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Pentecostal theologian and scholar Cheryl Bridges-Johns proposed a radical reinvention of the ecumenical movement in a keynote address delivered on the third day of the Global Christian Forum which takes place 6-9 November in Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya.

By Juan Michel (*)

"Some would have said that this event was not possible, but here we are - and the world wonders what will come next," said the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia at the opening of the Global Christian Forum taking place in Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya, from 6-9 November.

A unique gathering of high level church leaders to start Tuesday 6 November near Nairobi, Kenya, features the broadest range of Christian traditions ever represented at a global meeting, allowing for a discussion of unprecedented ecumenical breadth on what Christians are called to do - together if possible - in the world today.

Students of theology and young theologians are being invited by the World Council of Churches (WCC) to bring new perspectives and contributions to the debate about the future of the ecumenical movement by participating in an essay competition to mark the Council's 60th anniversary.

By Annegret Kapp*

Writing to the general secretary of the Church of South India (CSI), World Council of Churches head Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has mourned the passing away of former CSI general secretary Dr Mrs Renuka Mukerji Somasekhar.

Six committed ecumenists, each with significant experience in specific fields of ecumenical endeavour, have been appointed to take up key leadership roles within the Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC). The newly appointed staff members will head five programmes plus a planning and integration office, all of which are the result of programmatic reshaping following the WCC 9th Assembly in 2006 .

The Ecumenical Institute at Bossey has announced plans for a strengthened teaching faculty that will reinforce its position as a leading world centre for ecumenical formation and research.

Raising awareness about mental health among faith communities, sharing information on what they are doing in this area (best practice), and providing an ecumenical and inter-religious platform for learning on mental health in different regions will be the focus of WCC work on "mental health and faith communities" over the next few years.Â

Amidst the quiet vineyards overlooking Lake Geneva is a place that can seem an unlikely setting for the preparation of future church leaders. And yet the WCC's Ecumenical Institute at Bossey has been a unique international centre for Christian dialogue and learning for six decades, since its creation in 1946.

Members of central committee were able to visit the WCC's Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, just outside Geneva, on Sunday 3 September, and to learn more about the work of this unique establishment.

A collection of articles by HIV/AIDS authorities, experts and practitioners, the latest issue of the World Council of Churches (WCC) periodical on health issues, CONTACT, offers a comprehensive, state-of-the art overview of current issues and new technologies in the area of AIDS prevention targeted as much towards concerned church leaders and members as towards health professionals.

"Ecumenical cooperation in evangelism should regain a high and visible priority" in the World Council of Churches (WCC), said a group of mission specialists  participating in a seminar held at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey from 6-12 June.

Now available in electronic and printed format, the WCC Annual Review 2005 is an illustrated account of WCC programmes and activities over the year. The Annual Review also contains key information on WCC member churches, governing bodies, finances, publications and other resources.

As part of his three-day-visit to the World Council of Churches (WCC), the primate of the Church of Greece, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, visited the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey on 29 May 2006, and announced the establishment of a new scholarship fund to support studies in ecumenism at the Institute.

Over 100 theology students from Latin America and other regions of the world will participate in an international and ecumenical theological congress that will take place in parallel to the World Council of Churches' (WCC) 9th Assembly.

With two months remaining until the World Council of Churches' 9th Assembly in 2006, the organizers have launched an invitation to churches and Christians everywhere to accompany and support the event.

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Hook up now to a major ecumenical happening, due to start in just three months!