CONTENTS

 

Introduction                                                                                                                       

Part 1: Assessment of Overall Programmes in
Five Areas of Inquiry                            

           
1.1: Meeting overall programme goals                                                                 

1.2: Relevance, pertinence and significance of
programmes                              

1.3: Ownership and impact of programmes                                   
                       

1.4: Impact of programmes  on Strengthening the Fellowship                                               

1.5: WCC methods and ways of working in relation to programmes            

Part 2: Main Findings and Conclusions on
Individual Programmes                               

           
2.1: Strengthening the One Ecumenical Movement

           
2.2: Ecumenical Institute, Bossey

            2.3:
Dialogue With Neighbours of Other Religions                                          


            2.4: Decade to Overcome Violencep


            2.5: Unity of the Church                                                                                         

           
2.6: Ecumenical Advocacy and Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts                        

           
2.7: Ecumenical Focus on Africa               

           
2.8: Mission & Evangelism: Promoting the Ministry of
Reconciliation     

           
2.9: The Challenge of Ecumenical Formation       

           
2.10:The Ethics of Life and Alternatives to Globalization    

           
2.11:Diakonia and Solidarity    

           
2.12:Communicating the Fellowship and Telling the Ecumenical Story 

           
2.13:Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel 

           
2.14:Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa 

Part 3: Overall Assessment of Programmes and
Recommendations

           
3.1: Overall Assessment of Programme Work

           
3.2: Recommendations   

           
3.3: Suggested Framework for Future Strategic Focus of WCC 

           

Annex 1: Information Gathering

Annex 2: Glossary                   

----------------

 

Introduction

"We don't know how
to interpret the silence" [1]

The context in
which the World Council of Churches operates has changed significantly since the
last Assembly in late 1998
in Harare. The process of globalization has
speeded up and is having major implications even in the smallest local
communities. There are changes in economic structures, environmental
sustainability challenges, mobility of people and the spread of diseases, most
notoriously the pandemic of HIV/AIDS. Poverty remains a scandal for humanity. In
the aftermath of 9/11, issues of violence and security have been raised to a new
level. Many of these events also illustrate a change of those paradigms that
have been directing the work of WCC and the ecumenical movement at large. One of
them is secularization and the abandonment of religion, which has been
challenged by events in recent years when the role of religion in societies has
gained heightened emphasis. Another is the one opposing the pastoral and
prophetic roles of the church. The paradigms currently directing the work need
to be reassessed in light of the world today. 

All this is
happening in a global scene where on the one hand there is increased access to
some types of media and on the other hand there is a concentration of media
networks that results in the creation of a global world-view seen through only a
few filters.

The Ecumenical Movement in the 21st
Century is also in a profound process of transformation. The face of world
Christianity is changing, with rapid growth of Pentecostal and Independent
churches in the South, most of which have very little contact with structural
ecumenism. The reality lived by church communities in the South or in the
revival of many of the churches in Eastern Europe brings into question the old
divisions of Mission, Faith and Order, Life and
Work perceived as an inheritance from the early days of the ecumenical movement
in Europe. At the same time the need for
specialization has resulted in the creation of new instruments to handle
emergency response (Action by Churches Together, ACT), some of the advocacy
agenda of the churches (Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance EAA) and a joint
communication venture for covering news related to international religious,
ecumenical and humanitarian affairs (Ecumenical News International ENI). Now
plans are underway for the establishment of a new ecumenical Global Coalition in
the area of development and service. Bearing in mind that it is planned to group
part of the specialized ministries, who altogether account for 80 % of the
programme funding of the WCC, this will have major implications, even with the
Global Coalition's proposed links with WCC. Regional and sub-regional structures
have also expanded in recent years.

Confronted by these challenges, WCC has
responded during the last few years with

initiating parallel but complementary
processes. The Reconfiguration process[2]
has tried to assess some of the overall challenges mentioned above. At the same
time, the Council has engaged for the first time in its history in a major
assessment of its programmatic work with and for the global fellowship. This Pre-Assembly Programme Evaluation report will
offer one perspective to these more fundamental debates. It is part of a process
that started in late 2001-early 2002 with the Mid-Term Evaluation requested by
the Programme Committee in its meeting in January 2001. The evaluation at that
time concentrated on many institutional concerns and was mainly based on
internal evaluation by the staff. One of the recommendations was to have a more
comprehensive external evaluation implemented prior to the Assembly, focusing
more on the content of the programmes and their assessment from the perspective
of the constituency[3].
The Executive Committee decided on the terms of reference in February 2004 and
nominated four persons, Marion Best, William Ogara, Sylvia Raulo and Georges
Tsetsis to carry out the evaluation process.

The terms of reference included four major
areas of concern: the achievement of the goals of the Harare Assembly, the
relevance and significance of the programmes, the impact and ownership of them
and their contribution to the strengthening of the fellowship. The evaluation
team was asked also to comment on methodologies used by the Council and finally
to provide a short evaluation on each individual programme. The result should
offer clear programme guidelines for the Programme Guidelines Committee in the
Assembly in Porto Alegre.

Listening to the constituency, both the voices
and the silence, was the first step and hence information gathering from the
constituency was the crucial starting point. Questionnaires and interviews, both
with individuals and groups were the methods used. Input was received in one way
or another from about one half of the member churches representing every region.
(For details of the data gathering
process see Annex 1)  In
addition, the team had the advantage of being able to use the material and
mapping of the reconfiguration process, some individual programme evaluations,
self-evaluation from Commissions/Advisory bodies[4],
and a number of programme documents. The team also wishes to recognize the
active and self-critical participation of the Staff Leadership Group[5]
and staff programme teams who were interviewed twice during the
process.

However, as a team we need to recognize the limitations of the
evaluation. While the original idea was to conduct an external evaluation, the
process was conducted by a team that cannot be called external. With one
exception, the members had close connection to the WCC either as a member of the
governing body, former member of staff or funding partner/interim staff member.
On the other hand, given the complexity of the task and the many changes during
the last couple of years in the programme structure, this had the advantage of
speeding up the understanding of the issues involved.

Another limitation was the lack of a well
functioning programme planning, monitoring and evaluation mechanism. This was
already identified as a problem area in the Mid-Term Evaluation. With this
missing, the team had to rely on an overall assessment from the constituency,
based on a general understanding of the programmes. We could not verify or
crosscheck the findings with a continuous internal goal setting, evaluation and
follow-up that would have been documented. 

More importantly it is a serious limitation
that so many member churches stayed silent during the process. However, within
these limitations we have been surprised to see the great convergence on
findings in general, further confirmed by the parallel reconfiguration
discussion and we feel confident in presenting the following general assessment
reflecting the image of the programmatic work of the Council as perceived by its
constituency.

The report is divided into three parts. Part 1
answers the main questions from the Terms of Reference, as adopted by the
Executive Committee in 2004, with main findings and conclusions. Part 2 seeks to
address each individual programme and two international ecumenical initiatives
with main findings and conclusions. Part 3 gives an overall assessment of the
work and makes recommendations for Programme Guidelines for the Assembly
Programme Committee.

 

PART 1:   Assessment of
Overall Programmes in Five Areas of Inquiry

1.1   Meeting overall programme goals 

To what extent have the
programmes implemented during the period of evaluation met the overall goals set by the
last Assembly and the subsequent programme policy framework defined by the
Central Committee and by the Commissions/Advisory Bodies?

 

"It is difficult to understand what the
overall goals are; it seems there are several different
layers."

 


Main
Findings

A preliminary assumption of the evaluation team
was that the exercise was being conducted within the framework of clearly
identified goals. This was challenged at the

beginning of our task when it was difficult for
our team to discover articulated programme goals from Harare on which to base
our evaluation of individual programmes. Most respondents were in a similar
position and indicated they were not familiar with the overall or specific
programme goals. Many also said WCC's vision is ‘blurred' and this lack of a
clearly articulated vision is one of the reasons for the inability to set clear
overall goals for the programmatic work.

While they were not able to name specific
programme goals, most had a general knowledge of the issues the Harare Assembly
identified and to which the Council had given its attention. Those most often
named were the Decade to Overcome Violence, Special Commission, HIV/AIDS,
Globalization debate/Economic Justice and Special Focus on Africa. All these
issues had been subjects of discussion during the 8th Assembly and
they continued to be identified as pertinent issues. While most said they were
unable to assess the extent to which overall goals had been achieved, one of the
ways they answered the question was to cite whether a programme or activity had
been picked up and used or had been affirmed by their own constituencies. Often
it connected with programmatic emphases that were also underway in their own
church or constituency and/or ones that responded to issues they considered
timely.

It is the role of the Central Committee to
initiate and terminate programmes on the recommendation of its Programme
Committee and the latter bases its recommendations on the advice it receives
from Commissions and Advisory Groups that relate to various programme areas.
Respondents from these groups were confused about how the programme policy
framework defined by CC in 1999 after Harare (Being Church; Caring for Life;
Ministry of Reconciliation; Common Witness and Service amidst Globalization)
relates to the present structure of the thirteen programmes and two ecumenical
initiatives that are currently being assessed.[6]
In addition, these fifteen programmes include some sixty activities and
respondents were often unclear what constituted a programme and what was an
activity.[7]
The mid term evaluation pointed out the need for improved programme planning
mechanisms and increased knowledge of programmes by those on governing and
consultative bodies.[8]

Harare programme directions were generally
assessed to be too wide ranging especially since dwindling human and financial
resources have resulted in WCC being able to achieve less. At the same time
there was affirmation that WCC had been able to achieve as much as it had given
the financial strains and reduction of staff that had taken place especially in
the past two years. Repeatedly we heard that the Council must do less and do it
well. Priorities have to be set based upon a clearly articulated vision and
through determining what a global body, taking the funding realities into
consideration, best does.

 

Team Conclusions

  • Appreciation was expressed for
    what had been achieved especially in the light of financial restraints and
    staff reductions. Achievement of goals in this case, when general knowledge
    was low, was interpreted by the respondents as equaling ownership: whether
    programmes are being used and/or affirmed by their own
    constituencies

  •  Respondents were able to identify a
    number of issues that were highlighted at the 8th Assembly and are
    still considered timely and there was general satisfaction that WCC is working
    with those, although they were unclear how this was
    done.

  • The lack of a clear overarching
    vision has made it difficult to set understandable overall goals for the
    programme work and to set priorities.

  • The governing bodies[9]
    have difficulty in carrying out their role of initiating, monitoring and
    terminating programmes and this calls for a more flexible and transparent
    programme framework.

  • Because Harare Assembly and the
    subsequent Central Committee meetings were unable to clearly articulate
    overall programme goals and set priorities, the result has been that WCC is
    trying to do more than it can effectively handle given the extent of its
    financial and human resources.  In
    this context it is important that good preparatory work be done to assist the
    Programme Guidelines Committee at the 9th Assembly to come up with
    an achievable and appropriate set of programme initiatives for the period
    following the 9th Assembly. 

