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At the recent Central Committee meeting, three female presidents of the World Council of Churches expressed concern and disappointment over the lack of women in senior staff leadership. As of 1 October, all leadership positions at the WCC in programmes and at the senior level will be men. The WCC presidents Dr Mary Tanner, Rev. Dr Ofelia Ortega and Rev. Dr Bernice Powell Jackson suggested the following recommendation to be added to the nominations committee report which was discussed and then approved by the Central Committee: 

"...that those responsible for staff appointments give due attention to regional, confessional and gender balances among the staff, and in particular, to the commitment of the Central Committee to the presence of women in all levels of staff leadership groups."

Answering a question about the successes and failures of his tenure as WCC general secretary during a press conference on the first day of the meeting, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia regretted that, despite his commitment he had not been able to achieve regional and gender balances within the WCC staff. Kobia said that was partially due to the fact that during the last two years new appointments have been frozen.

More information on the WCC Central Committee meeting

Read a featured article by Ecumenical News International: Presidents of global church group rue lack of women in top posts