Olav Fykse Tveit elected WCC general secretary

27.08.09

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Photo in high resolution © WCC/Peter Williams

Norwegian theologian and pastor Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, 48, was elected 7th general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Thursday 27 August during its Central Committee meeting. Tveit will be the youngest general secretary since Willem A. Visser 't Hooft who had led the WCC while it was in process of formation and following its founding assembly 61 years ago.

"This task I really feel is the call of God. I feel that we have a lot to do together", said Tveit in his acceptance speech before the central committee. He stressed the spirit of unity that dominated the whole process and expressed hope that it will continue to reign in the common journey. Tveit encouraged the committee members to continue praying for him: "Please do not stop!"

"He impressed me very much with his speech to us," said Dean Anders Gadegaard, a Central Committee member from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark. "It was both pastoral, personal and political at the same time, and that gives me much hope for the future." Gadegaard said he sees Tveit's election as part of an opportunity for the WCC to "have a kind of shift in generations in leadership".

Since 2002, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has been the general secretary of the Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations. Tveit is a member of the WCC Faith and Order Plenary Commission and the board of directors and executive committee of the Christian Council of Norway.

"We entered into this process with most of us not knowing Dr. Park or Dr. Tveit", said Father Leonid Kishkovsky, ecumenical officer of the Orthodox Church in America and a Central Committee member. "In the end, I was impressed with both of their speeches. I’m happy with the outcome." Kishkovsky said he believes Tveit brings a "good balance" of skills in a variety of areas. "It seems to me the blend is a good one", he said.

"The atmosphere after this election is one of hope", said Rev. Dr Emilio Castro, who was WCC general secretary between 1985 and 1992. "I am certain that in this process there were neither winner nor losers, but the ecumenical movement has been strengthened. I am convinced that the best years of the WCC are ahead of us."

Tveit was one of two candidates standing for election to the WCC's highest administrative post. The other candidate was Rev. Dr Park Seong-won, a Presbyterian theologian from South Korea. Tveit will replace outgoing general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia who in February 2008 informed the Central Committee, the WCC's highest governing body, that he would not seek a second term in office. Kobia has served as general secretary since 2004.

Text of Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit's presentation before the WCC central committee on his vision for the Council

Biographical information on Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit

Selection of photos

Information on previous WCC general secretaries

More information on the 26 August - 2 September 2009 Central Committee meeting

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Rev. Fahed AbuAkel, Atlanta, GA USA 27-08-09 21:35:

Dear Dr. Tveit
we promise to pray for you, your family, your congregation & now for your leadership as General Secretary of the WCC
Salaam in Christ
Rev. Fahed AbuAkel, Moderator of the 214 General Assembly of the PCUSA- 2002-2003

Joseph G L MOIBA(Revd), Norway 27-08-09 21:42:

Congratulations. I wish you all the best. Thanks for the hardwork!

Rev.Torbjørn Holt, Norwegian priest in London 27-08-09 22:22:

Dear Olav, congratulations with your new appointment. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in your new post.
God's peace,
Torbjørn Holt
and the Norwegian Church in London

Dimario Sullivan, Jamaica 27-08-09 23:03:

This is awesome news and i congratulate the new General Secretary and the WCC. It is beautiful to observe and participate in the unififying purpose of the WCC of which i am proud to be a memebr of by way of my denomination.

C. Douglas Smith, Virginia, USA 27-08-09 23:17:

It is wonderful that the cause of cooperation and unity finds this new energy and hope.

Joshua Woo, Malaysia, Singapore 28-08-09 03:00:

Congratulation! May Dr. Tveit be provided the wisdom and strength to guide the WCC as Christ's body to be the beacon of justice in the injustice, of hope among the hopeless.

Samuel Hakh, Indonesia 28-08-09 04:17:

Dear Dr. Olav, congratulations for the new General Secretary of WCC. We are pray for you and your family. May the Lord our God be with us.

Paulson Pulikottil, Pune, India 28-08-09 05:06:

Congratulations! On my personal behalf, and as a member of the JCG with Pentecostals I want to assure you of my prayers and look forward with hope to your leadership.