 

1.2   Relevance, pertinence and significance of
programmes

To which extent are the programmes relevant,
pertinent and significant in relation to the priority needs of the constituency,
and how were these programmes able to adjust to changing world contexts and
emerging needs?

"The relevance and ownership of programmes
are weakened when it is perceived that it is a separate agenda from the normal
life of the churches."

Main Findings

The issues of relevance, pertinence and
significance were most often interpreted by the respondents as relating to the
importance of a particular issue for the constituency, the creative methods used
by a particular WCC programme and the extent to which these had been combined to
create a programme that the churches were able to relate to easily, could
use/draw inspiration and ideas from for their own reality and linked them with
other churches and actors around the globe.

Most of the interviewees gave particular
emphasis to the Decade to Overcome Violence. While violence is increasing in the
world, the "success" of the programme is related to the fact that it addresses
an issue that is of major concern everywhere and rather than WCC starting a
programme, it builds on work already being undertaken by many churches in all
parts of the world. In other places it has succeeded in encouraging the churches
to put issues of violence high in their agenda, from domestic violence to issues
of war and peace. The recent regional focus each year has emphasized this. There
is a high degree of ownership by the churches. WCC's role has been to support,
encourage and to facilitate conversations and information sharing among the
constituency, provide a  simple
effective study guide in several languages, a well maintained web site and
cooperation and coordination with regional ecumenical bodies have all increased
the outreach and effectiveness of the programme. It is under girded by a
theology of peace and non-violence and the Churches have a moral authority in
promoting peace and non-violence.

Another relevant issue, even considered by many
to be critical, is ecumenical formation and in this area a highly valued WCC
programme is the work of the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey. As a living
community where experiential education can be carried out, it has been able to
take up emerging needs by generating discussion on some risky subjects
(Inter-religious dialogue, human sexuality) in addition to the regular courses.
Bossey has a solid reputation, and is perceived to have a clear concept and
direction, yet adaptable to new needs, including taking Bossey "out" to the
churches. This has also raised expectations to do more in the regions in order
to allow more people to participate, especially as language (only English at
Bossey) remains a problem. Another tool for ecumenical formation that was
mentioned were the scholarships administered under the WCC Ecumenical Formation
programme although at present there seems to be different appreciations about
the current direction of this activity. 

Unity of the
Church/Faith and Order was named often as an important programme but it was
pointed out that F&O is deemed most relevant and meaningful when its studies
are integrated into other programmes as theological framework for their work,
rather than as "stand alone" studies. Another issue of concern that hampers the
relevance and eventual significance of the present programme is the lack of
dissemination of the results and weak relational capacity.

For many interviewees, Inter-religious dialogue
is one of the most pertinent issues that WCC is presently dealing with and hence
was named as a significant activity of the WCC. However, here it was clear that
the present way of implementing the programme is seen as being carried out in
small academic groups and not coping with existential problems of communities
living together at the grass roots levels, decreasing the relevance of the
present programme. It was also noted that the issue itself touches many other
programme areas and should involve more women.

An equally important element of WCC is the
programme dealing with Ethics of Life and Alternatives to Globalization,
particularly in relation to the issues of globalization such as Economic
Justice. That activity has managed to involve churches around this issue of
concern.  In addition to the issues,
appreciation was expressed that this programme manages well to relate to some of
the regions. It is believed that the WCC is a reference point in this area. The
Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network and Indigenous Peoples programmes are
examples of work centered outside Geneva that are deemed significant and point
to the need of more thoroughly evaluating the potential in this type of
networking.

The Special Commission on Orthodox
Participation in the WCC was deemed significant and relevant as an example of
activity that responded to a particular situation and need of the Council and
its constituency. Reactions to the outcome of the Special Commission were mixed.
Many believed that it has contributed to the deepening of the fellowship, and to
the recommitment of the Orthodox Churches after the 1998 crisis. In any case, it
has been an example of the Council finding a way to discuss and formulate new
ways of working in the midst of difficult and divisive issues. While it started
mainly as a concern for the regions where the Orthodox constituency is strong,
the results have a potential to reshape relations within the whole fellowship.

The Special Focus on Africa was deemed timely
and significant. The manner in which WCC accompanied and helped to strengthen
the All Africa Conference of Churches by seconding a staff member has been
highly affirmed by those from Africa. It is an example of WCC in a capacity
building role. Similarly, the work on HIV/AIDS both through the health and
healing desk in Mission and Evangelism and the Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in
Africa (EHAIA) were deemed significant and relevant in responding to this
pandemic, based on the work done by the churches and concentrating the role of
the WCC in initiating, facilitating and coordinating these efforts.

Uprootedness, whether in migration or as
problem related to refugees/internally displaced is an issue deemed important
all around the world. Regarding WCC programme activity on this issue, both
elements of networking and advocacy were mentioned as being significant for
churches struggling with the problems related to this.

Advocacy at the global level in relation to a
number of issues in general was mentioned as an important fundamental function
of the WCC.

Team Conclusions

  • The programmes most often
    identified as relevant and significant by respondents were the ones that were
    addressing issues that were urgent or timely in their context or deemed
    fundamental for the mission of the Council.

  • There are clear characteristics
    for the programmes that were most often mentioned: in addition to the issues,
    the work done has been done in cooperation with the churches in the regions
    and had a clear ownership, WCC's role was one of facilitating, coordinating,
    accompanying, networking, connecting and/or capacity building

  • Solid theological frameworks are
    needed for the work being undertaken.

  • Those with high relevance were
    also often programmes with a clear direction and scope, and communicated
    well.

1.3   Ownership and impact of programmes

To which extent have the programmes been owned
and used by the constituency, and have they produced a lasting or significant
impact
(positive or negative, intended or not) in the life of the churches
and of the people they serve?

"To be positive,
one should say that during the last few years the Council has showed more
awareness and concern to making an impact, making a
difference"

Main Findings

Respondents were only able to comment on impact
from a personal point of view, as despite recommendations from the Mid-term
evaluation, WCC still lacks a functioning Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
(PME) mechanism. Such a mechanism would include goal oriented plans with
objectives and indicators on impact and a documented monitoring, analysis,
evaluation and systematic follow-up and processing of feedback. The lack of
follow-up is especially important, as it is virtually impossible to see the
impact beyond immediate results, often limited to the degree of participation.
The very general goals and objectives furthermore complicate the possibilities
of assessing the impacts of one particular program. While all programmes
undoubtedly do have unintended and in some cases unwanted impacts, those cannot
be verified and the opportunity to learn from both successes and failures is
lost. There were comments, however, that in recent years the Council seems to be
more aware of the need to make a real difference and to plan for conscious
impact.

A further limitation was the time scope of this
evaluation. Impact is not easily measured within such a short period
(effectively years 1999-2003), as it is by nature long term. In this respect, it
was interesting to note that when answering impact, people would refer to such
past programmes or activities of the WCC as Decade of Churches in Solidarity
with Women, Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, the long record of human rights
work in Latin America, Programme to Combat Racism  - all still perceived as impacting the
life of the churches with the profound changes they brought with them
challenging traditional practices, theology and the role of churches in society
among other things.

The analysis on the impact was hence limited to
three angles: the ownership of programmes by the constituency , the use of the
programmes/involvement of the constituency and/or the extent the programmes had
managed to introduce new subjects/challenges in the life and agenda of the
churches

Programmes mentioned as being owned and used by
the churches, such as DOV or EHAIA were also identified as having a major impact
with clear elements. There had to be a clear role of the churches either as
initiators (acute problems facing churches), implementers (being part of the
execution of the programme or part of an advocacy effort) or by challenging
their own ways of working/helping them address an acute need such as the
pandemic of HIV/Aids. The programmes needed to reach grassroots and be
empowering.

One of the main factors supporting a successful
impact of the WCC programmes was the timeliness and sustainability of the
response and clear communication of the goals and focus of the work to the
constituency, facilitating their involvement. The language and accessible ways
of addressing issues were mentioned as important elements in spreading
information about programmes. The dominance of English puts limitations on who
is reached. Communications in general were rated low in achievement, but high in
importance.

Programmes can also have negative impact,
especially when they are dealing with political issues and when the preparation
has been inadequate, WCC risks being perceived as driving political agendas
without fundamental background work. This is especially important in issues with
high public profile. On the other hand, there was also acknowledgment that
learning had taken place when some controversial issues came to be accepted
later. The important element in them was that solid background work had been
done.

 

The most difficult part is the lack of
ownership of the programmes of the WCC and many people in the churches are self
critical about their lack of involvement. Very few people felt that the present
programmes are owned and used by their constituency beyond the general feeling
that "probably WCC should be doing that". The involvement of the churches in
initiating, planning together and being part of the implementation is lacking in
most of the present programmes. There is a perception that programmes are WCC
staff initiatives that churches are asked to react to or implement.

There were also examples of unexpected impacts
when the mere fact of getting involved in the global ecumenical work changed
people and their churches in their ways of relating and acting towards each
other and giving a new dimension in their identity, more global and open. This
kind of impact is a side effect of many of the programmes, but it is not
documented or analyzed, and hence one important dimension of the work is often
lost.

 


Team
Conclusions

  • Planning for a time scope of
    several years is important for any desired lasting
    impacts.

  • There is an urgent need to further
    develop the existing programme management mechanism and put into place a
    functioning Planning Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism and indicators to
    assess any measurable impact (or even results giving impact in the future) of
    the present work. This is also needed to track unwanted or unexpected impact
    of programmes.

  • Communication about the programmes
    and their goals and objectives, is the key element in spreading the impact
    beyond those directly linked to programmes and in the majority of cases it
    needs to be strengthened.

  • Resolving the dilemma of
    commitment in principle but on the other hand a lack of interest and ownership
    by many member churches is another challenge (including a lack of financial
    commitment). A key issue to be addressed is how to set loose the existing
    potential of involvement in the member churches.

  • The greater the role of the local
    churches, the greater the impact. This needs to challenge the programme
    designs if WCC is really to make a difference.

 

1.4   Impact of programmes on strengthening the
fellowship

To what extent has each individual programme
served the CUV process, facilitating the cooperation among the churches
and offering involvement and commitment to the constituency and has their
overall impact strengthened the fellowship?

"Fellowship must go beyond live and let live.
It is more than warming up ourselves. It must enable us to change where change
is deemed essential for the achievement of our
mission"

Main Findings

The document Towards a Common Understanding and
Vision (CUV)[10]
contains the guiding vision of the WCC upon which its mission and programmatic
life is based. It declares that the WCC is a fellowship of churches that desires
to move to visible unity and to carry out their common calling through witness
and service to the world. Given the foundational nature of the CUV, it was
surprising to discover in the evaluation that for most of the respondents CUV
was either unknown or has remained a historical document.     It is therefore
difficult to assess the extent to which CUV has been the framework for
programmes and has contributed to co-operation among the member churches and
consequently how this has led to strengthening the fellowship. Another challenge
for WCC is how to articulate the spirit of CUV in a new and fast changing
context.

