Remarks of Dr Agnes Abuom, Moderator of the WCC Central Committee at the at the Farewell prayer for the outgoing WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit

on 1 April 2020

 

 

It is now time for me, on behalf of the leadership of WCC and staff, to offer a few words of gratitude, and as I do that I am also aware that you, Olav, are still part of us, still a member of the ecumenical movement and particularly the family of the World Council of Churches. Connecting initially, then later parting, is always a very emotional experience. As I offer these words, my mind races around our journey together in these last ten years as we have sought to serve the Lord Jesus. These are a very few preliminary remarks, and I hope and pray that God will grant us another opportunity in the ecumenical family to express our deep-felt gratitude.

 

Your Leadership

May I start by saying that, when you came in as the new general secretary, perhaps there were reservations in some quarters. But you knew the council very well because you had worked on a major part of the life of the council, that is, Faith and Order, in your  post-graduate studies. I believe that, because of that, you have helped us to really reinforce and strengthen ecumenical cooperation and interest in ecumenism. Visits and journeys that were made by you, your colleagues, and the leadership to the churches and to all the continents during these last ten years have actually proved your commitment to broadening and strengthening the movement and ensuring that those who have been in it continue, those who have slackened revive, and new ones come on board. And for this, we know that it cost you: you traveled extensively, but we thank God that you are a healthy person and God gave you that grace. Besides visiting member churches, we saw renewed engagement with the national councils and the regional ecumenical organizations and particularly those in areas where conflicts seemed to persist, creating major challenges for the life of the church. I can mention a few particularly from Africa: South Sudan, Sudan, and Burundi. In Asia, we can also mention your commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula, among others. And so this for me is something that we cherish, and we hope to move forward in the same spirit.

Another area of deepening and strengthening cooperation was the whole relationship of the World Council of Churches to the Vatican. We have seen over the years and particularly toward the end of your leadership, closer cooperation, which even meant that we could celebrate our 70 years with the presence of Pope Francis. That is a landmark. At programmatic levels, we have witnessed our staff engage directly with the various departments in Rome.

The further area I would like to lift up in your leadership has been the way in which you have been consultative and inclusive. You have been very consultative, making sure that your staff and particularly the leadership of the council is well-informed and well-prepared before decisions are taken,  and in that way you have facilitated a number of key decisions. I also appreciate the efforts you have made to be inclusive. That has contributed to the constructive atmosphere, particularly in the governing bodies, of listening to one another, of seeking fellowship, and seeking to take stands together. You have yourself also been a very good listener, and in so doing you have made it possible to turn situations that were sometimes controversial into finding solutions. So rather than looking at problems, you have provided ways toward leadership that focuses on opportunities. You have been a good Viking from Norway, very persistent on matters of truth and of our faith.

The other leadership characteristic I prize has been your humility. You have not shown us that you are the boss. You are on top, but you have been humble enough and you’ve also been very courageous. And on this issue of courage, may I lift up your role in seeking ways to actually address the pension crisis when you came. This has now resulted in the Green Village. We pray that the vision will continue to bear fruit and that those who come after you will remember the courage, sacrifice, and determination to work toward the sustainability of the World Council of Churches.

 

Your Ministry

Three things stand out for me as we part for the next phase of our engagement. One is the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. It has been a vision that has really raised our profile as the World Council of Churches within the fellowship and with other faiths. Through this Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, which is your mark, you’ve also helped remind us, as believers, that we are people of the way. People of the way will become much more pertinent during this COVID-19 crisis, because what the concept of the way/pilgrimage says to us is that we are not stagnant, we are moving, and we are focused in our move. We need to look at others, lift them up with our prayers so rightly pointed. The Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace is also a mark of your faith in Jesus Christ and of your leadership.

The second aspect of your ministry during these last ten years, and which echoed my own work with other Christians, is your focus on the cross. In your initial years, you lifted up the theology of the cross, and the cross for me is not just a symbol. The cross represents what gives me my identity as a Christian. The cross reminds me of the power of the blood of Jesus Christ shed on Calvary for the sake of the unity of humankind and unity of Christians. So the reflection on the cross came very strongly to me and I’m sure to others as well, as that anchor in our faith. I want to lift this up as you leave us, that the cross remains central in our ongoing journey. As we move into the future, may we remember the sacrifice that God made for humanity by the death of his son Jesus Christ, which ushered in a new covenant that gives us a new identity, a new fellowship, a new family and therefore a new community.

