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Photo from the pilgrimage to the city of Petra. Photo: WCC

Photo from the pilgrimage to the city of Petra. Photo: WCC

The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee will meet in Amman, Jordan from 17-23 November to approve the 2018 plans and budget, prepare for renewal of the WCC strategic plan, to discern the way forward for the WCC’s involvement in Palestine and Israel for justice and peace by learning more about the particular situation in Jordan and the Middle East, then discussing the challenges of the churches and the WCC response. The Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, All Palestine and Jordan, Theophilos III, will welcome the group.

The executive committee gathers at a time when the WCC is renewing its efforts in a number of areas. A new Ecumenical Global Health Strategy is underway, a recent in-depth impact assessment has been undertaken to guide the organization’s next steps in working to overcome HIV and AIDS as a public health threat through the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy programme (EHAIA), and a strategic plan for the period of 2018-2021 is to be put in place for the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).

The executive committee will also receive the report from the mid-term evaluation team,  make initial preparations for the central committee meeting in 2018, and define the next steps in the building project.

In Amman, the executive committee will share experiences and developments from churches in the different regions, and reflect on the impact of the current political climate on the ecumenical movement. The committee will also receive an update on celebrations of the WCC 70th anniversary and preparations for the WCC 11th Assembly.

The executive committee is the governing body that carries out essential business for the WCC. The group provides direction to the general secretary on work and developments while deepening common understanding on specific issues. The WCC executive committee is formed by the WCC central committee, which elects 20 of its members along with the central committee moderator, two vice-moderators and the WCC general secretary, as well as the moderators of the WCC programme and finance committees.

The executive committee members will also be visiting the historical city of Petra, as well as other biblical sites in the area. Some executive committee members will also visit one of the most well-known Palestinian refugee camps. Set up originally as an “emergency camp”, it has existed since 1968. The visit will help the executive committee to see, in a more practical way, the implications of the situation and the WCC’s involvement in Palestine and Israel.

 

Media contacts:
Please contact WCC director of communication Marianne Ejdersten: [email protected], +41 79 507 63 63

Jerusalem Patriarchate

WCC member churches in Jordan