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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.

1. There is no other space like Faith and Order. There are many spaces and places where one can discuss theology, but this one is very unique. And truly remarkable.

I remember hearing about “Faith and Order” for the first time. I was a freshman in theology reading Fr Georges Florovsky’s biography, and the phrase stuck in my mind.

O trabalho inicial que levou à publicação deste livreto foi feito por um grupo de líderes cristãos de Jerusalém. Eles se reuniram a convite do Conselho Mundial de Igrejas. Seu trabalho foi facilitado pelo Centro Inter- Eclesial de Jerusalém.

One in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.

Acts 2 : 42 - 47 

The NMC document is appreciated for its philosophical imagination, but it needs to be complimented with sociological and poetic imaginations where the text (the Word) takes on flesh and enters the realm of the pain and pathos that the poor and their earth endure, argues Metropolitan Geevarghese Coorilos.

The Porto Alegre statement «Called to be the One Church», with all the reactions from the churches to it, should be used to help Faith and Order Commission develop The Nature and Mission of the Church into a common statement, proposes the Very Rev. Prof. Dr Viorel Ionita in his contribution to the discussion on the future of the study "The Nature and Mission of the Church".

WCC president from Europe Dr Mary Tanner encourages participants at the Faith and Order Plenary Commission meeting to engage in what she affirms could be the beginning of a new phase in Faith and Order's history.

In the spirit of the 2006 WCC Assembly's statement on ecclesiology, «Called to be the One Church», the 120 members of the Commission on Faith and Order, along with 37 guests, consultants and younger theologians gathered on the island of Crete in Greece, 7-13 October 2009.

Tanner discusses Faith and Order as a movement, as a Commission, as an agenda, as a method, and as a commitment to the future.

Called to be the One Church (The Porto Alegre Ecclesiology Text)
This concise text (about 2,300 words) was adopted by WCC member churches at the Porto Alegre Assembly (February, 2006) as a basis for their renewed commitment to the search for visible unity. It invites the churches into a renewed conversation - mutually supportive, yet open and searching - about the quality of their fellowship and communion, and about the issues which still divide them. WCC member churches are asked to respond officially to the text by the next WCC Assembly; study groups and individuals are also invited to offer comments and reactions.

This extended text (about 18,000 words) was published in December 2005 and is the latest result from Faith and Order's study on Ecclesiology. It seeks to express common convictions about the church, its nature and mission, and to identify the ecclesiological issues which continue to divide the churches today. The text has been sent officially to the churches for evaluation and response; study groups and individuals are also invited to offer comments and reactions. This text replaces the previous study document The Nature and Purpose of the Church (Faith and Order Paper no. 181, issued in 1998).

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.

Presentation at the Faith and Order Plenary Commission meeting 2004, by Rev. Prof. S. Mark Heim, American Baptist Churches in the USA

If violence is an exercise of power over the powerless or a retaliation to such, what makes power prone to abuse? Why do people not only fear but also aspire for sources of violent power? Why do some religious traditions view violence as a divine attribute? How is power understood and exercised within our churches? What biblical and theological resources do we have to offer in the search for responsible new ways of understanding and exercising power? Interrogating and redefining power is crucial to our attempts to overcome violence.

This brief text gives general information on the united and uniting churches, their achievements and the special challenges which they face today, as well as background information on their 7th International Consultation.

This text is the report from the most recent international consultation of united and uniting churches. Focusing on issues of unity, mission and identity, this text brings the unique perspective and experience of these churches into dialogue with the wider ecumenical movement.