Lina Moukheiber, Lebanon 28-08-09 07:58:

Best wishes for a bright future within the WCC and the broader ecumenical family. Congratulations to all of us.

Arie van der Graaf, Arnhem, Holland 28-08-09 08:27:

Dear Dr. Tveit,
Congratulations.
In our prayers we bring you before the Lord, and ask the Lord to bless you with his spirit and strength.
So that when Jesus returns he finds his bride ready and waiting.

Sunghun Bae, S. Korea 28-08-09 09:42:

Congraturations! Dear Rev. Tveit
I'll pray for you and WCC in Korea.

Rev. Santy S.Paul , Trivandrum 28-08-09 10:52:

Dear Dr. Tveit;
This is the Lord's doing.....
Congartualtions...
May the Almighty bless you with Divine Vision to be the voice of the christian world today.
Wishes for the challenges ahead.
Prayers...
Rev.Santy S.Paul
Trivandrum, Kerala, India

El-Halabi Elias, Lebanon 28-08-09 10:52:

Dear Dr. Tveit
Congratulations and May God Bless WCC with your new mission.

Heidi Martinussen, Denmark 28-08-09 11:22:

Dear Olav,
Warm congratulations! Wishing you wisdom and blessings in your wonderful new challenges.

Tara Curlewis, Australia 28-08-09 11:59:

Dear Olav,
Congratulations on your new role with the WCC. May God fill you with wisdom and further equip you for this exciting ministry. Be assured of the prayers of the churches in Australia.

Tara Curlewis
General Secretary
National Council of Churches in Australia

JOBI -DUBAI -MAR THOMA CHURCH - DELIGATE OF 9TH ASSEMBLY JOSHUA, DUBAI 28-08-09 12:27:

Dear Rev.DR.Olav,
Congragulation on your new role as WCC Gen Secretary.May the Almighty God bless you to lead the WCC during the comming years

Jobi Joshua.Mar Thoma Church.Dubai.
International Coordinator.Kerala Christain Council Of Churches.
Area Service Director.Y, s men International- Indian Area

Mihaly kranitz, Budapest, Hungary 28-08-09 12:41:

Dear Dr. Tveit, I congratulate you for your new task as the general secretary of WCC.
Thank you for your commitment building unity among Christians. God bless you

Mihaly Kranitz professor, Head of the Ut Unum Sint Ecumenical Institute, Catholic University in Budapest

Anne Pyciak, USA 28-08-09 14:19:

Dear Rev.Dr. Tveit
Congratulation on your
new mission in WCC,I will pray for your wisdom and strength.

Peace and Joy,
Anne Pyciak

Andreas Dybkjaer-Andersson, Copenhagen, Denmark 28-08-09 16:08:

Dear Olav,
Congratulations, thoughts and prayers!
Wishing you and WCC wisdom and blessings for the mission ahead.

Andreas Dybkjaer-Andersson, The National Council of Churches in Denmark

Mauro Souza, Porto Alegre, Brazil 28-08-09 17:17:

Dear Rev. Dr. Olav

Congratulations!
May God give you wisdom, strength, patience and humility to keep walking on the path of unity.

Rev. Mauro Souza
The Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil

Dimetros Woldu, Addis Ababa,Ethiopia 28-08-09 20:16:

Dear Rev. Dr. Tveit,
Warm greetings from Addis Ababa,Ethiopia. Congratulations! on your success as WCC General Secretary. May God bless your mission. Please we expect a lot from your leadership at this terrible time.In the meantime be assured of my prayers.

Peace and Love,
Dimetros Woldu

Susan Jacob, india 29-08-09 14:17:

Dear Rev. Dr. Tviet,
Congratulations from the All India Council of Christian Women, a unit of the National Council of Churches in India.
Wish you all the best and may you steer the WCC to new heights.

George Varghese, India 29-08-09 15:18:

Dear Rev. Dr. Tveit
Congratulations!
Expecting a bigger dimension for WCC in the coming years and a rejuvenating experience of leadership,

Warm Greetings and Prayers from the Mar Thoma Community in Kerala, India.