The third aspect of your ministry was concern. When you took office, you talked very much about the well-being of the council in terms of the health of the staff. Staff healthy and relationships remain a fundamental issue, and I think you tried in many ways to meet it. I want again to say that this notion of well-being (to which the Archbishop emeritus of Canterbury Rowan Williams has spoken a lot) is central at this particular time when the COVID-19 pandemic is raging. How do we, as the WCC, carry forward the concept and experience and the very strong conviction of supporting the well-being of God's people, the well-being of God’s creation?

 

Our Gratitude

Thank you so much. It was for me a privilege to have been on the panel that interviewed you, among others, and I want to thank the central committee that appointed you because it was the spirit of the Lord. It is important for us now to indicate that, yes, you leave us, but we know you are still with us as the leader of the Church of Norway. It is an important member and part of the World Council of Churches. We have witnessed its participation during your tenure, when the Church of Norway has engaged with us in different ways; and we want to believe that, as you go back, we will engage even more. But not only that. For me again, this is another experience that I thank God for and I thank you for: that you take back to your church and to your country the experiences you received, the networks that you have developed, so that together we continue proclaiming the Gospel of the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Olav, for your dedication, concern, and commitment and for your leadership in the ecumenical movement and in this time when you have served. We want to thank God for the gift he gave us through you. And we pray that, as you journey on, these qualities that you have exhibited in the council will even grow larger as we seek to enrich life, nurture our fellowship, and nourish one another, particularly in these very hard times. Thank you very much and, on behalf of the leadership and the staff, may the Almighty God grant you the strength and wisdom to continue to serve with others in his vineyard.

 

Our Way Forward

I’d like say a few words on behalf of the leadership of the central committee (LCC) about the way forward. And as I share these words from the leadership of the council, I am reminded that the gift of leadership, the exercise of leadership and service, takes place in good and difficult times. And therefore our concern is constantly to keep in tune with one another and with God, who calls us into these opportunities to serve in his vineyard.  In the last meeting of the leadership group, we did reflect on a number of decisions, some of which I will share with you now. One was that the governing organs of the council, in terms of meetings, are postponed. That is, of course, the executive committee and the central committee. However, the executive committee is planned to take place digitally in May.

The other decision was that we will postpone the central committee until early 2021. As you know, there are some major decisions that can only be taken by the central committee. The third proposal and decision by the leadership is that we continue with the plans for the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, to be held in September next year (2021) in Karlsruhe, Germany,.

As we continue to trust in God that the coronavirus will have ended and it will be well, we also have indicated that because of the fragile nature of the global context in which now we are exercising our gifts and our roles at different levels, we must be extremely sensitive to what is happening and its impact on the lives of our churches, our communities, and our nations. We recognize that many of our people are experiencing fear and uncertainty, not to mention separation, isolation, death and loss of members, and many more challenges, including traumatic disorders. We therefore are calling on us all to continue in prayer. Indeed, our prayers bear a heavy and strong burden, as James 5:16 tells us: “Our prayers are to God to restore the earth and his people.”

The leadership of the central committee, having acknowledged and accepted that Dr Tveit has moved on, has appointed Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca as acting general secretary, awaiting confirmation by the executive committee, which we are going to do through postal and electronic voting.

May I on behalf of the leadership and on behalf of all of us express our gratitude to Fr Sauca for accepting to serve the World Council of Churches in this capacity. We heartily welcome him as he assumes the new assignment. As LCC we commit to supporting and praying for you and the staff team. It is our hope and prayer that you will continue the team spirit, during the good and even the difficult days ahead. As you assume the mantle of leadership during these uncertain times in the history of humankind, may God grant you wisdom, knowledge, courage, and inner peace. May the words that Almighty God spoke to Joshua—“Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”—comfort you and encourage you.

And, once more, thank you, Olav, and welcome to serving the ecumenical movement in another capacity. As the leadership of the World Council of Churches, we remain connected and continue praying for and with you. We pray also for the staff and leadership of the churches and communities around the world. By God’s grace and mercies we will keep the candle of hope, solidarity and accompaniment burning bright amid social distancing, pain, and loss. May Almighty God put a hedge of protection around everyone, sustain us all, and keep us healthy by the stripes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fr Sauca, welcome, and be assured of our prayers and support, both as leadership and as staff. God bless us. Shalom. Peace. Amani.