The majority said the work of the Special
Commission had contributed to deepening the fellowship. A number of ongoing
encounters, official visits and follow up have provided assurances to many
Orthodox that their voices are being heard and taken seriously. Through the
creation of this ‘ecumenical space' further attempts have been made to increase
understanding between Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant churches regarding
different doctrines, practices and traditions. There are many voices
anticipating that the Council's move to consensus decision making will increase
understanding, build trust and deepen relationships within the fellowship. On
the other hand, there is also concern about the extent to which the prophetic
role of the council can be safeguarded in the light of this change. There was
also concern that the wider vision of CUV had been reduced to a negotiation
process of a common life together. Without a clear overall vision for WCC, its
life is not sustainable.

Other means affirmed for deepening and
strengthening the fellowship included team visits, ‘Living Letters' with the
emphasis on church to church visits, visits by the General Secretary and WCC
staff teams. The fellowship has been growing in Africa, thanks partly to EHAIA,
Special Focus on Africa and efforts put into strengthening AACC. Visible
networks like EDAN, women's and youth networks have a strengthening
effect.

CUV also puts emphasis on widening the
fellowship and there have been a number of initiatives in this area since the
8th Assembly for which many expressed appreciation. This included the
establishment of the Global Christian Forum and the Joint Consultative Group
between the WCC and Pentecostals. However there is a creative tension as WCC
tries to both deepen and widen the fellowship. Some fear resources given to
widening the fellowship will mean less for deepening it. In response to the
challenges posed by the proliferation of ecumenical organizations, two
consultations on Reconfiguration of the ecumenical movement bringing together
ecumenical partners have also been held.[11]

The WCC involvement on issues in some of the
Regions has had mixed reactions. For some, in the absence of a clear and
coherent strategy, the role of WCC has been seen as that of encroachment.
Sometimes there has been confusion about the roles of WCC and the Regional
Ecumenical Organizations (REO). Sometimes small churches are neglected to the
benefit of the larger ones. There needs to be more intentional and strategic
planning with both the REO's and the Christian World Communions. Programme work
needs to be assessed not in isolation but collectively and move toward a
‘knitting together' of the programmes by the various
players.

Team Conclusions

·       
If CUV is to
remain the vision statement of the WCC, it needs to be clearly rearticulated and
interpreted, the language simplified and the document widely
shared.

  • The majority of respondents said
    the Special Commission contributed to deepening the
    fellowship.

  • Processes and methods that
    contribute to deepening the fellowship include creating ‘ecumenical space',
    church to church visits, visits by WCC staff, capacity building and
    establishing and nurturing networks, hence enhancing the relational side and
    several new initiatives are helping to widen the fellowship e.g. WCC and
    Pentecostals Consultative Group and Global Christian
    Forum.

  • Human resources are being
    stretched as the Council works on both deepening and widening the fellowship.
    Ways to utilize the time and talents of individuals and churches beyond WCC
    staff needs to be increased.

  • While affirming the
    reconfiguration process, some said its relationship to CUV needs to be
    clarified.

  • In order to strengthen the
    fellowship, WCC needs to examine how programme work is designed together with
    other actors. There is a need for a clear intentional strategy for involvement
    in each of the regions following analysis and a re-visioning of
    roles.

  • WCC has done well to hold the
    fellowship together in the midst of significant challenges. The struggle is
    however, far from over given the demands by the constituency and WCC has to
    invest resources in creating space for fellowship to continue. Whatever the
    position, there is a value in staying together even in difficult times.

1.5 
 WCC methods and ways of working in
relation to programmes 

"WCC methodology? First thing that comes to my
mind is an elderly gentleman reading his paper to us."

Main Findings

The issue of methodologies and ways of working
were already addressed in the Mid-Term Evaluation in 2002, with a call for a
more systematic analysis on successes and failures and a more conscious and
diverse use of methodologies in the design of the programmes. These issues were
further addressed directly in the questionnaires and the interviews but also
surfaced constantly in connection with questions of programme goals, involvement
and impact. This was an area with the most convergence among respondents,
irrespective of region or background.

Communication within and beyond the
constituency was the most often cited area of problems and potentialities, and
highlights how the constituency needs the Council to communicate by listening,
informing and connecting as part of all the work it is doing. More aspects of
the area will be dealt with under Part 2/item 2.12 of this report. 

While networking, solidarity visits, grants,
publications, websites, and different ways of horizontal learning are part of
the WCC methodologies, meetings, consultations and conferences dominate the
picture. While their importance in creating personal relations and human
interaction are still valued, they are perceived as being too often didactically
archaic and perceived as isolated events without a process of preparation and
follow-up. The results are often made public in an unattractive form that
conveys little for those not present. Hence the meetings are of little use for
those not directly involved.

Grants have lost significance in terms of
amounts but are still important as a strategic tool. At present, some partners
and churches benefit from this tool from various programs, while it is unclear
for those outside the system as to how they could have access to funds. This
issue needs to be addressed from a managerial point of view with the
establishment of a transparent project handling system that would allow the
tracking of the overall picture of the accompaniment the council is giving from
different programmes as well as the strategic use of funds in general in
addressing emerging challenges. This need has been pointed out in some of the
Activity level evaluations[12].

There are additional issues that need to be
noted in the strategic follow up of those who participate in WCC related events.
Sometimes it is perceived that participants have been selected for their
suitability in the WCC agenda instead of being strategic for dissemination of
the results in their churches. On the other hand many of the consulted people
have been or are partly serving in the different decision making/advisory
structures of the WCC. As mentioned earlier, they often feel they do not have
enough information, but an equally important challenge is that they do not
always know how to use the information they have and how to disseminate it in an
effective way.

Lack of preparation and follow-up was not only
identified as a WCC problem but were acknowledged with self-criticism. Many
noted that the churches do not have an adequate system of preparation and their
representatives in different meetings are often selected primarily according to
language skills - so the responsibility lies both with WCC and member
churches.

Hence the use of alternative pedagogical
approaches and an overall ecumenical formation aspect in all the work is
crucial. In this respect WCC is perceived as lacking competence in the use of
innovative methodologies.

Involvement of churches/constituency is the
single most important factor in the success of any programme, not just as
participants but as initiators, owners and implementers. At present, this is
hardly visible in the design structures of the programmes. In practice, many
programmes have had different ways of involving members of the constituency in
studies, research, sharing staff, visits to the churches etc. However, this is
not dealt with systematically and the use of those methods seems to depend on
individuals.

Team Conclusions

  • A more systematic analysis of the
    methods used in some programmes with the successful record of involving the
    constituency e.g. through studies, research, sharing staff, visits to churches
    is an important element when rethinking the methods used by the
    council.

  • Communication of the programmes
    needs to be built into the design of the programme  and the overall area of communication
    needs to be strengthened for the Council

  • Meetings and gatherings need to be
    linked to clearly outlined processes seen in the frame of continuous
    ecumenical formation

  • Programme designs need to be based
    on involving the constituency at all levels.

  • The use of different methodologies
    needs to be looked at strategically and the choice based on core functions,
    such as strengthening the fellowship.

  • The use of Commission and
    Committee members, participants and members of governing and advisory bodies
    in advocating and communicating the fellowship should be systematically
    thought through and looked at from a strategic point of view. This will avoid
    the present practice whereby individual members have to find ways to struggle
    with this function. This is especially important in regions with few
    representatives. If they are not connected with church structures, WCC
    visibility drops immediately.

Part
2:  Main Findings and Conclusions on
Individual Programmes

This section of our report gives the viewpoint
of the constituency in relation to these individual programmes[13]
while the Harare-Porto Alegre report contains detailed information about each of
the programmes and their activities since 1999. Before the Assembly, ways will
be found to harmonize programme references in the two reports to give
participants the fuller picture of the programmatic work along with our
assessment.    

2.1  Strengthening the One Ecumenical
Movement

"The Report of the Special Commission
triggered a process of better listening"

Main Findings

The main thrust of the programme has been on
giving leadership to the work of the WCC, fostering membership relations,
widening the fellowship and promoting the coherence of the ecumenical
movement.

Although not associated with a particular
programme, the responses received referred overwhelmingly to the importance of
building and nurturing relationships in the ecumenical movement. The Common
Understanding and Vision identified the WCC as a fellowship of churches and
placed responsibility on the member churches to build and nurture relationships
among themselves. But as the recent consultation on Ecumenism in the
21st Century has shown, there are many other groups like REO's,
NCC's, Christian World Communions, agencies and Specialized Ministries with whom
WCC relates in addition to churches and those relationships also require ongoing
attention.

Since the Harare Assembly the most significant
activity within this programme has been the Special Commission on Orthodox
Participation in the WCC. The Special Commission was mentioned in the vast
majority of responses. Reactions to the outcome of the Special Commission are,
however, mixed. There has generally been a good feeling about the fact that
space and time was provided for discussion and building understanding around
what could have been divisive issues. 
In some cases concern was expressed that it had caused the Council to be
too inward looking since Harare. While many hail the move to consensus seeking
and decision making as a positive step others are concerned lest it still the
prophetic voice of the WCC. Others are disappointed that what they valued as
ecumenical worship may be lost in the move to ‘common prayer'. Overwhelmingly
Orthodox responses to the Special Commission were positive.

Regarding both deepening and broadening the
fellowship, for nearly 40 years the Joint Working Group with the Roman Catholic
Church has contributed to carrying out the ecumenical mission of the churches
and there is a proposal to convene a consultation in 2005 to evaluate the
relationship between the RCC and the WCC. Further practical steps for broadening
the fellowship include the proposal for a gathering of the Global Christian
Forum planned for year 2007 designed to bring together WCC members churches,
Roman Catholics, African Instituted churches, Pentecostals and Evangelicals.
There have been smaller gatherings held with representatives of these churches
since 1998 and respondents from all regions affirmed this initiative. A
consultative group that carries on dialogue between WCC and Pentecostals was
established following the 8th Assembly in 1998 and has met several
times. Pentecostals in Latin America appreciate what they refer to as the
‘growing openness' of WCC.

This programme also carries responsibility for
maximizing participation of governing bodies and as was noted in section 1.1 of
this report, members of the Central Committee and even some of the Programme
Committee members stated they are unclear about the directions and goals of the
programmes and do not feel knowledgeable enough to make decisions related to
initiating, reformulating and/or terminating programmes.

Team
Conclusions

  • The Special Commission stands out
    as a key activity of the programme.

  • All respondents stressed the key
    importance of building and maintaining relationships for the health and future
    of the ecumenical movement. With recent staffing and structural changes within
    WCC this role is spread more widely across staff teams and could become
    diffuse. Responsibility for building and nurturing relationships needs to be
    clarified and strengthened in all programmes.