Prof George Varghese Mallappally
Executive Council Member, National Council of Churches in India

Gregorios Bishop of Mesaorias, 29-08-09 18:01:

The Reverend
Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
Elected General Secretary of WCC

Your Reverence,

Upon your election as the new General Secretary of the World Council of Churches we would like to congratulate you and to wish you every success in your new role and new post. It is with great pleasure we are informed about this election and we express our certainty that the coming years will be a fruitful period for WCC.

We look forward to working with you and we wish you to know rich blessing .

Gregorios, Bishop of Mesaoria
Director
Office of Interchurch Relations
And European Affairs.
Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus
Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus,
August 29, 2009

Fr. ASWIN FERNANDIS, Mumbai, India 29-08-09 18:17:

congratulations.Wishing you and WCC a wider horizon of ecumenical family.Looking forward for a dynamic leadership in widening the reign of God on thsi beautiful world.
Peace and good will.
Fr Aswin Fernandis

Raymond Pome Za Lyan, Yangon, Myanmar 30-08-09 15:02:

Dear Rev. Dr.Olav,
Congratulations!
May the Lord be with you in every step in the midst of global issues and challenges ahead.
Blessings and Grace..
Communications Secretary
Myanmar Council of Churches
Yangon, Myanmar

Rev. Kuntadi Sumadikarya, Jakarta - Indonesia 30-08-09 18:42:

Dear Rev. Tveit
Warm greetings from Jakarta and congratulation on your election as general secretary of this vital body. Since the Third World in an existential multi-crises, as reflected in AGAPE Document, your service wont be an easy one. We assiure you our pray and give our support to your office to build a better world before Christ.
Rev. Kuntadi

Kjell Jonasson, Jerusalem 30-08-09 23:13:

Dear Olav!
Congratulations and blessings to you and your family in this challenging new task and job!
Prayerfully
Kjell

Levee Kadenge, Norton - Zimbabwe 31-08-09 08:07:

Dear Rev Dr Tveit

I will pray for you from Zimbabwe

Salpy & Peter Weiderud, Cyprus/Sweden 31-08-09 14:37:

Dear Olav,

Warmest congratulations on your appointment which has filled us with hope. Please know that you are in our prayers as you begin your new mission and look forward to working with you again in your new capacity. Warmest regards and best wishes to you, your family and everyone at WCC, Salpy Eskidjian and Peter Weiderud

Rev. Hermanus La'Elu, Tangerang, Indonesia 01-09-09 02:49:

Congratulations from The synod of the Oikoumene Christian Church in Indonesia (GKO), one of the PGI (NCC) member in Indonesia.We always pray that God will give you wisdom to fulfill the agendas based on the 9th General Assembly of WCC in Porto Allegre and the new responsibility to prepare the new agendas meeting for the 10th General Assemby of WCC in Busan, South Korea. Hermanus La'Elu (General Secretary Of GKO and one of the participant of the 9th GA of WCC)

Archbishop Samuel , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 01-09-09 18:49:

Dear Rev. Dr. Tveit,

Warmest congratulation from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Curch, Archdiocese of Addis Ababa.May God be with you in every step of your mission as WCC Gen.Secretary.

With every blessing.

Abba Samuel,Archbishop of Addis Ababa Archdiocese, Assistant to the Patriarch and member of the E.O.T.C Holy Synod.

St. Apostle Hermas Center for Ecumenical Dialogue Georgi Naydenov, Bulgaria 14-09-09 14:36:

Congratulations on your election.
May God bless all your activities and initiatives.

Mr. Dragan M. Makojevic, Belgrade, Serbia 15-09-09 10:20:

Dear Rev. Dr. Tveit,

On behalf of "Philanthropy," The Charitable Fund of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and my own name, please receive the most cordial congratulation for the election on such esteemed position.

May, the Light of the Mount Tabor be the guiding force and blessing that leads you in your work. In this changing time, one who dares to undertake the needed changes deserves to be the General Secretary of the WCC.

Sincerely in The Risen Lord,
Mr. Dragan M. Makojevic MDiv MTh

Vassil Marinov, Sofia, Bulgaria 15-09-09 10:39:

Dear Rev. Dr. Tveit,

Warmest congratulations!

As a scholar of Bossey -1996, I wish you the God’s words:
”God bless and protect you!”

Police Chaplain Vassil Marinov
Bulgaria

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