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Six hearings will
be offered to the Central Committee members

on
Wednesday, 16 February, between 17.45 and 18.45

1.     
Spirituality - Moved by God's
Spirit

Over the past years, we have witnessed an
explosion of concerns about spirituality. 
The hearing will start by expos
ing (through a
Power Point presentation) the many forms of spirituality advertised today and by
recallin
g the major
previous ecumenical reflections on spirituality.  The issues will be introduced by a panel
representing the three main thrusts of spirituality in the ecumenical
movement:  the nurturing stream of
orthodox spirituality, the celebrative and engaged spirituality of ecumenical
communities, the spirituality of resistance and active involvement in people's
struggles.

The hearing will be moderated by Dr Bernice
Powell-Jackson.

2.     
Focus on Africa 
(with interpretation)

Ecumenical Focus on Africa as a
house wide programme is finalizing its activities.  The hearing will be an opportunity to
review the progress so far and its impact in the region including the
preparation for the Assembly.

Dr Agnes Abuom will moderate the hearing and the panel will include
Ms Idah Njobvu and the Rt Rev. Michael K. Stephen.

3.     
Burning issues in humanitarian
assistance - Focus on ACT and Iraq

At a time when the
humanitaria
n response to emergency needs is at the fore
front of the world's news, the hearing will offer an opportunity to:

a)     
Deepen
the knowledge about the work and the role of ACT (Action of Churches Together:
the WCC's emergency response arm);

b)    
  Reflect on the challenges of
humanitarian assistance today;

c)     
  Focus attention on humanitarian
work in Iraq.

The hearing will be moderated by the Very Rev.
Leonid Kishkovsky.

4.    
Faith
and order - Learning from Kuala
Lumpur
,
Looking to the Future

The
Faith and Order Plenary Commission met recently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - the first time in a
predominantly Muslim country - for a review of Faith and Order work since the
Harare Assembly. This hearing will:

a)     
Share the
experience of the meeting, through personal accounts and a media presentation;

b)     
Explore
its impact, both on Faith and Order and on the Malaysian churches and
culture; 

c)     
Explore
possibilities and projections for future Faith and Order work, including the
dimension of younger theologians.

Moderated by the Faith and Order Moderator,
Rev. Dr David Yemba (DRC), the panel will include Faith and Order Officers, Rev.
Dr Hermen Shastri, Central Committee member and local host for the event, and
Faith and Order and WCC media staff.

5.     
Religious Plurality and Christian
Self-understanding 
(with interpretation)

Considering the
need for the WCC to again participate in a theological discussion on religious
plurality and Christian self-understanding, the Programme Committee in 2003
encouraged Faith and Order, the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism
(CWME) and Inter-religious Relations and Dialogue (IRRD) to reflect together on
an appropriate theological approach on how Christians could interpret the
reality of religious plurality. 
Representatives of three networks, Faith and Order, CWME and the IRRD
have the last two years been involved in a series of discussions trying to
articulate how Christians are to understand God's presence in the world of
religious plurality.

The theme of
"hospitality" was chosen to be the leitmotif of the document indicating a
welcoming attitude to the other and echoing the biblical experience of Hebrews
13, 2: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some
have entertained angels without knowing it."

The hearing will
invite a discussion on the subject of Christian self-understanding in a world of
religious plurality, highlighting some of the essentials in the
document.

 

6.     
Promoting
the Greater Participation of People Living with HIV and AIDS in the Life of
Churches

 

Churches provide a significant proportion
of care and support for people living with HIV or AIDS. However, the involvement
of People Living with HIV and AIDS in the life of churches is negligible and,
when present, mostly token in nature. 
This situation does not help the churches either towards transforming
themselves into HIV/AIDS competent ones, nor to become welcoming and inclusive
communities.

In the
process of correcting this anomaly the hearing will assist Central Committee
members to experientially understand:

a) 
 The difference people living with AIDS
make in the ecumenical formation of the churches;

b)
 Challenges in establishing and sustain
partnerships with people living with HIV or AIDS networks and engage people
living with HIV and AIDS;

c)   
 Implementing workplace policies as per
ILO guidelines in the ecumenical framework.

The discussion will be moderated by Rev. Jeffrey A. McKenzie, Central
Committee member from Jamaica.  The members of the panel will include
Rev. Japé Heath, Anglican Minister from South Africa and Coordinator of ANERELA+
(African Network of Religious Leaders Living with or personally affected by HIV
and AIDS), Ms Losevati Nacolatabua, WCC Pacific Office, and Mr Emosi Ratini of
the Fiji Network for People living with HIV/AIDS.

Please fill out and return
this form to the Information Desk.

My choice for the
hearings is: __________________________________________

Name:  
____________________________________________________________