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I am pleased to offer a word of welcome at this historic moment, the gathering of the new Faith and Order Commission here in North Sulawesi in Indonesia. As far as I know, this is the first time our Commission is meeting in Indonesia. We are thankful for the opportunity to gather here, and immensely grateful for the hospitality the local church is offering to us.

It is often said that “Bad news travels fast.” Indeed, it is hard not to be focused on the difficulties and harsh challenges we are facing in today’s world. In a digital village that we live in, where every piece of news is spread quickly, the worst news takes center stage. “We live in a time of profound crisis”, “The world is as disunited as ever”, “Society is polarized!” are just some of the everyday remarks describing the present condition. 

Prof. Maake J. Masango addresses the main theme of the Faith and Order Plenary Commission meeting, Called to be the One Church, as a witness of the union of Presbyterian Churches in the context of apartheid.

As part of the WCC's work on the Decade , this theological consultation, organized by WCC Faith and Order in Kigali, Rwanda (4-9 December 2004), was an attempt to discern what human dignity, rights of peoples and the integrity of creation mean for churches and the ecumenical movement as they attempt to counter the reality of massive abuse and destruction of life and its legitimization in the world today. It was also an attempt to do theology informed by the perspectives and experiences of the victims of violence.

A group of 20 theologians and peace activists from regions which have come to be known for violent conflict arising from the aggressive assertion of identities - Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, DR Congo, Nigeria, Middle East, Eastern Europe - participated in this consultation in June 2005. They attempted to identify the problems in, and prospects for, realizing mutuality and interdependence in contexts of diverse identities in an effort to challenge the churches to consider this as a contribution to the wider movement for peace during the Decade Overcome Violence.

This paper was prepared in response to the US DOV Committee's invitation to members of US churches to select one of the four themes of the Decade and to reflect on it.

Meeting of the Faith and Order Plenary Commission, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2004

This text (Faith and Order Paper No. 182) explores the complex but often creative field of hermeneutics - the interpretation of texts, symbols, and rites - and its role in the search for visible church unity. It invites us to reflect on how we approach and evaluate one another's language and symbols, as a contribution to mutual understanding among Christians and churches.

David K. Yemba, current moderator of the Faith and Order Commission and Dean of the Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, discusses the content and reception of Faith and Order work in Africa, and the effect of African churches on the ecumenical movement in general.

This text developed by Faith and Order is another of the "unity statements" adopted by WCC Assemblies over the years. It is one attempt to indicate the elements of "full communion" among churches.