  • Significant steps have been taken
    to build relationships with Pentecostals and there is evidence that this is
    appreciated on all sides.

  • The consultations on
    reconfiguration (Ecumenism in the 21st Century) are related to the
    goals of this programme and have the potential to strengthen the ecumenical
    movement and to clarify the role of WCC within the
    movement.

  • There is a need for improved
    programme planning mechanisms and increased knowledge of programmes by those
    on governing and consultative bodies.

2.2 
 Ecumenical Institute,
Bossey

 

"When a graduate student returns home they
have been changed by the Bossey experience and their mindset is an ecumenical
one."

 

Main Findings

The Bossey programme contributes to the
formation of ecumenical leadership, both lay and ordained. Bossey degree
programmes, MA and PhD, are carried out in cooperation with the University of
Geneva and it is generally acknowledged this has resulted in strengthening
academic standards. There is a significant upgrade of the library currently
underway. Many of the Bossey seminars are seen as ‘cutting edge' and have
included the role of religions in peace making, Human Sexuality, Inter-religious
on how to read the Bible in relation to other faith traditions and bioethics.
These and other seminars are designed in consultation and collaboration with WCC
staff teams and support WCC's overall programme goals.

All programmes have regular ongoing evaluation
built into them and through this form of monitoring, faculty makes adjustments
in methodologies and content. More work is underway regarding follow up on
Bossey students to discern the lasting significance and effects of the graduate
school in particular. The programmes are all well subscribed: there are twice as
many applicants as can be accommodated for the Graduate School, three times as
many for the MA and four times as many for the PhD. Even though the Georgian and
Bulgarian Orthodox churches have withdrawn their WCC membership, they still send
students to Bossey.   

The fellowship is involved in supporting Bossey
in concrete ways with the Roman Catholic Church and a mission agency providing
funds for two full time faculty and every year there are visiting professors and
sessional lecturers who donate their time. A fourth faculty position is
dependent on an endowment that at present does not produce sufficient funds
which is a concern. Many students from the South require financial assistance
and fortunately Bossey's scholarship fund has continued to be well
supported. 

Through visiting lecturers and an increased
number of students from more evanglical churches, they have increased
interaction with Evangelicals and Pentecostals.  Bossey would welcome more female
students but the churches overwhelmingly recommend men for the longer-term
programmes and as a result only 20% of the students are women. 

Respondents affirmed Bossey as an essential
part of the WCC especially at a time when ecumenical formation is so needed.
However, at this point the impact of the work is very limited in numbers.
Especially regions in the South wished there could be more Bossey by extension
as both lack of funds and distance mean only a few can attend. Concern was
expressed that higher academic standards limit who can attend and a few
expressed concern that Bossey lectures are now only conducted in English. A
number of people asked why WCC's Ecumenical Formation programme and Bossey are
not more closely connected.

Team
Conclusions

  • Bossey is well known and valued in
    the constituency and as a result many regions of the world are asking for more
    Bossey by extension. How to get Bossey outside the walls is a major challenge.
    This relates to strong appeals for WCC to do more in the area of ecumenical
    formation and for the WCC Ecumenical Formation programme and Bossey to be more
    closely linked or merged.

  • Additional challenges include
    Bossey's vulnerability due to the current arrangements where only one faculty
    member is funded by WCC and the expressed need for systematic follow up of
    students from the graduate programme in order to assess long term results.

  • It is very important that Bossey
    continue to be a place where ‘cutting edge' programmes can take place and
    seminars focused on WCC initiatives are held.

 

 

 

 

2.3 
 Dialogue With Neighbours of Other
Religions

 

"The inter faith programme is important
especially in the perspective of peace and
reconciliation."

Main Findings

This programme is designed to promote dialogue
between Christians and neighbours of other faiths in a world of religious
pluralism. In surveys and interviews this area of work was seen as important by
a high percentage of respondents but almost as many said while it is important
it also needs to be strengthened and some changes need to be
made.

The comments focused on how glad respondents
were that WCC is engaged in this work. However in general there seems to be an
impression in the constituency that most of the inter religious work is of an
academic nature carried on within elitist groups. 

Repeatedly people asked for more emphasis and
assistance on how to live together in multi religious contexts and the work
staff carried out in Nigeria addressing their context was affirmed. Some thought
Asian religions should receive more attention.

 

While acknowledging that WCC has been a pioneer
in this field, questions were asked about how the programme was developing to
meet new challenges. Some thought it was stagnating and not addressing difficult
questions including some of the tough theological issues for the churches. At
the same time those involved in the small Thinking Together group, made up of
persons from many different religions that meets semi annually, say their
discussions have reached new depths on very difficult issues but they wonder how
to make their experiences available to others. Several church representatives
said their churches were highly suspicious of this work and they want a clear
Christological statement in relation to other faiths to come from WCC. Some said
we need dialogue with atheists and secularists and humanists as well as with
other living faiths

It was suggested there need to be more women
involved in this programme as they often bring different perspectives. The WCC
"Dignity of Children 1995-2004" report calls on WCC to have an
inter-faith approach to children's issues. It was suggested WCC convene a
gathering of Inter Faith Officers from churches to learn more about what is
happening in the member churches. It was also suggested by several that closer
ties be made with the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP). In their
report the Joint Working Group (WCC/RCC) identified Inter-Religious work as an
item for their future agenda.

Team
Conclusions

  • Judging by the high number of
    affirmations for WCC's involvement in this area of work, this is an important
    programme and it needs to be strengthened

  • While acknowledging important
    discoveries are being made in small consultations, the main concerns are how
    to make the programme more accessible to the constituency by addressing how to
    live together in multi religious contexts and to tackle the difficult
    theological issues related to inter religious matters.

  • Member churches that are active in
    this field desire increased interaction and interest from WCC in the work they
    are doing.

2.4   Decade to Overcome
Violence

 

"This is long term work and the churches have a
moral authority to participate in peace and
non-violence."

Main Findings

This Decade to Overcome Violence is designed to
accompany the constituency, especially the member churches, as they address
issues of violence in their various contexts. One of the ways this is done is by
providing coordination between the different members of the constituency (member
churches, REO's and NCC's) and facilitating linkages beyond the constituency
with an organization such as the International Coalition for Peace and
Non-Violence. The profile of DOV was high right after Harare, then again with
the launch in Berlin in 2001 but things didn't really get underway until, with
the help of the Reference Committee, budget and staff became available in 2002.
There is heightened awareness of issues of war, violence and security especially
since 11 September 2001 and the programme has found a format that is seen as
highly relevant, pertinent and significant. 

In both surveys and interviews this programme
received very high affirmation. A few said it needs strengthening but it was
given a high rating for fulfilling the Harare mandate. Respondents appreciate
the methodology being used by asking churches how they are working in this area
and sharing the information. Appreciation was expressed for DOV being a clearing
house for church initiatives, that can be shared among the different members of
the constituency, between those churches already involved in the struggle
against violence and those starting to tackle the issue.

The web page is popular and during September
leading up to the September 21 Day of Prayer for Peace, there were 240,000
‘hits'. Many commented upon the usefulness of the study guide for the churches
and the grass root groups. It is widely used in six languages and women's groups
in particular said they have found it to be highly accessible. There have been
DOV launches on each continent, and Asians reported looking forward to a 2005
focus there. The Christian Conference of Asia has laid the groundwork and a
coordinator has been named. Churches in the USA picked up the 2004 focus there
and Latin Americans spoke of the relevance of DOV for their setting where the
focus will be in 2006. DOV has strongholds with many churches and organizations
worldwide and is an important part of the International Coalition for Peace and
Non-Violence. There has been cooperation with other staff and teams involved in
the preparation of the study guide and Bossey seminars. 

Disappointments relate to slowness in getting
the programme off the ground, and several European respondents said it hasn't
had impact there yet. This may change with a focus year on Europe sometime in
the future. The newsletter had to be discontinued due to lack of human
resources. 

Team
Conclusions

  • This is a ‘light' programme in
    relation to staff and budget and it has received very high affirmation and
    ownership from the constituency. An analysis of its success  needs to be done to harvest some of
    the learnings.

  • There was engagement with the
    churches from the beginning and the churches were asked to share their
    concerns and resources and thus WCC has had more of a facilitating role
    through supporting, encouraging networking and communicating.

2.5 
 Unity of the
Church

"We have been able to bring
round the table issues that are deeply dividing"

Main Findings

This
programme has responsibility for studies on doctrinal and theological issues
related to the division and unity of the church and the programme is intended to
engage and assist the churches in addressing these issues. The agenda since
Harare encompassed a number of themes but the studies on Baptism and
Ecclesiology were the two most often mentioned by respondents. Those who
referred to them in surveys and interviews especially highlighted the work on
Baptism. Collaboration with Ecumenical Disabilities Advocacy Network to produce
a theological statement was also appreciated. Respondents did not mention the
other studies that were undertaken on ethnic identity, ecumenical hermeneutics
and theological anthropology. 

The theological reflection on peace is new and
should enhance the DOV work. Several respondents commented on how much they
appreciate the annual resource material for the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity, jointly prepared by the WCC and the Pontifical Council of the Roman
Catholic Church.

While many respondents indicated Unity of the
Church/Faith and Order is an important part of the WCC, the majority think it
should contribute to the theological foundations for other WCC programmes and
not be too focused on ‘stand alone' studies. There were suggestions that Unity
of the Church/F&O could be of service to the churches by monitoring
bilateral conversations and agreements that are going on globally and make such
information available. Questions came up concerning consideration of the
audience and how accessible the material is. There have been recommendations
that the promotion or dissemination of some of the materials could take place at
the regional level to assist with the interpretation.

There is need for clarity on appropriateness of
the studies being undertaken. This should help address the widespread
disagreement among the Commissioners on which of the studies are most critical
and pressing and which are secondary, subordinate or perhaps unnecessary.
Exchanges included questions as to whether the affluent churches were
disproportionately able to influence discussions about Faith and Order
programming.

Another challenge for F&O/Unity of the
Church is how to maintain on-going world-wide theological dialogue among the
churches when the Plenary Commission meets so infrequently, having met only once
since 1998. This could raise doubts as to the seriousness of the Council's
commitment to Faith and Order. Some of the feedback received points to
disappointment in the lack of progress toward the unity of the church and some
wonder if the council is giving due priority to the work of F&O.

Team Conclusions

  • Studies on Baptism and
    Ecclesiology were the ones churches found most useful. 

  • Resources for Week of Prayer for
    Christian Unity are being used by many.

  • Faith and Order/Unity of the
    Church needs to be more rooted in the life and workings of the church and
    there should be more links to other programmes in an integrated way. It is
    important that the WCC deals not only with social and political issues but
    also with the theological/pastoral issues.

  • Materials produced are not always
    considered accessible by some parts of the constituency who view it as too
    ‘eurocentric' and/or the issues addressed are lacking in relevance for their
    situation.

