A delegation of the leadership team of the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ) was welcomed by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, during their visit to the WCC offices in Geneva, Switzerland.
The ICCJ delegation consisted of Dr Deborah Weisssman, President Liliane Apotheker and Rev. David Gifford, board members, and Rev. Dick Pruiksma, ICCJ general secretary. The delegation was in Geneva from 30 September to 1 October.
The WCC and the ICCJ have been in contact for a long time. Cooperation between present and former WCC staff members in the programme for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation and ICCJ have resulted in a broad spectrum of consultations during recent years. The WCC holds observer status in the ICCJ Executive Board.
Along with the ICCJ delegation’s meeting with the WCC general secretary and WCC executive staff members, the delegation met with representatives of the Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Conference of European Churches and World Student Christian Federation to discuss issues of mutual concern.
Among the topics discussed during the meeting of the ICCJ delegation with the WCC staff was the sharing of hopes and concerns in relation to the Israel Palestine conflict, the continuation of Jewish-Christian dialogue in general and the possibility of a joint consultation on Jewish-Christian relations outside the western world.
There was a strong sense of fellowship which marked this meeting as a gathering of friends and colleagues. The delegation and the WCC staff expressed hopes to further cooperation and extended a welcome to Dr Weissman from the ICCJ as an inter-religious guest at the WCC’s upcoming assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea.
WCC programme for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation
