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

For immediate release: 13 May 2004


Mission meeting raises prophetic voice
against consequences of globalization


Cf. WCC Upcoming Events May 2004

"Mission begins with raising our prophetic voice to expose and condemn the capitalist-led, globalized context and its new geo-political realities that intentionally destroy human community," affirmed participants of a 1-7 May 2004 World Council of Churches (WCC) Urban Rural Mission (URM) conference in Accra, Ghana.

In a situation in which humanity is faced with "institutionalized oppression, systematic violence, occupation and militarization, marginalization, and socio-economic deprivation and exclusion," participants affirmed the need to strive for a "sustainable and lasting interpersonal and inter-communal healing … that respects the voice of the victims".

Understanding mission from the perspective of people in struggle as "the proclamation of the fullness of life", the conference stressed that URM networks are called to provide an open space in which the voices of pain and suffering are made audible to the church and the community.

In Accra, participants from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, Central America and the Caribbean reaffirmed URMs "commitment to working with the poorest of the poor and the most marginalized". At the same time, the Accra meeting served as preparation for the 2005 Conference on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) in Athens.

The full text of the URM conference communiqué is available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/mission/accra-urm2004.html

This material may be reprinted freely.

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.