  • While it is true that there is
    greater acceptance of one another among the churches now and in many cases
    friendlier relationships, it was noted there are not so many achievements on
    "real" issues, e.g. while finding common ground in political and social issues
    or theological reflection on peace, there are still WCC member churches who
    re-baptize each others members. In matters of doctrine, churches are still far
    apart. With the goodwill that exists there is opportunity for Unity of the
    Church/F&O to be more visible and relevant.

2.6   Ecumenical Advocacy and Peaceful
Resolution of Conflicts

"Thanks to WCC there is today a contact between
the Ogoni people, Shell and the government. Before there was a total
disconnectedness of the churches."

Main Findings

This programme is intended to help the churches
and ecumenical partners develop a coherent and critical witness on issues of
violence, war and conflicts, and human rights within the framework of concern
for peace and justice. All of these issues were still high in the agenda for
most respondents. Other concerns of the programme relate to security,
disarmament and the role of religion in conflicts. It was highlighted that
churches need to have a common voice in the world and this has been done through
the Churches Commission on International Affairs (CCIA) responsible for this
programme. Those more familiar with the work were in general agreement that the
mandate given by Harare had been implemented through the directives given by the
Central and Executive Committees. This was mentioned particularly in relation to
Ecumenical Focus on Africa, which in effect was the secondment of one of the
CCIA staff to work in the renewal of the All Africa Conference of Churches
(AACC), but also in relation to initiatives related to other burning concerns in
Africa.

In addition, the activities of the programme
both in the ecumenical and international fields, particularly in the United
Nations, were appreciated. The UN, its specialized agencies and other
international organizations are seen as important counterparts and there is a
general acknowledgment that the churches have to be able to present a united
voice of a large part of the Christian world on issues of war and peace, human
rights and security. This gives opportunity for being a channel to access the
discussions and the advocacy in that arena on issues of disarmament, impunity,
globalization and sustainable society. In this sense the strengthening of the UN
office in New York was seen as an important step to strengthen the international
role of the WCC. The same could be said about the periodically issued Public
Statements, which help the constituency better understand the parameters of many
conflicts in the world.

One element of interest is that the UN office
is consciously linking with the advocacy 
issues that presently belong in the areas of other programmes (Ecumenical
Advocacy, Diakonia & Solidarity, Ethics of Life and Alternatives to
Globalization). It was evident that respondents were also making these links,
albeit unconsciously, between the various programmes.

Noted in the whole area of advocacy was that
more attention needs to be paid to strengthening the churches in their own
advocacy work and becoming a public voice in their own situations. This is not
really addressed by the present programme. The lack of resources in this area in
the churches from the South is also visible in many international gatherings and
the problem was identified as one challenge for the programme's UN Advocacy
weeks. On the other hand funding partners and agencies are also playing an
advocacy role and the WCC should establish a new strategy to find a place for
them.

In their own assessment of this work, the CCIA
Commissioners, who are responsible for advising the programme felt that
activities already going on should be strengthened, and that new burning issues
should be introduced to the Commission's agenda. They chose issues such as:
migration, justice and reconciliation, the function of the International
Criminal Court, the control of the private lives of citizens, trade and economic
justice, globalization, changing society and changing working conditions,
although not addressing the issue of where the additional resources would come
from. In addition, several of these belong to the mandate of other programme
teams. The need for closer working relations between the teams was mentioned
both in the jointly held commission meetings of the Churches Commission on
International Affairs, Justice Peace Creation and Diakonia and Development and
in the constituency at large. They did not address the issue of resources to do
this.

Overall, the role that WCC has played through
this programme is seen as instrumental in accompanying Churches in difficult
situations and the advocacy role being played is highly appreciated and has long
standing impact in the image of the Council. The WCC is still known in Latin
America for the strong track record in supporting ecumenical institutions
dealing with Human Rights issues. The issues of war and peace are fundamental
and WCC's stand during the Yugoslav civil war was also appreciated by a part of
the constituency. The same could be said with its position and visibility in
trying to prevent the Iraq war, and generally in the decades old Middle East
conflict. Although with regard to this particular case it was remarked that the
WCC's role could also have negative impact in Jewish/Christian relationships.

   

Team
Conclusions

·       
The work
done within this programme is appreciated and speaking with one voice in the
international scene on issues of global importance (war, justice issues) is
generally seen as an important fundamental function of a global world wide body
of churches

·       
The
traditional methods of working with the international organizations through
study, meetings and statements address part of the needs of the constituency,
but the need for more capacity, competence and acting together with the new
‘voices' in the field needs more attention in the future, as does enabling
churches to speak on their own behalf in given situations.

·       
 The interlinking of global issues of
advocacy need to be addressed in terms of avoiding duplication and ensuring
coherence both within WCC and the ecumenical movement at
large.

2.7  Ecumenical Focus on
Africa

 

"Tremendous
work has been done and one of the biggest was helping the All Africa Conference
of Churches through a process of renewal, accompanying African churches and
supporting many sub-regional and national
councils."

 

Main
Findings

The 1998 Harare Covenant called upon WCC to
accompany the African people on the continent and in diaspora as they renewed
their commitment "to reconstruct and rebuild our communities and work tirelessly
for a future of Africa full of life and abundance". At the same time the
Assembly affirmed the rich cultural and social wealth of the churches in Africa
and their wonderful gifts of faith to the global ecumenical family. The areas
subsequently identified by the Central Committee for attention under this
special focus on Africa were wars, conflict, governance, economic justice,
spirituality, ethical values.

This programme was very late getting underway
and the reasons for this are not clear. It was to be a house-wide programme and
in the past two years, the Africa Task Force [14]
has become very much involved. There is also an Africa Peace Monitoring Group
among the staff teams that continues to meet. For a short time a staff person
was appointed explicitly for coordinating the Focus on Africa and then was moved
to staff the regional desk. A member of International Affairs team carries the
responsibility of coordination now. There has been good cooperation from other
parts of the house for example the "Journey of Hope" consultation, involvement
in Zimbabwe and Liberia, a women's team visit to Sudan and an African younger
theologians gathering.

Since really getting underway, the main focus
has been on strengthening the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC). The
Executive Committee of AACC sought assistance from WCC in finding ways to
strengthen AACC and the secondment of a staff person by WCC in a leadership role
until the election of a new AACC General Secretary took place was deeply
appreciated. It is commendable that there was involvement of many different
ecumenical organizations in discerning the way forward. It appears there is an
excellent mutual relationship between WCC and AACC.

This programme has managed to highlight Africa
as a region and kept it up front. Many of the ills continue to plague the
region, but there is hope that the strengthening of AACC will also strengthen
the voice of the churches in Africa, engage them more in the debate of the
future of the continent and enhance the inter-African cooperation. Several
European churches said the programme had encouraged them to make links with
churches and ecumenical groups in Africa. It was noted that the EHAIA programme
mandate also came within the agenda of the special focus on Africa initiative.

Team
Conclusions

  • AACC is seen as instrumental in
    strengthening the voice of African churches and new cooperation among the
    various ecumenical actors is needed. Hopefully a strengthened AACC can
    approach some burning issues in the region.

  • Diaspora matters need to be
    followed up with the US churches that showed interest in this.

  • Analysis needs to be done on why a
    programme so strongly mandated by the Assembly took so long to get underway.

 

 

2.8 
 Mission and Evangelism: Promoting the
Ministry of Reconciliation

"It is a challenge for our traditional
Protestant churches to be losing members while the Pentecostal churches are
growing fast."

 

Main Findings

This programme is intended to help the churches
gain a deeper understanding of God's mission in the world today and to
participate in mission in common witness. It is difficult to speak of this as
one programme as it includes work in the areas of Health and Urban Rural Mission
as well as the more traditional aspects of common witness and evangelism.

A major emphasis of the work this year has been
preparation for the CWME Conference in Athens in May 2005. Concern was expressed
about the 9th Assembly on the horizon competing for the attention of
the churches as the two major events are within months of each other. An
evaluation of the Conference will need to be included in the Harare to Porto
Alegre report.

Respondents from every region expressed strong
affirmation for the HIV/AIDS work 
although they did not connect it to mission and evangelism. Mission and
Evangelism specifically was mentioned only a few times by respondents and they
expressed concern about the lack of profile for this work. Activities singled
out for appreciation were the International Review of Mission publication and
Schools of Evangelism held in Africa and Latin America.

There was a difference of opinion about the
importance of WCC being involved in this work. Some said it is the
responsibility of the individual churches and they are not sure what WCC can and
does contribute except possibly to share information. Others said it is a core
function of WCC and must be preserved. Some are looking for more emphasis on
evangelism and church planting and churches in the north were asking for
assistance in addressing their increasingly secular contexts and dwindling
church attendance. A study on witnessing in a secular context that may have
helped with these matters had to be cut due to lack of resources. However
churches in the South and some in Eastern Europe do not seem to make the same
programme divisions as the Council does between mission, education and diakonia
but rather see them as a whole.

A question was asked about what had happened to
the area of Orthodox studies in M&E. Questions were raised about whether URM
should continue to be a WCC programme. 
Lack of communication and involvement with churches was noted and comment
that there seems to be a lack of impact by URM on the life of the churches. 

The CWME (Commission) report October 2004
indicates a number of areas that need to be clarified between the Commission and
WCC leadership and governance bodies.


Team
Conclusions

  • It is important to remember that
    the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism includes a constituency wider
    than WCC membership. This group is responsible for the Conference to be held
    in Athens in May and an evaluation needs to be included in the final
    report.

  • It is the HIV/AIDS work in the
    area of health and healing that is best known in this programme and is
    appreciated in all regions of the world. An analysis of how this work is being
    carried out could provide valuable learnings for other programmes.

  • Churches in the South in
    particular tend to see mission as integrated with education and diakonia and
    not as something separate. This has implications for how programme work in the
    Council is thought of, designed and structured.

  • The International Review of
    Mission and schools of evangelism in Africa and Latin America were affirmed
    but in general the profile of M&E 
    is low.

  • URM's impact on the life of the
    churches needs to be assessed.

  • Both Commission members and staff
    question how effective the Commission can be if it only meets every 18
    months.

2.9 
 The Challenge of Ecumenical
Formation

 

" The test of ecumenical formation isn't on
remembering what happened but how you live with other around you and allowing
the fellowship to emerge"

Main
Findings

This WCC programme is intended to support
ecumenical formation both within the churches and the ecumenical movement.
Ecumenical formation repeatedly appeared as an expressed need on surveys and in
interviews but the responses are lacking in terms of naming key accomplishments.
Many asked why this programme is not integrated with
Bossey.

Often this programme is ‘hidden' as it supports
the work of others such as preparation of the acclaimed DOV study guide and
participation in the Journey of Hope in Africa and in Bossey seminars. Recently
in response to a request from the agencies and Specialized Ministries, the EF
team organized a seminar for their staff focused on ecumenical formation in
relation to current issues of interest to funding partners.

