central Committee

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org

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The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in
more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly,
which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally
inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.