15. February 08
WCC dreams of broader Assembly
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".
14. February 08
Kobia sees changing landscape
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.
14. February 08
Serving as stewards
A group of young adults again has a significant role at these Central Committee meetings, with two dozen young people from 22 countries on five continents serving as stewards.
14. February 08
A new book launches
The new English version of Rev. Dr Fernando Enns' book, "The Peace Church and the Ecumenical Community", was officially launched during the WCC Central Committee meetings on Thursday.
13. February 08
WCC welcomes two new member churches
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.
13. February 08
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Among a series of recent ecumenical anniversaries is a significant milestone: 100 years of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, typically observed in mid-January.
13. February 08
Table talk
Central committee members are doing a lot of chatting around their tables at this meeting, and it is with the moderator's approval.
13. February 08
Moderator urges perseverance toward unity
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.
11. February 08
Kenya: Living Letters allow churches to affirm peace, grasp a complex conflict
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.
8. February 08
WCC congratulates Archbishop Hieronymos II upon his election as head of the Church of Greece
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.