Church and Society

In 1979 the WCC held a groundbreaking Conference on Faith, Science and the Future at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology. 30 years later the WCC Central Committee will honour the Church and Society tradition of the WCC in reflecting together on "The churches' role in transforming societies" and on "Faith, stewardship, life in dignity for all" during two plenary sessions.

In preparation, Central Committee members have sent in their responses to the following questions:

What are the most burning issues you are facing regarding the role of the churches in your society?
How can the fellowship of member churches support the churches in the situation you are facing?
In which regard and how can your experience enrich and be of relevance to the fellowship?

Africa

Bishop Ivan M Abrahams, Methodist Church of Southern Africa
: Poverty in South Africa is a scourge of moral proportions because of its coexistence alongside excessive wealth. This sin – and a constitutional abhorrence of inequality - needs to be confronted on a public level by asking how public monies may be distributed – including the use of taxes - while at the same time upholding our constitutional rights to socio-economic dignity and security for those marginalized and excluded from the economy.
Dr Agnes Abuom, Anglican Church of Kenya
: Pressing issues in Kenya include governance where the church is trying to come to terms with the multi-party politics and democracy. Having championed the struggle for justice and democracy the church finds it difficult to address the non delivery of services by multi-party democracy.
Rev. Dr Festus Ambe Asana, Presbyterian Church in Cameroon
: Just sharing our story with other listening ears in the fellowship is relieving for us and for others. Knowing that one does not live through certain difficult situations in isolation is consoling. Our experience can challenge and motivate others as sharing leads to seeking solutions together.
Rev. Micheline Kamba Kasongo, Church of Christ in Congo - Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa
: I have realized that by sharing our sufferings, our oppressions, and our resistance to exploitation - we can also show our faith and hope in God that one day peace and justice will be reign in DRC. This would enrich our fellowship in their own struggles, because God is concerned with our society, our communities, our environment and our individual concerns.
Ms Helen Usung, Presbyterian Church of Nigeria
: Whenever people are provided with a God-given dream then a persistence of faith must accompany them on a long journey. The story of the Church everywhere you travel in the world is about perseverance of faith and courageous pioneering.

Asia

Ms Ming-Min Lin Cheng, Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
: The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan offers to share with churches around the world the models we have developed and used in training members how to hold public forums and techniques for pursuing neutral third-party mediation to protect human rights in a non-violent manner.
Rev. Gao Ying, China Christian Council
: In the Chinese mainland, it is impossible to address the role of the churches in Chinese society without having the issue of gospel and culture in mind. Being one of the world’s ancient countries, with a history of thousands of years, Chinese traditional culture largely shaped by its age-old different schools of philosophy still lingers on and can never be erased from ordinary Chinese people’s daily life.
Rev. Prof. Renta Nishihara, The Anglican Church in Japan
: Japan’s demilitarization and constitutional commitment to oppose war has been the emblem of a nation once humbled by war but now strengthened through peace. Article Nine has been regarded around the world as a model for state pacifism. However, efforts in recent years both within Japan and internationally have tried to remove Article Nine or significantly weaken Japan’s commitment to peace.

Caribbean

Europe

Bishop Peter Gáncs, Lutheran Church in Hungary
: Can we - as salt and dough - become the conscience of society? How can we fulfill the prophetic mission of the church for social justice, reconciliation, conservation of the created world? Can the church serve as a bridge over the chasms of the split society?
Ms Marloes Keller, Protestant Church in the Netherlands
: One of the most burning issues in the Netherlands for the Protestant Church are the discussions about the separation of church and state. At the moment the Dutch Government seems to be very anxious about religious influences in the public debate.
Ms Christina Biere, Evangelical Church in Germany
: How can the church withstand the new phenomenon of xenophobia following the situation of injustice?
Dr Marie-Christine Michau, Evangelical Lutheran Church of France
: Church and Society… In France, the connection between these two terms is very problematic because many people think that the State and the Society don’t have to do anything with churches.
Rev. Frank Schürer-Behrmann, Evangelical Church in Germany
: The reality of our society that we are confronted with is that of an economically and technologically extremely successful society (“Exportweltmeister”) that increasingly has subjected all other considerations to the functioning of the economy, understood as the success of the country’s large businesses active on a worldwide scale. Among other things, this has led to a growing gap between those people in our country who in some way are part of and beneficiaries of this businesses, and those who are not.
Dr David Goodbourn, Baptist Union of Great Britain, United Kingdom
: As a minority church, we have always seen our task as providing salt and light within a wider community, and have never sought the levers of power. We feel that that history makes us better able to help others for whom being a minority is a new experience – the situation for most of the former state or established churches in Europe.
Dr Jorgen Skov Sorensen, Council on International Relations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
: Europe is – I believe - different from most other parts of the world on these matters and a WCC global debate must take as its starting point the particular situation of Europe, taking into consideration the particular history of the continent. However, at the same time it must be looking at the situation in member churches and their contexts in other parts of the world, addressing the questions: What is a healthy relationship between Church and society? How can Christians (and other religious communities) express their faith in a constructive and legitimate manner in their respective societies through Christian institutions and political engagement? Can European Churches learn from non-European contexts?

Latin America

Middle East

North America

Rev. Rothangliani R. Chhangte, American Baptist Churches in the USA
: We have a long and rich history in advocating religious liberty. Baptist communities around the world are actively working for peace and are eager to link with others about various situations including the Middle East, Northeast India, Burma, Sudan, the Republic of the Congo, etc.
Dr Robert K Welsh, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States
: By listening and by sharing what is received from the member churches across the life and fellowship of the WCC, I believe the ecumenical movement would be enriched and empowered. Too often the impression is given that, "If a program or statement wasn't developed by the WCC, then something isn't truly global in its importance." And yet, many of the most significant things being done by the church in addressing the "burning issues" in our society are happening locally and nationally (usually with the global perspective and experience in mind).
Rev. Gretchen Schoon-Tanis, Reformed Church in America
: The Reformed Church in America, at its General Synod in June 2009, adopted the Confession of Belhar as a new standard of unity for the denomination. The General Synod had adopted the Belhar Confession provisionally in 2007, and spent the past two years in dialogue across the denomination discussing what it would mean for the church if adopted. The Belhar Confession, coming out of South Africa in the 1980s, has three main foci: unity, justice, and reconciliation.

Pacific

Ms Terauango Beneteri, Kiribati Protestant Church
: The fellowship of member churches can support our church by lobbying to international communities and governments regarding their moral responsibilities to fellow human beings whose lives and livelihoods are bound to be affected by climate change.
Rev. Tofinga Vaevalu Falani, Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu
: One of the burning issues we have in our church back home, is the influx of new religious movements coming into Tuvalu. Instead of coming and joining us in our efforts to foster and promote Christianity in the whole country, the new religious movements come and divide families within our society, attacking our Christian principles and doctrines.
Ms Geraldine Varea, Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma Church of Tuvalu
: At the moment, the relationship between the Methodist Church in Fiji and the Interim Government is not healthy (as a result of the 2006 military coup).