http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf Information service en http://www.oikoumene.org/typo3/gfx/i/tt_news.gif http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf 18 16 WCC Domino - WCC News http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 9 May 2008 09:53:08 AM +0100 http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-32.html Newstheology education asia Fri, 9 May 2008 09:53:09 +0100 Firsthand reports on the extraordinary development of Christianity in Nepal and the growing need for improvements in theological education and participation in the ecumenical movement were all part of recent consultation on the future of theological education in South Asia. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-31.html Newsaccompaniment middleeast Fri, 9 May 2008 08:45:53 +0100 Just as 2008 marks 60 years of aspirations dedicated to securing a homeland for Israelis, 2008 also marks 60 years of the disintegration of Palestinian society and dispersal of some 750,000 Palestinians as refugees. To date, the situation in the Palestinian Territories reflects the absence of peace and a continuation of occupation and conflict. While Israelis celebrate the 60th anniversary of their state, Palestinians are marking six decades of displacement and dispossession. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-08-06.html Featuremiddleeast Mon, 5 May 2008 15:34:23 +0100 "Although I had been threatened many times in Iraq, I did not want to leave," says the Armenian Orthodox hairdresser Cayran. "But then my shop was burnt and the car of my husband, who used to work as a driver, was robbed. So we left everything behind and fled to Syria." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-30.html Newsecumenism Mon, 5 May 2008 08:00:00 +0100 On the first Pentecost the disciples of Jesus were together in one place waiting, expectant, open to the new thing that God was to do in them and among them. And because they were faithful in their waiting and open to God’s promise they could receive into themselves that rushing mighty wind of the Spirit that was to strengthen them in their new life of fellowship in prayer, in the breaking of bread, in sharing their goods with glad and sincere hearts, and empowering them to go out and announce the good news to the whole world. Jesus sent the Spirit to his friends, as he had promised he would, to show them his love and to assure them that they would never be alone. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-29.html Newslatinamerica Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:22:19 +0100 World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has congratulated President-elect Fernando Lugo on his victory in Paraguay's recent presidential election. In a letter dated 29 April, Kobia highlights Lugo's "commitment to the poorest and excluded", in tune with "the rich tradition of a Latin American Christianity which has struggled to follow Jesus amidst a reality marked by inequality and lack of justice". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-28.html Newsafrica Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:03:34 +0100 The 29 March elections in Zimbabwe were "far from being free and fair" and were "skewed in favour of the incumbent who openly utilised state resources to his advantage," two ecumenical bodies said in a recently released report on the election. The Zimbabwean people "expressed their will on polling day" and that will must be "upheld and respected" the report said. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-27.html Newsweekly africa Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:04:45 +0100 Concerned about the integrity of elections, the World Council of Churches Central Committee stated recently that, "...in democratic systems, elections serve as a way for people to confer legitimacy on a participatory democratic political system. In order to ensure that an election truly reflects the will of the people, attention should be paid to pre- and post-electoral mechanisms." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-26.html Newsinterreligious middleeast Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:38:19 +0100 "Islam cannot be studied like grammar," Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim) of the Greek Orthodox Church in Syria, told a delegation led by Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), who had come to Syria wishing to learn from the country's long experience of Christians and Muslims living peacefully together. "We have to see the real people and share with them. Muslims are sharing with you by living in your countries. Why do you ignore them?" the patriarch asked particularly the delegation members from Europe and the United States at the outset of their 19 to 22 April visit. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Info-08-03.html Info Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:30:42 PM +0100 Hidden from the front pages and headline news reports is the reality the world may be slipping into a second age of an increasing nuclear weapons threat. The risk of nuclear weapons being used is estimated to be higher today than during much of the Cold War. Instead of many nuclear weapons the hands of the few, there are now many nuclear weapons in more hands. International agreements that control nuclear arms have been greatly weakened by the policies of nuclear and non-nuclear powers alike. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-25.html Newshumanrights interreligious middleeast Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:32:34 +0100 "Migration is a fact of life. It is as much an instinct to survive as it is an inevitable consequence of globalization. We can neither turn our backs on it, nor control it," declared in a statement participants at a 15-16 April Public Hearing on Migration and the Changing Ecclesial Landscape in Beirut, Lebanon. "Migrants are not commodities, illegal aliens or mere victims, they are human beings." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-08-05.html Featuredov africa Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:18:00 +0100 Metropolitan Dr Zacharias Mar Theophilus, from the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, India, was a member of an ecumenical team that recently visited Sudan's Yambio region. The capital city of West Equatoria state, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yambio is green and fertile. "But the people we met there feel ignored," says Metropolitan Theophilus, "ignored by Khartoum, ignored by Juba, ignored by the whole world." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-24.html Newshumanrights interreligious middleeast Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:52:39 +0100 "Migration is a human concern, not a Muslim or a Christian one, and therefore Christians and Muslims must act on it together." Representatives of Lebanon's six most numerous faith communities shared this view as the Public Hearing on Migration and the Changing Ecclesial Landscape was officially opened in Beirut on April 14. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-23.html Newsafrica Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:10:24 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) has welcomed the initiative of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa to convene a summit of Southern African heads of state to address the current crisis in Zimbabwe. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-08-02.html Updatedov women youth africa Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:36:25 +0100 Based on a candid assessment of how two decades of war have affected them, Sudanese youth told church leaders what they need most: skills training, jobs and means of participating in shaping their country’s future. Sudanese women, in turn, spoke out about their vulnerability, increased by war and cultural patterns. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-22.html Newsmiddleeast Wed, 9 Apr 2008 13:50:04 +0100 Testimonies by young Christians from the Middle East on why many of them leave the region in search of a brighter future will inform the Public Hearing on Migration and the Changing Ecclesial Landscape to be held in Beirut, from 15 to 16 April. An ecumenical delegation headed by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will attend the hearing at the outset of a seven-day visit to the region focusing on migration as a global phenomenon. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-08-01.html Updatedov africa Mon, 7 Apr 2008 18:21:00 +0100 "We remain committed to work side by side with the churches", the president of Southern Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit told representatives of an international ecumenical delegation in Juba, Southern Sudan, on 3 April 2008. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-21.html Newsdov relations interreligious africa Fri, 4 Apr 2008 16:18:19 +0100 Sudanese churches stand at a crossroads, said the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. On the one hand, they face a transition from liberation fight to rebuilding their homes and communities. On the other, they live in a country where Islam and Christianity cross paths and the relationship between the two is vital. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-08-04.html Featuredov interreligious africa Tue, 1 Apr 2008 19:58:42 +0100 In Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, it is hard for Christians to have their own place - even after they have died. The city's Christian cemetery, which has been turned into a sales park for second hand cars, illustrates well the challenges faced by the minority Christian community in the northern, predominantly Muslim part of the country. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-20.html Newstheology relationswithnonmember Tue, 1 Apr 2008 14:35:30 +0100 Christian World Communions as well as the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches sent representatives to the Ninth Forum on Bilateral Dialogues in order to share information on recent bilateral consultations between churches and to discuss the vision of unity expressed in their ecumenical texts. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-19.html Newsinterreligious europe Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:50:24 +0100 The movie Fitna, recently released online by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders was criticized as "a clear case of Islamophobia" by Rev. Dr Shanta Premawardhana, director of the World Council of Churches' (WCC) Programme on Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation. "Through graphic images the filmmaker depicts violent extremism without any attempt to distinguish it from mainstream Islam. Extremism is a problem for most religions and needs to be countered through interreligious dialogue," Premawardhana said. