Media advisory
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This central committee meeting will predominately focus on strategies and concrete measures for achieving goals staked out by the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe last year. Turning priorities into actions in all programmatic areas and further strengthening the WCC’s influence on world affairs in a spirit of pilgrimage of justice reconciliation, and unity, are key objectives.
The WCC central committee will also celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Council in multiple ways, starting 25 June with the Sunday Worship in St Pierre Cathedral at 10:00, and with a special celebration in the Ecumenical Centre at 14:00, where participants will have the chance to revisit WCC’s 75 years of history through the testimonies of people who have been engaged in many areas of its work and hear from younger generations about perspectives for the future.
Live stream of the Sunday Worship at St Pierre Cathedral on 25 June will be available at the YouTube channel of the Protestant Church of Geneva: https://www.youtube.com/@protestantgeneve
Live stream of the WCC central committee opening prayer on 21 June and the 75th anniversary celebration on 25 June will be available at the WCC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/worldcouncilofchurches
The agenda for the central committee can be found here.
The central committee meets normally every two years and serves as the chief governing body of the WCC between assemblies. The central committee is responsible for implementing the policies adopted by the assembly, as well as reviewing and supervising WCC programmes and the budget of the council. The current central committee’s mandate terminates at the WCC 12th Assembly, scheduled to take place in 2030.
Tentative schedule for media activities on opening day, Wednesday 21 June:
10:30 CET: Media orientation – onsite and online.
8.30 – 17:30 CET: Open sessions with onsite access to the media. The standing committees, regional and confessional meetings are not open to media.
12:45 – 13:15 Opening press conference with the moderator of the central committee Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the WCC. .
For your convenience, the moderator’s opening address on 21 June, as well as the general secretary’s report, will be made available under embargo for accredited media from 09:00 CET on Wednesday 21 June.
Media activities during the remainder of the central committee meeting will include daily orientations, thematic briefings (topics to be advised), and more. Details will follow.
A fully equipped WCC onsite media centre will be open daily.
More information about the WCC central committee and other governing bodies of WCC, as well as news releases and other information, can be found at the web www.oikoumene.org
For further questions and inquiries, please email our media inbox: [email protected]
You are also most welcome to contact:
Marianne Ejdersten,
WCC director of Communication, [email protected], +41 79 507 6363.
Claus Grue, WCC communication consultant and media coordinator, [email protected], +46 70 611 0977.
Central committee, June 2023 | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)
