New scholarship announced for Bossey Institute

As part of his three-day-visit to the World Council of Churches (WCC), the primate of the Church of Greece, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, visited the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey on 29 May 2006, and announced the establishment of a new scholarship fund to support studies in ecumenism at the Institute.

The annual scholarship for a young person from Greece is to be named in honour of Dr Nikos Nissiotos, remembered as an outstanding theologian, ecumenical leader and also an Olympic committee member and athlete from Greece, who was a director of the Ecumenical Institute from 1958 to 1974.

Speaking to the staff, faculty and other guests present at the Institute, Archbishop Christodoulos emphasized the importance he attached to the formation of young people as a source of creative renewal in the church and ecumenical movement.

"The Church of Greece invites young people to create a new ecumenical conscience to respond to the great challenges of our time. The church does not fear change, but, rather, she fears stagnation," the Archbishop stated.

Commenting on his visit to the WCC, the Archbishop underscored his hope that the recent 9th Assembly will mark a renewal of the structures and priorities of the WCC and allow a "dynamic" vision of Christian unity to be manifested - a vision shared and developed by Dr Nissiotis, he said.

The Archbishop and the delegation of the Church of Greece were welcomed by WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and by the Bossey director Rev. Dr Ioan Sauca. Two distinguished former members of staff, Dr Hans-Rudi Weber and Dr Lukas Vischer, both of whom worked with Dr Nissiotis, reminded the gathering of the rich contribution of Nissiotis and other Orthodox theologians and students to the life of the Institute and of the WCC for 60 years.