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-18.html Newsdov relations africa Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:39:29 +0100 Amid ongoing fighting and humanitarian crises in several regions of Sudan, and risks of failure in implementing the 2005 peace agreement that ended two decades of civil war between north and south, the Sudanese people and churches face "tremendous tasks and challenges", an international ecumenical team of church representatives was told at the beginning of an eight-day solidarity visit to the country. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-17.html Newsinterreligious Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:24:40 +0100 Love for one's neighbour is "an essential and integral part of faith in God and love of God" for both Islam and Christianity. How Christians and Muslims can engage in reflections of this love together is the central theme of a commentary issued by the World Council of Churches (WCC) on Thursday, 20 March. Compiled by Christian experts in Christian-Muslim relations, it addresses the churches and offers suggestions on responding to the widely noticed letter "A Common Word" by 138 Muslim leaders in October 2007. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-16.html Newsdov relations africa Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:34:01 +0100 An international ecumenical team of church representatives will pay a solidarity visit to churches and ecumenical organizations in Sudan from 26 March to 2 April. The team led by the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will split in four groups to visit Darfur, Khartoum, Rumbek and Yambio before joining Sudanese church leaders, women and youth for a three-day conference in Juba. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Info-08-02.html Info Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:54:03 PM +0100 International human rights experts and activists from the Philippines will address the continuing problem of extrajudicial killings in a side event to the UN Human Rights Council's 7th session. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-15.html Newsecumenism romancatholic europe Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:33:50 +0100 Recalling the charisma of Chiara Lubich as a "flame of love that began to shine in the midst of the ashes and destruction of war" in a tribute to the founder of the Focolare movement, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia shared the "deep sorrow" of her many friends on the WCC upon the news of her death. Chiara Lubich, who dedicated herself to the promotion of peace, church unity and inter-religious dialogue, died on 14 March aged 88 at her home near Rome, Italy. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-14.html Newsecumenism theology romancatholic europe Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:13:57 +0100 "The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the ecumenical movement have lost an outstanding ecumenist, a man of vision and great passion for the future of life on earth and a church visibly united in faithfulness to Christ's calling," affirmed WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in a tribute to Prof. Dr Lukas Vischer, who died on 11 March 2008, at the age of 81. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-13.html Newsdov accompaniment interreligious middleeast Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:04:26 +0100 "We express our sincere sorrow and sympathy to the families of those who were killed or injured in the shootings last week at the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem," said World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia on 10 March, joining his voice to those of the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem. "An attack on a Jewish seminary has a profound impact on all people of faith. The World Council of Churches strongly condemns this attack." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-12.html Newsia jpc environment Mon, 3 Mar 2008 18:58:51 +0100 In a wide ranging discussion at the Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC) the UN secretary general, H.E. Ban Ki-Moon and WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia found agreement for the two world bodies to work more closely on several global issues, particularly climate change. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-11.html Newsia middleeast Mon, 3 Mar 2008 15:43:57 +0100 Absolute condemnation for the "deadly attacks on civilians by the Israeli military on Gaza and by militants firing rockets from Gaza" was expressed by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia today. Claiming that "the path to peace stands open but empty," he called for an end of the "incessant violations of life and of human rights" and of the "blockade that has systematically deprived Gazans of almost all their rights." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-15.html Central committee releaseecumenism Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:13:41 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee closed its 13-20 February meeting after having chosen the venue for the 2011 International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, achieved progress towards a broader WCC Assembly, welcomed new member churches, appointed a search committee for a new general secretary and celebrated the Council's 60th anniversary. The WCC main governing body also put its stamp on a number of public statements, policy concerns and programme plans. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-14.html Central committee releaseecumenism Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:50:30 +0100 Presided by an African woman, with a membership that includes three youth, eight women, four Orthodox and a strong representation from the South, the search committee for a new World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary has already begun to work. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-13.html Central committee releaseenvironment europe middleeast Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:34:26 +0100 The World Council of Churches central committee issued a reminder on the pressing issue of climate change this week, urging member churches and others to "Be stewards of God's creation". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-12.html Central committee releaserelations latinamerica Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:16:28 +0100 Interview with Rev. Assir Pereira, president of the Presbyterian Independent Church of Brazil, about his church newly joining the World Council of Churches. Rev. Pereira attended the WCC Central Committee meeting, held in Geneva from 13 to 20 February. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-11.html Central committee releaseia africa asia Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:47:34 +0100 Election issues fresh from the headlines formed the focus for three public statements adopted by the World Council of Churches central committee on Tuesday 19 February in Geneva: one each on Kenya and Pakistan, and one on the larger picture of democratic electoral processes. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-10.html Central committee releasehealth africa Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:29:10 +0100 Dr Ezra Chitando grew up in Zimbabwe surrounded by the devastating reality of HIV/AIDS. Now he is trying to change the future for others by training clergy throughout Africa about the role of the church in engaging this disease. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-09.html Central committee release Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:44:00 +0100 Rev. Kjell Magne Bondevik, former prime minister of Norway and now moderator of the World Council of Churches' Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), wants to see the WCC's public statements carry a distinctly religious tone. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-08.html Central committee releaseweekly ecumenism Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:38:09 +0100 The World Council of Churches central committee has approved the appointment of a search committee for a new general secretary. It is expected that the election of a new general secretary will come at the next central committee meeting in September 2009. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-07.html Central committee releaserelations asia Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:27:52 +0100 Early in these Central Committee meetings (13-20 February), Central Committee members officially welcomed the Lao Evangelical Church into full fellowship as one of the newest member churches of the WCC. In an interview, the president of that body shared about his church - the first from Laos to join the WCC. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-06.html Central committee release Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:48:06 +0100 Gathered in a church dating from the 12th century, the World Council of Churches seemed like a relative youngster as it celebrated its 60th anniversary Sunday 17 February. But His All Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, reminded the near-capacity congregation at Geneva's St. Pierre Cathedral that the WCC has accomplished much in its six decades. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-05.html Central committee releasedov Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:09:20 +0100 Kingston, Jamaica, will be the host city for the World Council of Churches' International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in 2011. The convocation will meet under the theme "Glory to God and peace on earth". It will be the culmination of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV), which has sought to network and bring attention to the peacemaking initiatives of its various member churches. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-04.html Central committee release Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:15:04 +0100 How elastic can a WCC Assembly be? Can it expand enough from its traditional form to draw others into its circle without breaking, or stretching out of shape? Central Committee member Ms. Christina Biere of Germany used a different metaphor, that of an "ecumenical river". A broader WCC Assembly, she said, will be envisioned by those who are "not going to hold the ecumenical river between walls, but let it expand and flow". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-03.html Central committee releaseecumenism Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:00:51 +0100 New expressions of Christianity. The growing prominence of the global South. The impact of globalization. Increasing religious diversity. These factors and others are contributing to a "rapidly changing ecclesial context," one that World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia addressed in his comprehensive report to the Central Committee on Thursday. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-CC2008.html News Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:25:04 PM +0100 http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-cc-08-02.html Central committee releaserelations Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:04:28 +0100 Two church communions from opposite sides of the globe were welcomed into full fellowship of the World Council of Churches Wednesday, increasing the membership of the WCC to 349. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-cc-01.html Central committee releaseecumenism Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:26:39 +0100 Speaking during the Lenten season that builds to the central Christian hope of the risen Christ, World Council of Churches (WCC) moderator Rev. Dr Walter Altmann addressed the Central Committee on Wednesday 13 February with a renewed call to "visible unity" in the church. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-08-03.html Featuredov relations africa Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:21:35 +0100 With peace seemingly returning to the country, churches within and outside Kenya take stock of the experiences made during a month of unrest and violence. Ecumenical visitors recall moving encounters and seek to understand. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-10.html Newsrelations orthodoxparticipation europe Fri, 8 Feb 2008 18:15:03 +0100 Joyful anticipation of a continued "close cooperation with the Church of Greece in serving the cause of Christian unity" under the leadership of Archbishop Hieronymos II was expressed in a congratulatory message to the newly elected head of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece by WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-08.html Newsdov relations ia africa Tue, 5 Feb 2008 08:07:00 +0100 As mediation to solve the disputed Kenyan presidential election enters a critical phase, top-level figures from the two parties met an international ecumenical delegation, which asked them to move on from the electoral dispute and seek a compromise solution. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-09.html Newsdov ia africa Tue, 5 Feb 2008 08:01:00 +0100 In Burundi, where democratic elections in 2005 fostered hopes for peace and democracy, recent crime and violence has caused the churches there to fear for the nation's stability. An ecumenical delegation led by former Mozambique president, Joaquim Chissano, visited the central African country at the invitation of the National Council of Churches in Burundi, 28-31 January. Chissano has gained international recognition for a successful disarmament programme in Mozambique. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-07.html Newsdov ia africa Fri, 1 Feb 2008 17:20:45 +0100 As Kenyan churches are struggling to help prevent the country from descending into genocide, they envision a long term healing effort that will require the sustained engagement of international ecumenical partners. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-06.html Newsdov africa Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:50:00 +0100 Churches working for peace amidst a wave of post electoral violence in Kenya will receive a pastoral and solidarity visit of an international ecumenical delegation sent by the World Council of Churches (WCC) from 30 January to 3 February. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-05.html Newsrelations orthodoxparticipation europe Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:40:46 +0100 The news of the death of His Beatitude Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, who died yesterday at his home in Psyhico (Athens) at the age of 69, was received with "deep sadness" by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. In a condolence letter to the Church of Greece, which the late archbishop had led since 1998, Kobia paid tribute to "a gifted head of church, an Orthodox primate looking at the modern world in an interesting and challenging way, a church leader committed to walk the path of Christian unity with courage and vision, perseverance and patience, care and humility." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-08-02.html Featureecumenism Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:25:59 +0100 Celebrating a 60th birthday for some is a milestone marked by visions of retirement - celebrating achievements and dreaming of new endeavours. The World Council of Churches (WCC), however, on its 60th "birthday" in 2008 does not want to rest on past feats as it looks ahead to the challenges of the 21st century. The largest, most inclusive fellowship of churches in the world, and the pre-eminent face of 20th century ecumenism, is grappling with a very different world today - politically, economically, religiously - than the one it faced following the second world war. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-04.html Newsdov accompaniment middleeast Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:13:30 +0100 In a statement issued yesterday, the heads of churches in Jerusalem and the Holy Land called on the international community and the state of Israel to end the current siege on the Gaza Strip which has caused most recently cuts in electricity and limited the shipments of medicine, fuel, food and other goods across the border. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-03.html Newsecumenism romancatholic Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:19:52 +0100 Pope Benedict XVI and Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), along with high-level representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the WCC, will meet in Rome on Friday, 25 January 2008, at the centennial of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Info-08-01.html Info Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:48:37 PM +0100 As millions of Christians throughout the world mark the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2008, the central event in Geneva will highlight what prayer for unity means amidst situations of conflict and distress. It will culminate with an ecumenical celebration gathering members and top clerics of the main Christian confessions present in the region. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-08-01.html Featureecumenism Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:05:28 +0100 Although prayer is certainly at the heart of Christian life, praying together is not an easy exercise for churches within worldwide Christendom. Even today, common prayers are exceptional events rather than part of the daily life of the churches. But at least once a year it has become "normal" for many churches and congregations to pray together during the annual celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In 2008, the 100th anniversary of this most meaningful ecumenical initiative is being celebrated around the globe. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-02.html Newsdov africa Wed, 9 Jan 2008 15:14:36 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has called on Kenyan political leaders to keep moving towards dialogue while praising the countries' churches for their role in peacemaking. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-08-89.html Newsdov africa Wed, 2 Jan 2008 15:47:46 +0100 World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has called on the leaders of Kenya's two main political parties to "turn urgently from partisan postures and negotiate in good faith to reach a non-violent, political solution" to the country's electoral dispute. In a statement made public on 2 January, Kobia affirmed that "an independent investigation of the electoral dispute is necessary and should be monitored by international observers". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-88.html Newsweekly ecumenism dov relations orthodoxparticipation Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:50:00 +0100 http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-90.html Newsrelations interreligious asia middleeast Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:49:41 +0100 A new World Council of Churches (WCC) initiative aimed at supporting Christians living in conflict situations around the world has begun. "When one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers with it," Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the WCC said in a videotaped address to experts in international relations and ecumenical partners at a recent consultation held in Geneva, 8-10 December. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-30.html Updateindigenous racism africa asia latinamerica northamerica Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:40:03 +0100 Churches and society at large need to offer reparation to descendants of those enslaved, tortured and murdered by the transatlantic slave trade, says an international conference sponsored by three major ecumenical organizations. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-89.html Newsweekly environment Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:05:29 +0100 Societies must move away from "promoting endless growth and production of goods" as well as a "seemingly insatiable" consumption, says a statement presented today by the World Council of Churches to the plenary of high-level government representatives at the UN climate summit in Bali, Indonesia. While "the poorer carry the burden of the irresponsible waste of resources, energy and extreme consumerism of the richer," the statement affirms, actions should be focused on resolving "the problems of the great majority of today's world population." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-87.html Newsdov northamerica Sat, 8 Dec 2007 14:37:00 +0100 Can churches be peacemakers in a world racked by violence? This is the question to be addressed by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC, on Sunday, 16 December 2007. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-85.html Newsindigenous racism africa asia latinamerica northamerica Thu, 6 Dec 2007 15:20:00 +0100 The legacies of the slave trade, and how churches can respond to past and present forms of slavery, are going to be discussed at an ecumenical conference to be held 10-14 December in Runaway Bay, Jamaica. About sixty theologians, church leaders, social scientists and activists, mainly from Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean will gather in the country where nearly one million Africans and later indentured servants from Asia were exploited as human commodities and many more transited on their often deadly passage into slavery. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-86.html Newsglobalization africa europe latinamerica pacific Thu, 6 Dec 2007 10:43:44 +0100 Concern about undue pressure exerted by the European Union on African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to sign interim Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) by the end of the year has been expressed by World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in a 6 December letter to EU commissioner for external trade Peter Mandelson. The interim agreements open up local markets to competition with European companies without adequate legal frameworks and infrastructure in place, and they address issues which are still contentious within a deadline that prevents parliamentary discussion. Therefore these agreements represent an imminent danger of revenue loss for those countries, hindering their poverty eradication efforts, the letter affirms. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-31.html Featurehumanrights asia Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:18:19 +0100 Face to face with violence and death, Philippine churches help building peace in their Southeast Asian nation where an armed conflict continues to rage, especially in the countryside. Fuelling an intensified militarization, the fight often takes a heavy toll on innocent civilians, including women and children. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-31.html Featurehumanrights asia Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:36:24 +0100 Face to face with violence and death, Philippine churches help building peace in their Southeast Asian nation where an armed conflict continues to rage, especially in the countryside. Fuelling an intensified militarization, the fight often takes a heavy toll on innocent civilians, including women and children. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-84.html Newsmiddleeast Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:51:11 +0100 "So far is just a signature, now they have to walk the talk", says Munib Younan, the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, commenting on the results of the Annapolis Middle East conference hosted by the US administration on 27 November. Cautiously optimistic, he adds: "I do hope this is a serious attempt to achieve a lasting peace." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-83.html Newsecumenism Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:35:22 +0100 Methodist archbishop Michael Kehinde Stephen of Nigeria has been chosen to moderate the Continuation Committee on Ecumenism in the 21st Century, a group assigned to monitor and encourage initiatives in the global quest for Christian unity. He was affirmed by consensus of the fourteen members attending the committee's first meeting during the week of 18-20 November in Bossey, Switzerland. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-82.html Newsmiddleeast Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:49:01 +0100 Good faith, multilateral participation and adherence to the rule of law are essential if the Annapolis Middle East Conference starting Tuesday, 27 November, is to be a success, WCC general secretary Samuel Kobia writes to Condoleezza Rice, Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-81.html Newstheology northamerica Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:30:00 +0100 Rev. Canon Dr John Saint Helier Gibaut, from the Anglican Church of Canada, will head the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Faith and Order as of January 2008. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-80.html Newshumanrights asia Thu, 22 Nov 2007 14:07:48 +0100 In face of what he called "escalating human rights violations," the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia announced stronger ecumenical advocacy efforts to bring the Philippines under international scrutiny. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-30.html Featurehumanrights asia Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:58:58 +0100 Berlin Guerrero, a pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, was driving his family back home after an evening worship service when the car was stopped by gunmen. The pastor was taken at gunpoint and dragged into a van. His hands were hogtied. A plastic bag pulled over his head nearly suffocated Guerrero and made him pass out twice, so the abductors beat him to wake him up. Guerrero was abducted and tortured to force him to admit membership in the clandestine Communist Party of the Philippines. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-79.html Newsrelations humanrights asia Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:28:51 +0100 The global ecumenical family's concern about the growing human rights violations in the Philippines will be a major focus of the 18-21 November visit to the country by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-78.html Newsecumenism perspectives relations orthodoxparticipation relationswithnonmember romancatholic pentecostal Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:10:15 +0100 A handful of participants gave face and voice to an experience that many say was unprecedented, as the four-day meeting in Limuru, in the outskirts of Nairobi, brought together representatives from the broadest ever range of Christian churches, confessions and interchurch organizations. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-29.html Updatejpc globalization environment africa Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:18:55 +0100 A severe reminder "of the wealth that was built and sustained on the continued extraction and plunder of Africa's resources as well as on the exploitation of Africa's people" was addressed to Christians in the global North by the participants in the African ecumenical consultation "Linking poverty, wealth and ecology" last week. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-28.html Updateecumenism perspectives relations orthodoxparticipation relationswithnonmember romancatholic pentecostal Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:22:10 +0100 After four days of meetings, some 240 leaders of a broad range of churches, confessions and interchurch organizations from over 70 countries agreed to carry forward what they call "the Global Christian Forum process", an open platform for encounter and dialogue whose goal is to "foster mutual respect, explore and address common challenges". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-27.html Updateweekly ecumenism perspectives relations orthodoxparticipation relationswithnonmember romancatholic pentecostal Fri, 9 Nov 2007 11:29:17 +0100 Pentecostal theologian and scholar Cheryl Bridges-Johns proposed a radical reinvention of the ecumenical movement in a keynote address delivered on the third day of the Global Christian Forum which takes place 6-9 November in Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-16.html Featureecumenism perspectives relations orthodoxparticipation relationswithnonmember romancatholic pentecostal Thu, 8 Nov 2007 16:01:19 +0100 "Church unity is like riding a bicycle. We will fall unless we go forward." This affirmation was posed as a challenge by Korean missiologist Wonsuk Ma to participants at the Global Christian Forum taking place on 6-9 November in Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-77.html Newsecumenism perspectives relations orthodoxparticipation relationswithnonmember romancatholic pentecostal Wed, 7 Nov 2007 09:33:34 +0100 "Some would have said that this event was not possible, but here we are - and the world wonders what will come next," said the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia at the opening of the Global Christian Forum taking place in Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya, from 6-9 November. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-76.html Newsecumenism perspectives relations orthodoxparticipation relationswithnonmember romancatholic pentecostal Mon, 5 Nov 2007 11:02:34 +0100 A unique gathering of high level church leaders to start Tuesday 6 November near Nairobi, Kenya, features the broadest range of Christian traditions ever represented at a global meeting, allowing for a discussion of unprecedented ecumenical breadth on what Christians are called to do - together if possible - in the world today. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-75.html Newsia africa Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:50:33 +0100 Leaders from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its member churches are calling on the United Nations and member states as part of their concerted ongoing advocacy efforts. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-74.html Newsia interreligious Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:15:36 +0100 The United Nations and the World Council of Churches (WCC) have reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate at a meeting between the general secretaries of both organizations held on 29 October at the UN headquarters in New York. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-73.html Newsia jpc northamerica Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:56:00 +0100 Two outstanding personalities, known to the ecumenical family for their achievements in faith-based advocacy and interfaith dialogue, have been engaged by the Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC) to complete its leadership team. The newly appointed staff members will head the programme on Public witness and the programme on Inter-religious dialogue and cooperation. The appointments complete a reconfiguration of the WCC staff leadership due to programmatic reshaping after the WCC 9th Assembly in 2006. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-72.html Newsdov romancatholic interreligious europe Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:51:43 +0100 At a high-profile interfaith dialogue for peace in Naples, Italy, earlier this week, gathered religious and political leaders and intellectuals from five continents. The event which was called "For a world without violence" was organized by the Catholic community of Sant'Egidio and included a eucharistic celebration conducted by Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday, 21 October. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-71.html Newsglobalization environment africa Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:19:50 +0100 When does the pursuit of economical wellbeing turn into greed? This is one of the questions to be discussed at a 5-9 November ecumenical consultation in Dar es Salaam. Joint church strategies and actions for addressing the interlinked problems of poverty, excessive wealth, and ecological degradation in Africa are intended results. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-70.html Newspentecostal Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:02:41 +0100 A second round of dialogue between World Council of Churches (WCC) members and Pentecostals was inaugurated last week in Baar, Switzerland. A group of seventeen Protestant, Orthodox and Pentecostal Christians met to re-launch the work begun by the first Joint Consultative Group between the WCC and Pentecostals from 2000 to 2005. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-69.html Newsinterreligious Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:58:13 +0100 "This letter is most welcome," said World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, especially at a time when "all of humanity is looking to religious leaders for guidance as to how to respond to the situation of violence in the world". Kobia was commenting on the letter "A Common Word between Us and You," saying that it "gives a lot of hope". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-68.html Newsecumenism Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:18:34 +0100 Students of theology and young theologians are being invited by the World Council of Churches (WCC) to bring new perspectives and contributions to the debate about the future of the ecumenical movement by participating in an essay competition to mark the Council's 60th anniversary. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-67.html Newsglobalization Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:49:42 +0100 Calling for alternatives to enforced free trade, churches and church-related organizations world-wide, along with other religious groups and community partners, are gearing up for the Trade Week of Action, 14-21 October. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-15.html Featuredov northamerica Thu, 4 Oct 2007 12:06:59 +0100 Members of an international ecumenical team representing the World Council of Churches (WCC) left the United States enriched and encouraged by the signs of hope and community commitment they witnessed at a nine-day solidarity visit during which they met US Christians struggling with issues of gun control, war and a culture of violence. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-66.html Newsdov ia relief africa Tue, 2 Oct 2007 15:21:44 +0100 There is an "international responsibility to protect people at risk in the Darfur region of Sudan and in neighbouring Chad," affirmed the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, calling upon the Council's member churches to bring that responsibility "to the attention of their governments". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-65.html Newsenvironment Tue, 2 Oct 2007 13:59:30 +0100 The Kyoto Protocol is "an important step forward towards a just and sustainable global climate policy regime" and as such needs to be fully implemented, however "much more radical reductions [of greenhouse gas emissions] are urgently needed," the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee stated at its 25-28 September meeting in Etchmiadzin, Armenia. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-26.html Updateia middleeast Mon, 1 Oct 2007 15:39:46 +0100 The US and its allies must "settle the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme through negotiations and not through the use of military force," stated the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee at its 25-28 September meeting in Etchmiadzin, Armenia. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-64.html Newshumanrights interreligious relief middleeast Mon, 1 Oct 2007 14:58:31 +0100 The members of the World Council of Churches (WCC) have been asked to engage "their own governments over the need to break the international silence on the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and provide greater assistance to displaced and refugee Iraqis". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-63.html Newsdov health Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:12:12 +0100 The bloody conflict in Northern Ireland, the crimes committed under the apartheid regime in South Africa and under communist rule in eastern Germany, mass killings perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia or by the Guatemalan military during a 35 year long civil war: the diverse cases of these nations and their struggles to cope with the legacies of massive human rights violations are at the heart of the 1-4 October ecumenical consultation "Healing of Memories - Reconciling Communities" in Dublin, Ireland, co-organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Irish School of Ecumenics. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-14.html Featuredov northamerica Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:23:24 +0100 From the farms and rolling hills of Pennsylvania's serene Amish countryside where five young schoolgirls were killed a year ago, to an immersion into the inner-city violence of Philadelphia, a World Council of Churches Living Letters delegation learned first-hand of the profound tragedy that can suddenly impact everyday life. But they also saw "rays of light" where forgiveness and reconciliation are helping to create a more humane society. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-62.html Newsorthodoxparticipation Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:46:37 +0100 An exposure visit hosted by the Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Etchmiadzin), which includes a commemoration at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex near the capital city of Yerevan, will precede the 25-28 September meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee taking place in Etchmiadzin, Armenia. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-13.html Featuredov northamerica Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:58:26 +0100 Discussions about gun control and small arms trafficking, violence in the streets and against ethnic groups, as well as the engagement by churches in peacemaking activities consumed the first days of a 10-day visit to the United States by an international ecumenical team representing the World Council of Churches (WCC). http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Info-07-04.html Info Tue, 18 Sep 2007 01:52:24 PM +0100 Prof. Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Roman Catholic lay community of Sant'Egidio, will give a public seminar on the movement's worldwide work for peace and social justice during his one-day stay in Geneva on Thursday 20. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Info-07-03.html Info Mon, 17 Sep 2007 04:55:05 PM +0100 Church and civil society experts on environment and human rights from Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Sri Lanka, Canada and Sweden will discuss future steps and strategies in support of more action at the UN Human Rights Council on the right to water. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-61.html Newsdov northamerica Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:06:00 +0100 Church leaders and communities facing situations of violence in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and New Orleans will share their experiences with an international ecumenical team visiting the United States from 15-23 September. Being from South Africa, Lebanon, Pakistan and Brazil the team members will express the solidarity of churches worldwide with the US churches while learning from their peacemaking efforts concerning urban and gun violence as well as the Iraq war and community peace building. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-12.html Featuredov asia Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:04:35 +0100 The international community will be looking at Sri Lanka this September, as the European Union reportedly intends to bring its case before the UN Human Rights Council, a body which counts Sri Lanka amongst its members. The Council's 6th session takes place one month after the visit of an international ecumenical team that expressed solidarity with local churches and learned about their peace efforts amid a conflict that has over the past 25 years claimed 70,000 lives on both sides of the ethnic divide between the Sinhala and Tamil communities. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-60.html Newsecumenism europe Wed, 5 Sep 2007 15:04:23 +0100 "Now more than ever, the unity of the churches in Europe is needed to bear witness to a future that transcends the vision of a common economic and political future, to embrace a future in which abundant life in Jesus Christ gives hope to all people, everywhere," said World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, speaking in Sibiu, Romania on 5 September. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-59.html Newspacific Wed, 5 Sep 2007 12:47:04 +0100 As people from "a region which has experienced, and is experiencing, the effects of all the major issues that have affected the world," Pacific representatives need to be assertive "in bringing Pacific perspectives and experience into international forums," said the World Council of Churches (WCC) president from the Pacific region, Mr John Taroanui Doom, addressing participants at the 9th assembly of the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC). http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-25.html Updaterelations asia Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:12:37 +0100 "Gratitude to God and admiration for those who contributed to their liberation from captivity" was expressed by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in a letter of "joy and thanksgiving for the 21 church-related humanitarian workers whose lives have been spared in Afghanistan". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-58.html Newsrelations pacific Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:31:32 +0100 Churches in the Pacific become "signs of hope" as they "bear witness to the Gospel and work together to address the issues that most concern the peoples of the region," World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia said in a message sent to the 9th assembly of the Pacific Conference of Churches. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-24.html Updateorthodoxparticipation europe middleeast Thu, 30 Aug 2007 11:24:00 +0100 At a time when the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople - today's Istanbul - is facing growing hardships imposed by decisions of the Turkish judiciary, members of the worldwide ecumenical family have expressed support and solidarity to His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-23.html Updateromancatholic pentecostal interreligious mission Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:27:21 +0100 The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is ready to join the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Vatican in supporting a code of conduct to guide activities seeking converts to Christianity. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-57.html Newsrelations asia Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:12:31 +0100 In a gesture of support toward the families of the Korean hostages being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), visited them this afternoon while on a trip to Korea. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-22.html Updatedov ia asia Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:16:11 +0100 A proposal for a parallel meeting of churches from nations involved in the Six Party Talks on the Korean peninsula was endorsed by a broad range of churches over the weekend at a conference in Seoul celebrating the centenary of the Korean Great Revival of 1907 and exploring the churches' role in bringing peace to the divided nation. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-11.html Featurerelations asia Thu, 9 Aug 2007 12:47:07 +0100 While Korean Christianity has been making headlines because of the hostage crisis in Afghanistan, another dimension of the life and work of the Korean churches, which has gone largely unnoticed, is being recognized this week. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-56.html Newsdov youth Tue, 7 Aug 2007 16:39:47 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) will welcome five young people (aged 18-30 years) to serve as interns in its Geneva offices from February 2008 to January 2009. Interns bring valuable experiences to the WCC at the same time as they undertake several modules of ecumenical learning. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-55.html Newsecumenism theology romancatholic northamerica Tue, 7 Aug 2007 14:58:40 +0100 Churches throughout the world are preparing for next year's Week of prayer for Christian unity which will mark the 100th anniversary of the event. Worship resources in three languages have already been put at their disposal on the website of the World Council of Churches (WCC). http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-54.html Newsorthodoxparticipation romancatholic pentecostal interreligious Mon, 6 Aug 2007 13:42:18 +0100 With Evangelical and Pentecostal representatives joining in at an 8-12 August consultation in Toulouse, the joint Vatican-WCC study process on religious conversion gets one step closer to its goal of a common code of conduct in seeking converts to Christianity. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-10.html Featureinterreligious education youth Fri, 3 Aug 2007 12:54:19 +0100 The chapel at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, near Geneva, in which young adults from five continents have gathered for an early morning meditation is quite an unusual place of worship. The light shining through the stained glass windows designed by the Taizé community in France shines on a set of religious symbols as disparate as Orthodox icons, a Lutheran cross and a drum from an African Christian community. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-10.html Featureinterreligious education youth Thu, 2 Aug 2007 15:36:43 +0100 The chapel at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, near Geneva, in which young adults from five continents have gathered for an early morning meditation is quite an unusual place of worship. The light shining through the stained glass windows designed by the Taizé community in France shines on a set of religious symbols as disparate as Orthodox icons, a Lutheran cross and a drum from an African Christian community. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-51.html Newsdov relations ia humanrights regions asia Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:25:00 +0100 War-torn Sri Lanka is to receive the first of a series of ecumenical "living letters" teams which will visit Christian communities facing situations of violence in different regions of the world in the run up to the 2011 International Ecumenical Peace Convocation being organized by the World Council of Churches. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-53.html Newsecumenism relations orthodoxparticipation regions europe Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:41:00 +0100 Expressing "great sorrow" at the news of the death of His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist, head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who passed away on Monday, 30 July 2007, at the age of 92, the World Council of Churches' (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia paid the following tribute to "a beloved father of his people, a prominent Christian leader of our times and a committed friend of the ecumenical movement". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-52.html Newsdov ia regions asia Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:52:40 +0100 The killing of a second Korean Christian hostage in Afghanistan has led the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK) to make an urgent call for prayer among the "entire ecumenical community around the world [...] that the killings of innocent people may stop and that these hostages may safely return to their families." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-50.html Newsdov Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:00:00 +0100 This coming 21 September Christians from Congo to the US, and from Colombia to Switzerland to South Korea will join in prayers during the International Day of Prayer for Peace. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-49.html Newsrelations accompaniment regions middleeast Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:32:48 +0100 World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and an ecumenical delegation visited member churches and Christian communities in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel from 21-26 June. Four photo stories about the visit have just been published on the WCC website's photo gallery section. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-48.html News Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:12:12 +0100 The "entire fellowship of the Word Council of Churches (WCC) rejoices" at a successfully culminated "process of healing and reconciliation" that involved two of the Council's founding members, stated WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in a letter welcoming the "historic achievement" today. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Info-07-02.html Info Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:43:40 PM +0100 "How can we affirm our identity as Muslims, Jews and Christians not in separation or against each other but in relation to one another?" This is the question 21 young adults from 13 European, Middle Eastern, Asian, African and American countries are exploring during a July summer seminar at the World Council of Churches' (WCC) Ecumenical Institute in Bossey. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-47.html Newsrelations africa Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:09:52 +0100 "Today, in order to fight poverty, Africa needs to mobilize similar efforts to those rallied against colonialism," World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia told Tanzanian church leaders. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-46.html Newsecumenism theology relationswithnonmember romancatholic Tue, 10 Jul 2007 16:40:24 +0100 "Each church is the Church catholic and not simply a part of it. Each church is the Church catholic, but not the whole of it. Each church fulfils its catholicity when it is in communion with the other churches." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-44.html Newstheology Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:00:00 +0100 The Faith and Order standing commission has called for a meeting of the plenary commission to take place in October, 2009. The plenary commission - noted as the most diverse church-based theological forum in the world - will bring a wealth of confessional and regional perspectives to Faith and Order's work for the unity of the church. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-45.html Newsjpc globalization africa europe middleeast Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:34:47 +0100 Representatives of African, European and Middle Eastern churches, church-related organisations and ecumenical bodies working on migration issues and associated with the World Council of Churches (WCC) said they are "pleased to contribute to the Global Forum on Migration and Development" that will meet for the first time today and tomorrow in Brussels, Belgium. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-43.html Newsjpc globalization africa europe middleeast Thu, 5 Jul 2007 15:31:24 +0100 Representatives of churches, church-related organisations and ecumenical bodies associated with the World Council of Churches (WCC) from Africa, Europe and the Middle East will be gathering in Brussels from 6-9 July 2007 for a meeting on migration in and between these regions. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-09.html Featuredov middleeast Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:11:42 +0100 "I come from a wounded Iraq and a severely wounded Baghdad," said the man in black habit standing in front of some 130 silent church representatives from six continents gathered for a peace conference on the Middle East. "The situation in my country is tragic," the man continued. "We were promised freedom, but what we need today is freedom to have electricity, clean water, to satisfy the basic needs of life, to live without fear of being abducted." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-21.html Updatedov relations accompaniment middleeast Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:58:02 +0100 Local churches in Palestine/Israel are looking to the whole fellowship of the World Council of Churches (WCC) to play a stronger role in supporting local churches' struggles for a just peace there. This is the main finding of a delegation led by the Council's general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia that visited Palestine/Israel from 21 to 26 June. A new advocacy forum launched prior to the visit, and ecumenical accompaniment are high on the churches' list of actions in pursuit of this goal. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-20.html Updatedov relations accompaniment middleeast Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:47:06 +0100 Heads of churches in Jerusalem have welcomed the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum launched in Jordan last week. They voiced satisfaction with the new advocacy initiative at meetings with World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia during his 21-26 June visit to the Holy Land. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-08.html Featurejpc women youth africa asia europe middleeast Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:50:35 +0100 Churches around the world are concerned about the fate of migrants fleeing from poverty or violence in their home countries. In Africa, the promise of a better life is luring many young people to Europe and the USA, where a lot of them end up as illegal migrants. In Sri Lanka, the armed conflict between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is producing migrants by the thousands who now live in fear of abduction. In Jordan and Syria, some Iraqi Christians have waited for immigrants' visas for more than ten years. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-19.html Updatedov relations accompaniment middleeast Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:23:58 +0100 A new ecumenical advocacy initiative launched at the culmination of a World Council of Churches (WCC) conference in Jordan this week, is to help churches worldwide work for a just peace in Palestine/Israel. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-18.html Updatedov relations accompaniment middleeast Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:18:59 +0100 Doing justice to the Palestinian people would bring about security for Israel, while delaying the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories feeds extremism and terrorism, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah told participants at a church conference for peace in Middle East yesterday. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-42.html Newsrelations accompaniment middleeast Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:57:14 +0100 World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will visit member churches and Christian communities in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel on 21-26 June. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-07.html Featurejpc environment water women africa Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:26:37 +0100 Khadija Kagoya, a widow and a mother of six, hails from Busowobi, a village in Uganda's Busoga region about 120 kilometres east of Kampala, whose inhabitants grow maize, cassava and bananas for a livelihood. Busowobi used to suffer from a lack of sufficient and safe water, and from water-borne diseases. But that was before community members, including Kagoya, got involved in a campaign against water scarcity initiated by the Busoga Trust, an Anglican Church-based organization helping to provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene education in Busoga rural communities. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-41.html Newsdov ia jpc regions middleeast Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:35:14 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) is convening an international conference called "Churches together for Peace with Justice in the Middle East" in Jordan, 17-21 June. The event will address prospects for peace in Israel and Palestine and launch a new church advocacy forum. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-17.html Updatedov ia accompaniment middleeast Thu, 7 Jun 2007 18:09:45 +0100 Praying with Jerusalem's Christians, marching to the White House or sponsoring one of 14,609 olive trees are among the activities taking place in "International Church Action for Peace in Palestine and Israel" this week. The initiative is organized by member churches and related organizations of the World Council of Churches to mark 40 years of the occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. It involves public activities and messages to governments in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-16.html Updateeurope Thu, 7 Jun 2007 14:01:43 +0100 If religion can fuel conflicts, globalization also contributes a great deal to the emergence of new ethno-religious conflicts according to World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. Delivering a keynote lecture today at the German Protestant "Kirchentag", the largest Protestant gathering in Germany, Kobia affirmed that in such conflicts, Christians are called by the gospel to work towards healing and reconciliation. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-06.html Featurewater africa Thu, 7 Jun 2007 10:00:00 +0100 From Darfur in western Sudan to Mt Elgon in Kenya, the absence of water for rural communities is emerging as a major cause of conflict on the African continent. In Darfur, the story is one of pain and desperation for the nearly two million displaced persons. And the organizations that work in the area are convinced that it is battles for water and pasture that sparked it off. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-40.html Newseurope Tue, 5 Jun 2007 17:05:26 +0100 World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will speak at the 31st German Protestant "Kirchentag" in Cologne, addressing the issue of "How can religions live together?" http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-39.html Newshumanrights globalization africa Tue, 5 Jun 2007 14:51:46 +0100 "The impact of migration on the church and the ecclesial context" is the theme of a 6-8 June 2007 conference in Nairobi, Kenya of the Global Ecumenical Network on Migration (GEM). To be opened by Kenya's minister for immigration, and hosted by the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the conference will be attended by representatives of churches, church-related organizations and ecumenical bodies in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-15.html Updatedov ia accompaniment middleeast Tue, 5 Jun 2007 12:23:17 +0100 On Sunday, 3 June, in an ecumenical service held in Jerusalem's St. Stephens Church to mark the anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, church leaders called for an end to 40 years of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and emphasized the church's commitment to non-violence in the service of peace. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-14.html Updaterelations europe Mon, 4 Jun 2007 11:46:58 +0100 Perseverance, a cardinal virtue that enabled them to survive decades of Soviet domination, is "no longer enough" for Estonian churches confronting "a newly materialistic and in many ways a 'post-Christian' culture". This view of the current context and challenges to the country's churches was shared by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia with Estonian church leaders in the country's capital, Tallin, on Friday 1 June. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-38.html Newsecumenism Wed, 30 May 2007 14:09:52 +0100 A newly appointed commission with representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and several Christian World Communions met for the first time, affirming the complementary witness of ecumenical partners. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-13.html Updatewater Tue, 29 May 2007 16:59:36 +0100 "Our sharing of experiences revealed that water supply, sanitation and protection of the environment should never be separated, but worked on in a holistic approach," says the final statement of the "Churches for Water in Africa" conference, held on 21-25 May in Entebbe, Uganda. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-37.html Newsdov ia accompaniment middleeast Tue, 29 May 2007 11:00:00 +0100 To highlight the urgency of peace in Palestine and Israel after 40 years of occupation, the World Council of Churches (WCC), member churches and related organizations are organizing a week of prayers, seminars and advocacy to mark this June's anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The goal of the week is to raise awareness in churches and civil society and to impress upon governments the need for new efforts to end the conflict and negotiate a just settlement. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-29.html Newsecumenism perspectives theology dov relations orthodoxparticipation relationswithnonmember romancatholic pentecostal ia humanrights accompaniment interreligious mission health education jpc globalization environment water women indigenous youth disabilities racism relief regions africa asia europe latinamerica middleeast northamerica pacific Thu, 24 May 2007 18:00:00 +0100 "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from Heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they where sitting. Divided tongues, as a fire, appeared among them. And a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability" (Acts 2:1-4 NRSV). http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-05.html Featureenvironment water africa Thu, 24 May 2007 17:09:17 +0100 "In my childhood, the water was so clear that you could see the hard rock at the bottom. Fishing for trout was so easy. We enjoyed it. When we used our fishing rods, we could see ourselves catching the fish," says Professor Jesse Mugambi, a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) working group on Climate Change. "But then we started to grow coffee and tea. First the rivers were polluted because of erosion, and then there was no water." http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-36.html Newsrelations europe Thu, 24 May 2007 16:27:36 +0100 World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia is to pay an official visit to Latvia (29-31 May) and to Estonia (31 May - 2 June). The main topics of the agenda will be the role of churches and the ecumenical challenges in secularized, post-communist societies which have recently regained independence. Press conferences are scheduled in both countries (see below). http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-35.html Newsorthodoxparticipation middleeast Wed, 23 May 2007 15:06:08 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) has received with "deep concern" the recent withdrawal of Jordan's recognition of Patriarch Theophilos III as the head of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and requested the decision to be reconsidered. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-12.html Updaterelations africa Tue, 22 May 2007 15:13:36 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary, Rev Dr. Samuel Kobia, visited the Eritrean capital of Asmara on 16-19 May 2007. He met church representatives and the president of the country and affirmed the Council's commitment to churches engaged in peace, reconciliation and nation building efforts. