World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

For immediate release: 5 April 2004


WCC moderator, general secretary to visit Kenya and Rwanda


The moderator of the World Council of Churches' central committee, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, and the WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, are to pay a pastoral visit to Kenya (8-15 April) and to Rwanda (16-18 April).

In Nairobi, Kenya, they are scheduled to visit the headquarters of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) and the National Council of Churches in Kenya (NCCK), to meet their leadership as well as national church leaders and local congregations. A meeting with President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya is also scheduled.

This will be Kobia's first visit to his home country and continent as WCC general secretary and African Christian leaders will offer a thanksgiving service at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi for the WCC general secretary's ecumenical work and commitment.

Aram I is to give a public lecture on "Challenges of the ecumenical movement in the 21st century and the role of Africa" at UFUNGAMANO, an initiative of churches, other religious faiths and civil society organizations. Kobia will give a public lecture on the theme "Behold, I create a new Africa" at St Andrew's Church in Nairobi.

Aram I and Kobia will then proceed to Kigali, Rwanda, for meetings with WCC member churches and government officials, and to address an ecumenical workshop on "Lasting peace in Africa", which will gather participants from all over Africa.

Aram I will speak on "Genocides in the 20th century and lessons to humanity," while Kobia will speak on "Hope for lasting peace in Africa". They will also pay respects at the Kigali genocide site.

The visit will close with an address to the people by Aram I during a service of worship at the National Stadium in Kigali.

Those accompanying the WCC central committee moderator and general secretary will include, among others, Dr Agnes Abuom, one of the WCC presidents, and in Rwanda: the Rev. Dr Mvume Dandala, AACC general secretary, and Mr Peter Weiderud, director of the WCC Commission of Churches on International Affairs.

A detailed programme of the visit is available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/regional/africavisit04.html

Biographical information and free high resolution photos of WCC central committee moderator and general secretary are available at
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/press_corner/bios.html

Media contacts
Kenya: Mitch Odero, +254.20.444.1483/1338/9, infodesk@aacc-ceta.org
Rwanda: Tharcisse Gatwa, +250.0878.0367

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

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.