The programme has operated with a number of
challenges. These included a context of growing denominationalism coupled with
major reductions in staffing. A key challenge in Scholarships has been that many
donors prefer to focus on development training and this does not always
contribute to ecumenical formation. This remains an enduring tension as many
parties may not see the difference between ecumenical formation and development
education. An external evaluation is underway on the Scholarships part of this
programme and is not yet available. Several respondents expressed appreciation
for scholarship assistance but did not indicate for what type of programmes the
scholarships were used.

A few comments were received in appreciation of
theological education, particularly related to women. It was suggested that the
role of the theological education by extension consultants be assessed to
determine the added value.

Team Conclusions

  • Much of what the Ecumenical
    Formation programme does continues to show up through their support of other
    programmes.

  • Ecumenical Formation in the
    present day context of growing denominationalism will remain a challenge. In
    order to ensure visibility, there is need for EF to revisit the way they
    work.

  • The need for Bossey and the
    Ecumenical Formation programme of WCC to be more integrated is
    essential.

  • Working with consultants in
    theological education by extension should be reviewed in order to determine
    the added value of their work.

 

 

 

2.10   
 The Ethics of Life and Alternatives to
Globalization

 

"Economic Justice is seeing the surfacing
of many new alternative movements and WCC is intentionally supporting this
work."

 

Main Findings

This programme, often referred to as Justice
Peace Creation (JPC), is intended to assist the churches and ecumenical partners
and social movements as they deal with ethical issues in many areas including
economic globalization, racism, and through aiding the struggles of those who
are marginalized. The overall view of this area of work is that the issues are
of high importance for many in the constituencies and they have been able to
give some follow up to the globalization debates in Harare. They echoed to a
large extent the feedback the Commission on Justice and Peace
gave.

Especially the subsequent work on economic
justice was highly valued both as an issue and programmatically in being able to
link with the work in the regions. However, there was also concern expressed
that different perspectives needed to be included in the discussion, e.g.
finding ways of including European perspectives. 

Similarly, but to a lesser extent the
constituency expressed the importance of working with environmental concerns.
Two other activities of the programme, the indigenous issue based in Bolivia and
EDAN for the disabled based in Kenya were highly appreciated for the content and
the networks they provide. To our surprise, the issue of combating racial
discrimination where WCC has played a pioneering role, being for many a
reference point, was mentioned by very few in the surveys and
interviews.

 

Enhancing women's participation and women's
work was still considered an important area of work, although often the
appreciation was expressed in connection with other programmes. The image and
dynamism of the Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women is still impacting
the life in the churches and was referred to as having introduced new methods,
and been very strategic and political in its approach, permeating the whole
programmatic work.

Youth was a concern to many respondents, linked
with the concern of ecumenical formation and passing on the torch, but also in
finding ways to incorporate their concerns fully and addressing issues with new
and innovative methodologies. The image of the council as slow, paper-oriented,
and addressing a small group of basically old ecumenical friends were reasons
for low interest of youth. This is one of the critical issues to be addressed in
the future. It was also noted that youth should not be one programme (actually
an activity) but an overarching concern.

 

This area of Justice, Peace, Creation/Ethics of
life is the one, together with Ecumenical Advocacy/CCIA and Diakonia and
Solidarity where there is a concentration of high expectations for WCC to
address global concerns. In addition to economic justice and environment, issues
of emigration and the phenomenon of xenophobia, corporate social responsibility
and dialogue with multinational corporations, the understanding of the Church in
minority situations, the rise of fundamentalism, gender empowerment,
strengthening the voices of youth, women, and the elderly and in general more
alternatives to Globalization were identified by the Commission as issues for
future concern.

Team
Conclusions

·       
The area
of Ethics of Life and Alternatives to Globalization remains important in general
and the issue of economic justice has been noted as critical for many in the
constituency. The expectations of finding alternatives for globalization seem
too vast an agenda to be really carried out and there needs to be a clear
priority setting of the content within this major agenda.

·       
While it
is unavoidable that issues dealing with globalization are by nature highly
controversial and imply political choices, there is a need to ensure that all
voices are heard in the process of forming policies on these
issues.

·       
The work
of WCC with empowering women has had great impact but it is less clear what the
content and achievements of the present programme work are. Paradoxically it may
have become victim to its past success as there is higher visibility and more
awareness on women's participation in all programmes, making the specificity of
this programme less clear. It should also be noted that while participation of
women has been important, the gender perspective in a deeper sense remains a
broader and more fundamental issue.

·       
The
overlapping of agendas and connections with other programmes are clear and it is
important to look at ways of linking these to have a coherence and division of
labour.

·       
The
participation of youth in all programmes from the design to the implementation
needs to become a priority issue in all the work of the
council

 

 

2.11   
 Diakonia and
Solidarity

 

"Uprootedness is a diaconial
challenge and it needs to be addressed also from a theological and economic
point of view, analyzing reasons and consequences."

 

Main Findings

Diakonia and Solidarity is one of the
programmes with the most changes and challenges in recent years. The programme
itself has inherited the mandate to support churches, NCCs and Ecumenical
organizations, both through accompaniment by regional desks and channeling
funds. To do this the programme is using many different methods and approaches.
It has provided a meeting place for dialogue and resource sharing at Round
Tables, Regional Groups and other meetings. The Solidarity visits to the USA and
Africa were highly appreciated by many. Many appreciate the development of
Strategic Initiative Funds. Round Table sessions have been centres of learning
and challenge as have been the capacity building initiatives and many different
type of programmes and projects.

While channeling funds used to be one of the
biggest functions in this area of work, during the period since Harare, these
funds have dropped drastically and have introduced a fundamental question about
the nature of this work in the future. In it the programme has clear
fundamentals in understanding that its main focus of work goes beyond service to
human beings in need to include meaningful engagement with issues of injustice.
The issue of relationship is central to D&S work, not only for implementing
diaconal work, but also for fostering just relationships within the ecumenical
family. This is important as WCC should also address the feeling expressed by
some of the respondents that the Special Commission placed too much focus on
Koinonia and diverted the Council's focus away from diakonia and prophetic
witness.

One instrument to help in this has been the
establishment of the Churches Commission on Diakonia and Development to deal
with the issue of diakonia and development, with the participation of churches,
specialized ministries and ecumenical organizations. It is however important
that a process is put in place to ensure that the work of the Commission will
permeate to other levels especially in getting in touch with the new generation
of ecumenical leadership in the churches. This should include ensuring that the
voice of the constituency is clearly heard.

Regional desks play a key role in the execution
of the programme. While many appreciate the variety of methods applied by
various Regional Desks as they engage with their respective regions, there is
also a risk of creating an incoherent image of the programme as a whole. D&S
has continued to accompany Regional Groups as they go through a process of
evaluation and theological reflections. Through the regional desks there are a
lot of useful initiatives in place within the Regions initiated by WCC. However,
there is also an element of vulnerability for the Council, when in the region
the image of the Council is being identified with one person. The absence of
regional strategies and lack of clarity of what the Council wants to do in the
different regions institutionally remains an open question for the churches and
other members of the ecumenical family, such as regional ecumenical
organizations or confessional world bodies. Another key challenge, which WCC and
all the REO's have to face, is how to rethink and redefine their relationships.
The relationship should not be one of competition as has been observed in some
of the Regions but one of mutual support and accompaniment.

The recently completed external reviews of
WCC's role in channeling financial support for work in the regions[15]
have presented significant challenges. The thinking is that WCC should move to
new strategic areas of support and focus on only a few. These will include
needs-based initiatives and capacity building needs. Essentially, the Council
has to progressively move out of the traditional areas of grant giving to long
terms partners. This process is already under way as several of those
Specialized Ministries that have used WCC as channel for their funds are opting
for bilateral cooperation, with the understanding that WCC still would need to
have a role in coordination and facilitation and addressing such overall
concerns as capacity building and emerging needs.

The theme of uprootedness remains relevant and
WCC has worked very well on this, as a strong advocacy issue.[16]
Good cooperation exists between WCC and the Regions and there is a functioning
global network. WCC's visibility at the UNHCR has increased and it is recognized
as a major player in the field of international refugee protection. The whole
area of uprooted issues is highly appreciated by a variety of
constituencies.

Overall, this programme received contradictory
feedback, It is clear that it has lost 
importance in terms of size of funding. Moreover, regret was expressed
that the opportunity in relation to the formation of a Global Coalition of
Specialized Ministries was missed, although this was also an area of mixed
messages. While many still want to see D&S strengthened others saw this as
low priority as others are doing many of the functions, such as channeling funds
and project management, better than WCC and with more resources. However there
seems to be a convergence of the importance of the role WCC plays with and in
the regions with the churches, REOs, ecumenical organizations and specialized
ministries. This role of facilitation and connecting, and arbitration is
recognized as important by all parties.

Team Conclusions

  • Round Tables, Regional groups,
    solidarity visits, Strategic Initiative Funds and capacity building were
    affirmed by many.

  • There is expressed need for a
    unified effort to eradicate poverty and fight social injustices and there are
    different expectations on how to do this. WCC needs to assess its role and
    give itself a clear profile in this discussion, including the reconnection of
    ecumenical diaconal work with local churches.

  • There is need to redefine
    relationships between WCC and the REOs and other bodies working in the
    regions. Whilst the relationship between WCC and its constituency, including
    the Specialized Ministries should be guided by a clear code of conduct on
    issues related to diakonia and development, the relationship between WCC and
    the REO should be guided by a clear mandate.

  • There should be a clear and
    mutually agreed intervention strategy for addressing issues that arise at the
    REO level and the regional level overall. The varieties of methods utilized by
    various Regional Desks are appreciated but a clear memorandum of understanding
    will need to be developed to guide these regional relationships.

  • Regional strategies need to be
    developed to help position WCC institutionally in a transparent way.

  • Diakonia and Solidarity has been
    an important way to express solidarity around the world and now changes are
    needed. Since Harare, there have been shifts in channeling of funds outside
    WCC, a practice that is likely to continue and calls for a new and changed
    role of the Council.

  • The elements of this role are
    linked to accompaniment, capacity building, facilitation and coordination both
    regionally and globally.

 

2.12   
 Communicating the Fellowship
and Telling the Ecumenical Story

 

"One problem in ownership is the trickling
down of information of the programmes and it is important the information
reaches the grassroots."

 

Main Findings

In this report Communication encompasses both
the Public Information and Publication although they are considered as two
separate programmes by the WCC, and are acting as such in addition to giving
support to other programmes.

The tasks are multiple, as they are responsible
for communicating the programme work to the constituency at large but also to
the actors outside the core constituency. They need to address both the
informative and public image needs of the Council as well as assisting in some
core functions of the council, such as speaking on public issues and advocacy on
one hand and some of the more pedagogical or educational functions on the other.
In addition they perform functions linked to the internal information management
of the house. Hence staff works in Information, Book Production, Visual Arts,
Translations, Management of the Archives and the Library.