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-34.html Newsglobalization Fri, 18 May 2007 12:05:50 +0100 "The nature of the current leadership change at the World Bank is a timely reminder of the need for reform in how international financial institutions are governed," World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Dr William Temu said today, in reaction to news of the resignation of World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-33.html Newswater africa Thu, 17 May 2007 23:00:00 +0100 According to some estimates, over 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack adequate access to safe water. What can churches do to help ensure sufficient and safe water - a basic human right - for all the continent's inhabitants? http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Feat-07-04.html Featuremission Thu, 17 May 2007 10:00:00 +0100 A global conference on Christian mission has been proposed for late 2011 by the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The commission, newly elected and reconstituted following the WCC's February 2006 assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, includes delegates from member churches of the Council as well as from the Roman Catholic Church and several other Christian bodies not in full membership of the WCC. The recommendation for a 2011 conference was made on 26 April at the close of a commission meeting in Geneva, and it will go to the WCC central committee for action. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-32.html Newsrelations africa Wed, 16 May 2007 16:24:18 +0100 World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia is visiting Eritrea 16-19 May 2007. Kobia will meet church and other religious leaders as well as top government officials. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-31.html Newshealth Wed, 16 May 2007 11:34:38 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) has welcomed a resolution on rational use of medicines to be considered by the 60th World Health Assembly taking place in Geneva 14-23 May 2007. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-30.html Newsdov orthodoxparticipation europe northamerica Tue, 15 May 2007 16:30:53 +0100 Christian scholars from Europe and US will discuss peace, justice and security and how they relate to religion, spirituality and healing at an international ecumenical conference on "Forgiveness, peace and reconciliation" to be held 17-20 May 2007 in Volos, Greece. The current situations in Cyprus, Serbia, Russia, Ireland and the Middle East will be amongst case studies considered in a conference section on "Orthodoxy in situations of conflict". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/Info-07-01.html Info Thu, 10 May 2007 02:10:31 PM +0100 As struggles over the global war on terrorism continue to rage, many in the United States and around the world do not understand the course of events that led from September 11, 2001, to the current expanded conflict. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-28.html Newsecumenism europe Thu, 10 May 2007 16:34:38 +0100 "Together for Europe 2007", an ecumenical gathering to be held 10-12 May in Stuttgart, Germany, has been hailed with "great joy" by Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). In a message to participants, Kobia expressed his hope that their experience will enable Christians "to continue growing together in a spirituality of unity and love". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-11.html Updateecumenism perspectives europe Thu, 3 May 2007 18:18:05 +0100 Churches rediscovering the biblical call to unity and caring for life together is the World Council of Churches' vision for re-invigorating ecumenism in the 21st century, according to Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, the general secretary of the WCC. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-27.html Newsinterreligious europe middleeast Wed, 2 May 2007 14:10:55 +0100 The "savage murders" of three Christians in Malatya, Turkey, on 18 April are "the latest tragedy" in a series of "killings and other threats directed at members and leaders of religious minorities" in the country that are of "serious concern" and cause "deep revulsion" and "dismay", the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has told Turkish authorities. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-10.html Updateecumenism relations europe Tue, 1 May 2007 17:05:37 +0100 Healing wounded memories is an essential feature of the search for Christian unity, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia told participants at a public seminar in Dublin, Ireland on Monday 30 April. A day earlier, in a sermon preached in Edinburgh, Scotland, he affirmed that churches are recognizing that "without each other, none of them is being fully church". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-09.html Updateecumenism relations mission europe Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:29:09 +0100 On the threshold of the 100th anniversary celebration of the 1910 Edinburgh World Mission Conference, widely regarded as the symbolic starting point of the modern ecumenical movement, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia offered a sober analysis of the past century's achievements and failures, and called for an "ecumenically responsible evangelism". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-07-08.html Updaterelations globalization europe Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:28:28 +0100 Global migration poses new challenges for churches worldwide, the WCC general secretary told the churches of Wales at the start of a trip to the UK and Ireland. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-26.html Newsdov ia asia Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:43:30 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) has strongly appealed to the government of Sri Lanka and the rebel organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) "to return to the obligations" of a February 2002 cease fire agreement that both have violated, and to "seek durable solutions to end the fighting that is affecting the lives of so many people". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-25.html Newsrelations europe Fri, 20 Apr 2007 09:51:40 +0100 The comprehensive programme of Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia's forthcoming (24 April to 4 May) visit to the UK and Ireland will afford the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary with many opportunities for new insights into the life and current work of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland's (CTBI) member churches. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-24.html Newsecumenism theology orthodoxparticipation mission education jpc Wed, 18 Apr 2007 10:11:26 +0100 Six committed ecumenists, each with significant experience in specific fields of ecumenical endeavour, have been appointed to take up key leadership roles within the Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC). The newly appointed staff members will head five programmes plus a planning and integration office, all of which are the result of programmatic reshaping following the WCC 9th Assembly in 2006. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-23.html Newsdov ia northamerica Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:54:32 +0100 The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has expressed "deep sorrow" over "this new horror of random violence" that took place at Virginia Tech University. To his prayers for the families and the wounded, he adds international church concern for more effective regulation of firearms. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-22.html Newsromancatholic Fri, 13 Apr 2007 17:10:00 +0100 World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has sent the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI a greeting in honour of the pontiff's 80th birthday. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-21.html Newsenvironment Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:01:43 +0100 What are the implications of climate change for development in a world where years of development efforts are destroyed in a few seconds or hours by a hurricane or a single flood? This will be the subject of a 12-15 April 2007 consultation in London hosted by Christian Aid and sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Working Group on Climate Change. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-19.html Newsdov Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:00:00 +0100 Concrete plans to mobilize churches around the world for peace were approved by the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee in early March. What is expected to become a major worldwide mobilization of churches for peace will culminate with an International Ecumenical Peace Convocation to be held in early May 2011 and an Ecumenical Declaration on Just Peace. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-20.html Newsecumenism relations Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:06:48 +0100 The "strong relationship" between the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) has been characterized "not only by mutual accountability and reciprocity on the journey towards unity, but by the common witness of the member churches in the service of all humanity" says a message addressed to the LWF on its 60th anniversary by the WCC. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-18.html Newsafrica europe Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:56:23 +0100 "People of African descent in the diaspora and in Africa await an unambiguous apology and clear sign from European nations that acknowledges their participation in this terrible part of colonial history" that was the slave trade, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has told UK prime minister Tony Blair. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-17.html Newsia humanrights asia Mon, 19 Mar 2007 09:47:20 +0100 An ecumenical report and a call to action documenting human rights violations in the Philippines will be launched today in Geneva (Palais des Nations, Room XXVII, 14:00), within the framework of the current session of the UN Human Rights Council. http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-16.html Newsdov ia middleeast northamerica Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:02:13 +0100 In a statement for the fourth anniversary on 19 March of the invasion of Iraq, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia warns of "further carnage and destruction" because "the sponsors of this tragic war insist on carrying on military pursuits". http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-15.html Newsia europe Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:19:26 +0100 Ahead of an upcoming vote in the UK parliament on the government's plan to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has written to WCC member churches in the country praising a