In this evaluation communication overall is the
single most mentioned problem area that impacts all the programme work. Churches
and other constituencies have very little knowledge of programmes and the
activities or if they do, do not connect them to WCC. There are many reasons for
that. The information received is not adequate (too much, too little, audience
is often unclear). The one language policy (English) in the production of books,
periodicals and other printed material, alienates a great part of the
constituency that is not familiar with the English language. Only a very limited
part of literature is accessible to non-English speaking partners. In addition,
the English is often perceived as being difficult and not accessible for those
outside the inner circle. In different instances the importance of having
didactically well thought out, short and easily readable material was
highlighted.

The use of web based solutions and e-mails in
communicating with the constituency is an area where work needs to be done and
it is the most divisive. Europe, parts of Asia and Latin America, Africa and
North America favour the expansion and use of the electronic media, while many
others do not have access to it. However, even those coming from areas with no
easy web access pointed out that this is potentially the most important and
economical means of communication, enhancing transparency, participation and
sharing among the members of the fellowship.

Some of the key events of WCC can be
communicated more intensively through the use of visual aids like pictures,
stories and anecdotes.

Since the council's internal information
management is not developed, there is not really a reliable and quick way to
share information within the Council. Rather several attempts in different parts
of the council have confused people and make it difficult to track e.g. existing
relations and follow-up of the work. Moreover, communication does not seem to be
perceived as part of the programme work in the sense that programmes should be
designed to be communicative. Programmes, such as EAPPI and DOV, built around
communication are successful and appealing and reach the constituency and have
potentiality for greater impact.

Communication is not limited to information
sharing, as the constituency is also asking to be heard and need to feel that
communication is mutual. They also recognize the limitations in their capacities
in this area, both in terms of using and disseminating the information coming
from the WCC and in giving feedback.

The critique of incoherence, non-targeted
information on one hand and the need to have clear and accessible messages from
the Council on the other hand are indicative of deeper problems that relate to
the way the programmes are structured as rather autonomous entities with each
one deciding on the way they relate to the constituency.

Team
Conclusions

  • The area of communication is one
    that the constituency sees as crucial in strengthening the connection between
    the different members of the fellowship.

  • Creative ways of using new
    information technologies are clearly an area to be developed, with the
    understanding that this will need to be accompanied by building capacities
    with those who cannot currently access it.

  • It is recognized the WCC should
    review its overall communication strategy. Only with a clear communication
    strategy can the WCC raise the interest of its member churches, of the funding
    partners, as well as of the church and secular media.

  • Language policy needs
    revision.

  • All programme work needs to
    include communication as one of the core elements of the
    programmes

  • Communication is essentially an
    art and the Council has to engage in a constant search for creative ways of
    attracting and maintaining attention.

 

2.13   
 Ecumenical Accompaniment
Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI)

 

"The worsening situation in the
Middle East is a concern and the Ecumenical Accompaniment programme has
demonstrated a real ability to change when needs
emerge."

Main
Findings

This autonomous, light and flexible ecumenical
initiative linked to the Ecumenical Advocacy programme and the CCIA, is owned
both by the WCC and by a number of active ecumenical partners from Europe and
North America and appreciated by the larger constituency. It is a typical
advocacy programme, in its strong public image, creating networks, documenting
and reporting abuses, yet offering very practical involvement for partners by
preparing and sending volunteers who become communicators themselves. It should
be noted that this initiative has an articulated communication policy, uncommon
in other programs.

On the ground in Israel/Palestine the main
purpose of the volunteers is to accompany people in a severe conflict situation
and ensure some protection to vulnerable civilians. As an interviewee remarked,
EAPPI is an example of ways to enact non violence and promote peaceful
resolution of conflicts. From this perspective it is in a way closely related to
DOV.

From a Middle Eastern perspective EAPPI is
potentially very important. But there was concern expressed that the program is
better known elsewhere and people in the region know very little about it. It is
important therefore to make it widely known in the churches and beyond in the
Middle East so that people, Christians and Muslims alike, be informed about what
the WCC is trying to do for peace and justice in Palestine.

From a global perspective it is an expression
of the solidarity of the fellowship to a particular region and churches and
people in a very vulnerable situation. While this was recognized as important
for many people, there was also concern expressed about the relationship with
the dialogue with the Jewish people as the participation of the Jewish people in
the initiative was not known. 

The program has a certain financial and human
vulnerability, due to its location/regional specificity on one hand and the
competition in the advocacy field on the other hand. EAPPI will be evaluated
within the first part of 2005 and hopefully some findings can be incorporated in
the final report.

Team Conclusions

  • EAPPI was mentioned when people
    identified programs with impact, while recognizing that this was limited in
    scope. The careful communication linked with a possibility of involvement of
    the constituency was clearly an aspect that appealed to people.

  • The comments related to
    Christian-Jewish relations clearly point out the importance of carefully
    assessing the indirect impacts of given programs as is the importance of
    anchoring such initiatives theologically.

  • This type of pilot joint venture,
    should be assessed carefully to see to what extent it can be successfully
    experimented with in other parts of the world, where similar cases
    occur.

2.14   
 Ecumenical HIV/AIDS
Initiative in Africa

 

"HIV/AIDS is perhaps the biggest ecumenical
opportunity in our time"

Main Findings

This programme is aimed at helping churches and
ecumenical partners in Africa increase their understanding of the severity of
the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to respond collaboratively to address the challenges.
Respondents have mentioned significant accomplishments in assisting Africa to
develop a collective strategy to mobilize the moral and material resources to
respond to the pandemic.

EHAIA has fostered a global partnership in the
fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic whilst at the same time challenging the
various actors to engage in local fund raising. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has
provided a new Kairos for the African Churches. They have come together, spoken
in unison and come face to face with the mirror of truth regarding the pandemic.
It is clear that the fight against the pandemic needs a multidimensional
approach.

EHAIA is contributing to culture change in
churches in terms of how persons living with HIV/AIDS are viewed and has
strengthened the technical understanding of HIV/AIDS in the churches. It
primarily targets the church leader and the Global Consultation of African
Church leaders held in November 2001 was significant. It gave confidence to many
church leaders to speak openly and authoritatively about difficult issues
relating to discrimination and sexuality.

The recently completed external evaluation of
EHAIA points to appreciation of good quality of work, but the initiative runs
the risk of being spread too thinly. The report has surfaced significant
structural and relational issues between the WCC and AACC that need to be
addressed. All Regions should see it not just as a project for Africa, but an
opportunity for WCC to engage in resource mobilization globally and as an
instrument for learning and consolidated action.

Team Conclusions

  • The recent external evaluation
    points to good quality work and notes EHAIA has contributed to changing the
    culture in churches relative to HIV/AIDS issues.

  • There should be a mapping within
    the member churches and Councils of Churches to identify what advocacy
    strategies exist.

  • Local avenues for mobilizing
    resources should be pursued. This should include the search for new methods of
    care and preventive measures that are based on the use of local resources. The
    salvation will not come from outside but from within
    Africa.

  • The results of the evaluation
    point to the need for churches to be facilitated to approach non-traditional
    sources of funding.

  • The plans to bring the AACC
    HIV/AIDS Coordinator as a full time team coordinator of EHAIA is
    key.

Part 3:  Overall Assessment of Programmes and
Recommendations

3.1
Overall Assessment of Programme Work 

While
our team has recognized limitations in this evaluation process, this assessment
of WCC programmes has brought significant information from the constituency
about the image of WCC, the reception of its programmes, the issues that are
most pressing for them and the methodologies that they found most useful. Many
who responded applauded WCC for undertaking such an exercise and it was seen as
a desire on the part of the Council to be transparent and to seek improvements
in a number of areas. Our team acknowledges the active and self critical
participation of the Leadership Group and Programme Staff Teams in this
endeavour.

 

Our
analysis of the results in surveys and interviews points to the need for new and
different ways of thinking and structuring the programme work.
There
needs to be a clearly stated vision
that
would be the key element in shaping the programme work. The image of WCC is
blurred. It was surprising to learn that although the Common Understanding and
Vision (CUV) is referred to by WCC as the guiding vision, for most of the
respondents CUV was either unknown or has remained a historical document. 

At present, given the lack of systematic
planning, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, unclear or too general
objectives, indicators and specific follow-up, it is difficult to assess the
lasting and significant impact of particular programmes

With some notable exceptions [17]
the programme work at present is perceived as having limited relevance and
impact and hence has limited ownership in the
constituency.

Those programmes identified as being most
relevant and significant with the highest ownership by the churches are ones
where the issues being addressed are timely. Critical issues mentioned by the
constituency most frequently were building the fellowship of churches both
within and beyond the present constituency of WCC, overcoming violence in its
different forms, globalization and especially economic justice, ecumenical
formation and HIV/Aids. Communication and effective and efficient management
were also seen as critical to a successful programme work. There was a general
knowledge that WCC was addressing many of these issues such as violence,
economic injustice, HIV/AIDS, inter religious matters and church unity but very
few could name specific programmes mandated by the Harare Assembly or mention
their specific goals and achievements. The programmes most often commended were
also those where they had been able to interconnect with regional, national or
local initiatives. Some of these were regionally based and some had very light
structure.

While we have mentioned some of the elements
that seem to contribute to the success of certain programmes, a more thorough
analysis would be needed to ascertain why certain programmes have resulted in
impact and ownership by the constituency. This could yield significant
learnings.

An important element of the programme work is
the way it contributes to the growing and deepening of the fellowship or is
counterproductive to that. This is rarely mentioned or documented in the
programmes and would need to receive more attention.

With this in mind a flexible programme
structure is needed to address the rapidly changing environment. This includes a
transparent and accountable way to initiate, reformulate and terminate
programmes. WCC will need to play many different roles in the programme work
such as facilitating, coordinating, convening, connecting, listening,
accompanying and capacity building. The classical programme divisions still
found in the Council do not resonate with many churches especially in the South
who want WCC to accompany them in mission, education and diakonia in an integral
way as they themselves do. The constituency recognizes at present core functions
that the whole fellowship needs to address globally and some critical issues
have been highlighted above.

Building
and nurturing relationships and communication were identified as key
element
s
that must be attended to in all the programmes to overcome the distance between
the constituency and the WCC.
Language
appeared frequently as
a
limiting factor

in utilizing resources, due to the predominant use of English as well as what is
referred to as ‘eurocentric' language and
methodologies.

Many who responded were aware of the reduction
in human and financial resources the Council had experienced during the period
being evaluated and especially in the past two years and there was wide
acknowledgment of the dedication of the staff. Repeatedly there was an appeal
for WCC in the light of funding realities to do less and do it well and to set
priorities based on key criteria and to have more realistic and achievable
goals. This underlies the importance of the filtering and focusing functions of
the Central Committee when deciding on the programmes and division of labour
within wider goals. It is essential that adequate Programme Guidelines be given
to the 9th Assembly in order for the Council to have an achievable
and appropriate set of programme initiatives for the next period following the
9th assembly. 

In
summary this evaluation points to the need for WCC to build its programme work
around five core functions. Throughout the report we have stated the need for
good
foundational study and theological grounding for the work undertaken;
the
importance of
advocacy
work that enables the prophetic voice of the churches to be heard;
the
expressed need of the constituency for
capacity
building;
and
repeatedly the need for the Council to
build
and nurture relationships with and between the churches and the wider
constituency.
The
Council must wisely and carefully
steward
the human, financial and physical resources
that
have been entrusted to it. All this needs to be communicated in a timely and
imaginative way.

A
number of management issues identified at the mid -term evaluation in 2002 have
not been addressed although some are in process.
Speedy
execution of the Mid-term evaluation management concerns

is key in laying the foundation for implementing the findings and
recommendations of this Pre-Assembly report. A separate report has been provided
to the Staff Leadership Group to facilitate them in ensuring that there is
satisfactory follow up of the issues raised.

There
is a need for the Council to continue
to
cultivate a supportive working culture

that facilitates inter team learning and results in concrete and visible impact.
While the work requires a certain amount of individual initiative, there is a
negative side to individualism that can result in a culture of survival and
protectionism and this needs to be monitored by the leadership. The cross
program cooperation/fertilization still needs to be strengthened although there
has been noticeable improvement in this area since
Harare.

Central
to this working culture will be the need for the Leadership Group to ensure that
Team Coordinators have the confidence to discharge their mandate with clearly
delegated authority. In addition to team coordination and supervision, Team
Coordinators are currently carrying responsibility for specific programme
portfolios and the impact needs to be assessed. Similarly, the role of many
Administrative Assistants who are de facto executing program functions at
present needs to be reviewed and recognized accordingly.

Essentially,
review
of staff functions

will need to go beyond the administration functions and cover all cadre of
staff. More cost-efficient ways of doing work have to be sought. There is need
for a
new
working culture

which recognizes and rewards sufficiently qualified persons to manage the
organization at both programme and leadership levels. In summary, a culture of
transformation needs to be embraced by the staff and the constituency. Such
a
renewal

has to address
fundamental
issues in the culture of the organization in its ways of thinking, acting and
relating.

3.2    Recommended Programme Guidelines
for the Assembly

3.2.1       
The
present programme framework be terminated in the Assembly 2006 and a new
suggested framework be adopted (see 3.3 of this report). Consequently all
present programmes should either be phased out, reaffirmed or reshaped in 2006
and the first half of 2007.

3.2.2       
(Re)state
the overall vision for the programme work of the Council

3.2.3       
Affirm
that the new or reaffirmed programmes are in line with the emerging role of WCC
as affirmed by the Assembly and guided by the constitutional mandate and the
stated vision.

3.2.4       
Build
programmes around 5 core functions based on the emerging role of the global body
and guided by its constitutional mandate and vision:

-        
Deepening
the Fellowship through clear theological foundation (study and
reflection)

-        
Enhancing
the prophetic Voice of the Church (advocacy)

-        
Accompanying the Constituency (capacity
building and support to strengthen churches in areas of strategic
importance)

-        
Listening
to the Constituency (nurturing relationships to members churches and the larger
constituency within the CUV vision)

-        
Stewarding the Council Resources (seeing the
human, financial and physical resources as an integral part of any successful
programme work)

3.2.5       
Clearly
define issues that are a) long term nature b) time bound and
specific/urgent.

3.2.6       
Make
documented choice about priorities
based on

-        
core
competence

-        
listening
to constituency

-        
what is
best done globally

-        
funding
realities.

3.2.7       
Build in
a clear exit strategy - plan phasing out/reconfiguring/reshaping in all
programme designs

3.2.8       
Build a
clear, well-functioning Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism that is
principally a tool for joint learning, self-analysis, reflection and improvement
and make sure each individual 
programme is evaluated externally at least once during the period of
implementation

3.2.9       
Make sure
that there is a communication strategy developed relative to each programme and
carried out in the various constituencies.

3.2.10   
Make it a
priority to involve the constituency in various phases of the programme design
in order to increase ownership, commitment and
effectiveness.

(See Framework Diagram)

 

ANNEX 1: Information Gathering

General
questionnaires, adapted to each target group, were sent to all WCC member
churches, Central Committee members, National Councils of Churches and
Commission and Advisory groups and Specialized ministries. The evaluation team
received 131 responses: 13 from Africa, 25 from Asia, 3 from Caribbean, 46 from
Europe, 7 from Latin America, 3 from Middle East, 20 from North America, 11 from
the Pacific and 3 global or not known. 
More than half (72) came from the questionnaires for Church Leadership or
Central Committee, roughly 25 % from Commission and Advisory groups. The rest
came equally from National Councils of Churches and Specialized ministries. All
questions from the different surveys were used to construct a master spreadsheet
into which all responses were entered unchanged as the surveys were
returned.  For questions that could
be quantified, parameters were assigned to create a basis for any future
numerical analysis. 

The
analysis of those who responded was conducted to determine percentages of
responses represented in the analysis by region, questionnaire type and
Commission/Advisory group. 

The analysis of responses was
conducted to find trends: overall, by region, and by orthodox/non-orthodox.  Where possible, basic statistical
analysis was used to create graphs to better visualize these trends.  Key trends and points raised were
summarized, so that improvements could be made for the final analysis, and
results incorporated into the interview component of the evaluation.  Additional reactions from respondents
made it also possible to see the problem areas and clarify and guide the
interviewing process, helping to draft interview worksheets and focus questions
and address the "silence" in some regions. Comments on the nature of questions
(lacking background information, way of addressing issues involved,
superficiality/depths of questions) were also taken into consideration. All this
formed the general background to orient the main information input from the
interviews.

The interviews mainly took place
between August and November 2004, with a few exceptions in early December when
the majority of the input from Latin America was gathered. All interviews had
the same basic background material, same set of questions and the same format in
reporting. Each individual interview was transcribed and shared with the whole
team in confidence.

The persons interviewed were chosen
collectively after the first indications of the survey results. The categories
interviewed and the division of the regional and confessional balances were done
in light of trying to compensate some problematic areas of the surveys and
ensuring a balance between people related to specific programmes and people who
were chosen to represent the "average" member church. Another conscious choice
was to interview mostly people who had not answered the survey and test the
differences and initial findings in this way. The group of specialized
ministries was an exception, as they were the most active group to respond to
the survey and willing to be interviewed.

Altogether 59 interviews were
conducted, out which 4 were collective with more than 3 people. Those
interviewed were church leaders, people related to specific programs, NCCs,
REOs, CWCs, and specialized ministries. The understanding of constituency was
interpreted widely. The division by regions was 11 Africa, 7 Asia (incl. one
collective), 3 Caribbean, 14 Europe, 4 Global, 6 Latin America (incl. one
collective), 2 Middle East, 11 North America (incl. one collective) and one
collective in Pacific. Altogether more than 70 people were consulted during the
interview process. Most of the interviews were done by phone. In addition,
several Commission meetings, advisory groups and other relevant meeting were
attended and relevant discussions reported to the team in written form. This was
especially important for assessing the general context.

In addition, the team had the
advantage of being able to use the material and mapping of the reconfiguration
process, some individual programme/programme activity evaluations,
self-evaluations and reports from Commissions and advisory groups, and a number
of programme documents.

ANNEX 
2          
Glossary

AACC            
All Africa Conference of Churches

ACT               
Action of Churches Together

CC                 
Central Committee

CUV              
Common Understanding and Vision

CWC             
Christian World Communions

CWME          
Commission on World Mission and Evangelism

D&D              
Diakonia and Development

D&S               
Diakonia and Solidarity

DOV              
Decade to Overcome Violence

EAA               
Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance

EAPPI            
Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and
Israel

EDAN            
Ecumenical Disabilities Advocacy Network

EF                  
Ecumenical Formation

EHAIA           
Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa

F&O              
Faith and Order

IRRD              
Inter Religious Relations and Dialogue

JWG               
Joint Working Group (WCC & the Roman Catholic
Church)

M&E              
Mission and Evangelism

NCC              
National Council of Churches

PME               
Planning Monitoring and Evaluating

RCC               
Roman Catholic Church

REO               
Regional Ecumenical Organization

SM                 
Specialized Ministries

UNHCR         
United Nations High Commission on Refugees

URM              
Urban Rural Mission

WCRP           
World Conference on Religion and Peace



[1] Items in bold italic quotations throughout the report
are taken from interviews carried out by the team for this Pre Assembly
Evaluation

[2] Two global reconfiguration meetings, held November 2003
and December 2004, brought together ecumenical partners to discuss a possible
new configuration of the ecumenical movement. The second gathering was titled
"Ecumenism in the 21st Century". 

[3] Our team has understood the term constituency in
a wide sense in the spirit of the CUV. While the major emphasis was on member
churches, the information gathering also encompassed NCCs, members of
commissions and advisory groups some of whom were not from member churches,
 CWCs, REOs.  

[4] Currently there are six Commissions: Faith and Order,
World Mission and Evangelism, Churches Commission on International Affairs,
Education and Ecumenical Formation, Justice Peace and Creation, and Churches
Commission on Diakonia and Development. DOV has a Reference Group; Bossey a
Board and Communications an Advisory body. 

 

[5] The Staff Leadership Group is composed of the General
Secretary, Deputy General Secretary, Director of Programmes, Director of
Management and the Executive Secretary in the General
Secretariat.

 

[6] See Working Together Making a Difference WCC Programme
document

[7] For example HIV/AIDS is an activity of the Mission and
Evangelism programme.

[8]  See 2002
Mid Term Evaluation sections 3.1 and 3.2

[9]  Governing
bodies: Central Committee on the advice of its Programme Committee has
responsibility to initiate and terminate programmes. The Executive Committee is
responsible for monitoring programmes and activities.

[10] CUV is a policy statement adopted by the Central
Committee in 1997. 

[11] Two global reconfiguration meetings, held November 2003
and December 2004, brought together ecumenical partners to discuss a possible
new configuration of the ecumenical movement. The second gathering was titled
"Ecumenism in the 21st Century". 

 

[12] Strategic Initiatives Fund review 2003 and Multilateral
Sharing review 2004

[13] Programme titles, descriptions and the order in which
they appear in our report relate to the Working  Together , Making a Difference WCC
programmes summary document.

[14] The Africa Task Force is composed of WCC staff of
African descent that are members of various staff teams in the
house.

[15] Strategic Initiatives Fund Review 2003 and Multilateral
Sharing Review 2004 and neither of these were able to assess the impact of those
instruments.

[16] Until 2003 this was the mandate of
CCIA

[17] See sections 1.2 and 1.3 and individual programme
assessments in Part 2 of this report for
details.