http://www.wcc-assembly.info/ News from the WCC Assembly 2006 en http://www.wcc-assembly.info/fileadmin/images/wccassembly/assemblylogos/logo_e.gif http://www.wcc-assembly.info/ 120 177 News from the WCC Assembly 2006 TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:30:00 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8559&cHash=f8d644da58 Approving a substantial change in priorities and culture, the World Council of Churches (WCC) 9th Assembly completed its meeting with prayer in Porto Alegre Thursday, and agreed to give priority to spirituality, ecumenical formation, global justice and prophetic witness. Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:30:00 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8518&cHash=ed5ebd3226 The "Message" of the 9th Assembly is an invitation to prayer. In proposing the document for adoption, message committee moderator Wendy Evans explained that the message is neither a report nor an exhaustive listing of concerns, but that "the message reflects the heart of the Assembly". Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:15:00 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8556&cHash=e802656e83 Walter Altmann, Gennadios of Sassima and Margaretha Hendriks-Ririmasse are, respectively, the new moderator and vice moderators of the WCC central committee. Sat, 25 Feb 2006 04:04:03 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8558&cHash=1062669200 The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches today approved recommendations to "strengthen the WCC in the search for visible unity, enhance its ability to represent the member churches, and build new bridges for relationships and trust with other Christian churches not currently within its fellowship". Fri, 24 Feb 2006 15:33:49 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8548&cHash=4a4cb5e056 The World Council of Churches 9th Assembly sent a strong message on Thursday 23 February that youth are an integral part of the WCC's work, and their voices need to be heard. Fri, 24 Feb 2006 13:13:42 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8557&cHash=6968ba3dcd The plight and misery of children caught up in a little-known but long-drawn-out war in northern Uganda was the object of a message sent 23 February by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, to the Church of Uganda and the Uganda Joint Christian Council. Fri, 24 Feb 2006 10:35:27 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8494&cHash=ab46ddab9d A new body to lead the World Council of Churches (WCC) into the next decade was elected in Porto Alegre on Wednesday. Delegates at the WCC?s 9th Assembly also endorsed measures designed to strengthen youth participation in the organization?s decision-making. Thu, 23 Feb 2006 02:35:57 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8513&cHash=4521df4447 The World Council of Churches Assembly programme guidelines committee has established four main areas of engagement for the life and work of the organization until the next Assembly: unity, spirituality and mission; ecumenical formation; global justice; and public voice and prophetic witness to the world. Delegates at the 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, affirmed these four areas on Thursday... Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:52:27 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8514&cHash=c7ecf495c1 The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 14-23 February, today said prevention must be the key tool and concern of the churches regarding the responsibility to protect endangered populations. Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:52:00 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8515&cHash=63b0fa95d5 The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, has adopted a statement on terrorism, counter-terrorism and human rights and affirmed the role of churches in pursuit of peace. Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:51:40 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8516&cHash=3576978d2f The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 14-23 February, has called on member churches "to renew and strengthen their active support for and engagement with" the United Nations while calling for "a serious process of reform" in that organization. The ultimate goal, according to the statement, is for "a more effective United... Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:48:50 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8512&cHash=65c13f5732 In the wake of the controversy over cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, the World Council of Churches at its 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre has "deplored" both the publication and the violence which has ensued, and urged its member churches to strengthen dialogue and co-operation between Christians and Muslims. Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:46:35 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8517&cHash=6738e4ce82 Meeting in the first WCC Assembly ever held in Latin America, delegates at the 9th Assembly of the WCC on Thursday 23 February adopted a statement that "commends the Latin American churches in their work to overcome poverty and injustice, heal the wounds of violence, struggle for life and dignity, [and] grant equal treatment to all religions in national legislations". Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:41:48 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8460&cHash=970a381ac9 With responsible and realistic budgets and a three-year action plan to be approved later this year, the WCC affirms its decision to focus on its unique role as a global fellowship of churches. Wed, 22 Feb 2006 21:41:39 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8461&cHash=09794ab4c0 It was the theme of an address by the most senior dignitary of the Anglican Communion to the most representative body of Christians in the world. It is the subject of conversations in the corridors of power around the globe, where politicians have learned to talk of a clash of civilizations. With the publication of a few cartoons in a Danish newspaper, it has provided the context for an anguished... Wed, 22 Feb 2006 19:58:16 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9783&cHash=d9716089dc Au cours de cette semaine, une délégation du Conseil ?cuménique des Eglises (COE) va rencontrer des représentants officiels et des ministres des gouvernements de trois Etats non nucléaires membres de l'OTAN. Ces rencontres ont pour objectif de demander à ces Etats de jouer un rôle plus actif au sein de l'Organisation, afin de satisfaire aux engagements en matière de désarmement nucléaire. World... Wed, 22 Feb 2006 19:58:16 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8462&cHash=66baf75847 Philip Potter has a unique place in the modern ecumenical story. Not only was he general secretary of the WCC for 12 years (1972-84) but he also has the rare distinction of having attended all nine WCC Assemblies to date, beginning with the inaugural one in Amsterdam in 1948. Now in his 85th year, he can still recall vividly his early childhood on the Caribbean island of Dominica, his activity in... Wed, 22 Feb 2006 19:16:02 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8463&cHash=871493f100 According to participants at a press conference on HIV and AIDS at the World Council of Churches Assembly, meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, churches are best placed to tackle HIV and AIDS. Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:39:06 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8457&cHash=eda0806919 A river of light flowed through downtown Porto Alegre last night as up to two thousand people - including two Nobel Prize-winners - took part in a candle-lit march for peace. Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:06:31 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8437&cHash=156a929d21 Running concurrently with the World Council of Churches 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, is a camp for Latin American youth. About 180 are participating; the response was so strong that organizers had to open up a second facility to accommodate everyone. Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:40:57 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8438&cHash=551906c0a9 A panel "show" during the World Council of Churches 9th Assembly, meeting at Porto Alege, Brazil, today concluded that God's grace has transformative power, even in the midst of terrible things, but the transformation of the world required action from the churches for justice, compassion and inclusiveness. Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:26:23 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8387&cHash=ff11c76dc4 The Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches, meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 14-23 February, has called on churches and ecumenical partners to work together to preserve and protect water resources against over-consumption and pollution. Tue, 21 Feb 2006 16:08:17 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8386&cHash=6d1828a351 The World Council of Churches at its 9th General Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 14-23 February 2006, has adopted a Minute on the elimination of nuclear arms calling on member churches to urge their governments to pursue the unequivocal elimination of nuclear weapons in line with the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Tue, 21 Feb 2006 16:07:50 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8391&cHash=456bce13fd People come to ecumenism in different ways. Some grow up immersed in it. Some encounter it via a particular, momentous experience. Others come to an understanding of it gradually. Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:18:49 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8362&cHash=bf17428eca Evangelical and Pentecostal participants in the World Council of Churches 9th Assembly have welcomed better relationships with WCC churches and called for greater co-operation in the future. Mon, 20 Feb 2006 21:44:32 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8363&cHash=5284e0b5ba The World Council of Churches Assembly, meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, today was told that "God is at work in Latin America, bringing joy, hope and vitality to the people, even in the midst of great adversity. Mon, 20 Feb 2006 16:52:11 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8338&cHash=36c7f51278 A series of ecumenical conversations has been organized at the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches at Porto Alegre, Brazil, to provide a space for delegates to share their experiences in addressing key concerns for the future of the churches and their common witness and action. Mon, 20 Feb 2006 15:47:21 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8361&cHash=a5d6e455e6 Leading theologians have addressed the World Council of Churches 9th Assembly on the theme of church unity. Scholars from the Protestant, Oriental Orthodox and Catholic traditions offered reflective comments on the document "Called To Be the One Church" in a session entitled "Church Unity ? Claiming a Common Future". Mon, 20 Feb 2006 14:35:37 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8360&cHash=87047bd16c "A united church is no optional extra," said Archbishop Desmond Tutu in an impassioned speech to the World Council of Churches 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre. Rather, he said, it is "indispensable for the salvation of God's world". Mon, 20 Feb 2006 00:02:58 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8329&cHash=69b6ee58cc Marilyn Stahl has noticed recently that people have a growing interest in her church. "People hear I'm Mennonite, and they say, 'I wish our church was a peace church'," said Stahl, who has come to the 9th Assembly of the WCC from the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University in the United States. Sun, 19 Feb 2006 21:07:47 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8337&cHash=20f5714ac9 Latin American culture received the spotlight - literally and figuratively - at the 9th Assembly Sunday evening. Delegates and others attending the event enjoyed a sampling of the region's music, dance, and traditions in a "grand cultural event". Sun, 19 Feb 2006 02:42:00 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8298&cHash=8c76a0b3f3 Representatives of the US Conference for the World Council of Churches (WCC) addressed a message to the WCC's 9th Assembly on 18 February saying that the US-led Iraq war was a "mistake", and apologized to the ecumenical community for failing to raise a prophetic voice to prevent it. Sat, 18 Feb 2006 15:33:39 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8206&cHash=0488bde27c "It is now or never," remarked Dr Christoph Benn during an ecumenical conversation on the theme of HIV/AIDS at the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil. A resource person from Germany with broad international experience in public health, Benn was giving an overview of the crisis and its impact worldwide. Sat, 18 Feb 2006 12:25:00 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8207&cHash=665142da9d Christians in a world of plural convictions are in a place which is "both promising and deeply risky", according to the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams. Sat, 18 Feb 2006 11:23:17 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8297&cHash=e1caaffff9 It's been five years since the World Council of Churches launched its Decade to Overcome Violence. Participants at the 9th Assembly paused Saturday to mark that midpoint, reviewing what has occurred so far and looking to what can yet come. Sat, 18 Feb 2006 00:15:03 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8187&cHash=00e4fd60f4 Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva, president of Brazil, received an enthusiastic reception Friday as he addressed the delegate body of the World Council of Churches' 9th Assembly. The president thanked the WCC for its leadership in "the quest for a world at peace". Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:32:31 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8153&cHash=96bdb6b3fc The president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has stressed the "irreversible" commitment of the Roman Catholic Church to ecumenism. Thu, 16 Feb 2006 22:03:06 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8127&cHash=f59370a972 Water may be the earth's most precious resource, and the supply of it is rapidly shrinking. The Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) is bringing this warning to the 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre in a host of different ways. Thu, 16 Feb 2006 19:14:44 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8126&cHash=a2e7ff58d1 The WCC Assembly's Mutirao Bate-papo on Wednesday was a lively discussion, with a young, lay Protestant woman telling a 70-year-old Catholic bishop that the future of Christianity lay in starting at the grassroots and addressing grassroots problems. Thu, 16 Feb 2006 18:54:48 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8154&cHash=02d934f7a5 The World Council of Churches Assembly, meeting at Porto Alegre, Brazil, has called for churches "to act together for transformation of economic injustice". The call, in the form of a prayer, invited Assembly participants to recommit themselves to work for the eradication of poverty and inequality, for justice in international trade relations, for responsible lending and the control and... Thu, 16 Feb 2006 16:42:54 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8101&cHash=76acb76a07 Religious leaders from two hemispheres discussed the edges where cultures and civilizations clash during a 9th Assembly press conference Wednesday afternoon. Metropolitan Kyrill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad and Rev. Dr Mvume Dandala each noted challenges in an increasingly globalized world. Thu, 16 Feb 2006 13:49:08 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8032&cHash=5b1cb8bb86 Since the World Council of Churches' 9th Assembly is taking place in Latin America, the issue of poverty assumes absolute priority for all who worship and follow Jesus. Wed, 15 Feb 2006 23:40:49 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8084&cHash=ade80adc91 A festa da vida - a Portuguese phrase meaning "the feast of life" - was the key-note on Wednesday in general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia's report to the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches. "The festa da vida", Kobia told participants in an afternoon plenary session of the Assembly, is "an invitation to reach out to those we know and to those whom we don't... Wed, 15 Feb 2006 21:39:18 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8085&cHash=1c58787c9c A divided church voice cannot offer a credible witness in a broken and violent world, and cannot stand against the disintegrating forces of globalization, the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) was warned today. Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:52:38 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7993&cHash=9ac791c934 Up to 60 people gathered for the pre-Assembly meetings of the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN) in Porto Alegre. Held from February 11-13, the meetings drew together people with personal experience of disability for discussion and reflection. Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:31:19 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7991&cHash=31506fb499 Assemblies of the World Council of Churches see Christians from all over the world come together, and many church-related groups take advantage of the display window this event provides. More than 100 groups are represented in dozens of booths in the assembly's exhibit hall adjacent to the main plenary space on the campus of the Pontifical Catholic University in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Colourful... Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:57:16 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7994&cHash=6f1b512abd Christians and Muslims should work together to "put out the fire" caused by the controversial publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed, according to Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches. Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:19:53 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7992&cHash=700b0e57be To a casual thinker, if someone is blind, or has lost a limb, or has cerebral palsy, it's only humane to want to fix it, and if it can't be fixed it is a matter for regret. Tue, 14 Feb 2006 12:40:41 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7995&cHash=a681b2d48b The first Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in the 21st century opens in Porto Alegre, Brazil, today, 14 February, under the theme "God, in your grace, transform the world". Tue, 14 Feb 2006 12:31:44 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8033&cHash=ff52ec523b Music, drums and drama marked the opening plenary session of the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches. Declaring the Assembly open, WCC moderator Catholicos Aram I remarked that it was the first time an Assembly had been held in Latin America, and referred to the record number of young people attending. Tue, 14 Feb 2006 12:29:38 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7966&cHash=28796dfdff Indigenous people from around the globe have had a special place the church for much of its life but, all too often, place has been destructive of their physical, spiritual and cultural heritage as the first nations of the colonized world. Seen as objects of mission rather than people of the living God, these first nations are now represented in the 9th Assembly through the Indigenous Peoples... Mon, 13 Feb 2006 21:59:58 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7967&cHash=6a679221bf Disabled people will try to affirm the church as an inclusive community, but the struggle for recognition at the decision-making levels of the World Council of Churches will be a long and difficult struggle since it was only at the 1998 Harare Assembly that the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network was established as a full programme of the WCC. Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:56:11 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7996&cHash=a29f7ecde9 Society, and particularly the roles of men, need to be re-organized as a pre-requisite for meaningful social transformation and so that women can be mainstreamed into church and society, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has said. Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:50:20 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7968&cHash=14557e86d8 In the months leading up to the World Council of Churches 9th Assembly, much was made of a desire to include large numbers of young people and to make their voices heard. Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:00:16 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7974&cHash=b598661edf Society, and particularly the roles of men, need to be re-organized as a pre-requisite for meaningful social transformation and so that women can be mainstreamed into church and society, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has said. Mon, 13 Feb 2006 10:36:54 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7918&cHash=0bf6374b0f The first Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in the 21st century "will mark the beginning of a new phase in the search for Christian unity," says WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. Tue, 31 Jan 2006 19:00:47 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7914&cHash=10e5954c0f 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. Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:03:13 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7765&cHash=ea18844ab9 What steps must we take to achieve transformation? In this article on the Assembly theme "God, in your grace, transform the world", His All Holiness Bartholomew I addresses this question and reflects on self-discovery, the healing of the community and of the earth. Thu, 26 Jan 2006 16:16:51 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7746&cHash=e407ad67d5 The large worship tent at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre will be a unique space and one of the main features of the Assembly life. Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:42:00 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5833&cHash=59947b8950 "A world without poverty is not only possible but is in keeping with the grace of God for the world" affirms a call that will play a central role at the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Porto Alegre, 14-23 February. Wed, 11 Jan 2006 15:55:31 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2731&cHash=f6e49e11b9 Transformation has become almost a cliché. Everything needs to be transformed: individual lives, cultures, economies, societies? all. But it is not often that God or grace are named in this context. Tue, 10 Jan 2006 09:42:17 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1412&cHash=c5050fa670 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. Mon, 19 Dec 2005 15:42:00 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1403&cHash=c7f71d8d70 The Internet is a revolutionary new communications space of fascinating diversity. It reflects the richness of real life, with some of its truths but many of its half-truths (and untruths!) too. Thu, 15 Dec 2005 04:11:04 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1398&cHash=45b26ecc6e The WCC 9th Assembly will offer a diverse and innovative programme for the expected 3000 participants from virtually all Christian traditions and regions. Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:15:56 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1385&cHash=794c289644 The theme of the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches - God, in your grace, transform the world - speaks to many people in different ways. What does it say to Christians living in a situation as difficult as that in Palestine? Naim Ateek, a leading Palestinian theologian, reflects on this question. Thu, 01 Dec 2005 14:18:08 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1038&cHash=994b558b4c Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, contributes in the following article a reflection from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church on the theme of the upcoming World Council of Churches 9th Assembly: God, in your grace, transform the world. Wed, 16 Nov 2005 17:28:35 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1037&cHash=678d66160f "From Harare to Porto Alegre" is the report of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee on activities and dialogue undertaken within the ecumenical fellowship between the WCC's eighth assembly in December 1998 in Harare Zimbabwe and the ninth assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil in February 2006. Fri, 11 Nov 2005 09:17:00 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5835&cHash=bdddb88273 More and more, learning about, from and with peoples of other faiths is being recognized as a vital aspect of education in faith communities and in state education systems. A web-based survey on interfaith education has just gone online to discover examples of good practice across the world. Thu, 10 Nov 2005 10:20:03 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1027&cHash=084bda1a1c "God, in your grace, transform the world" is a prayer that, in principle, could express the yearning of people from different religions. In the following article, Rabbi Naamah Kelman from Jerusalem reflects on the theme of the upcoming World Council of Churches 9th Assembly from the point of view of the Jewish tradition. Thu, 03 Nov 2005 14:24:14 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1022&cHash=3ebfdcffc7 As alien as the word might seem at first sight for the average person, "ecclesiology" is actually at the heart of the life of every Christian community. The answers that "ecclesiological" questions obtain in the churches influence the daily life of the faithful and set the course of the search for Christian unity. Wed, 02 Nov 2005 15:52:22 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5836&cHash=d2a68229f9 The ecumenical movement is a reality for people and congregations around the world who live their faith on a daily basis. An integrated communication project, "Keeping the faith" shows this reality, and conveys the vitality of the ecumenical movement today. Thu, 20 Oct 2005 16:27:34 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=999&cHash=0f99ac02b0 With a call "to pray, support and participate" in the forthcoming World Council of Churches (WCC) 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre next February, representatives from churches and ecumenical bodies in the region concluded a preparatory event that took place in Mendes, Brazil from October 16-18. Thu, 20 Oct 2005 04:44:15 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1007&cHash=c266bf1d33 The bishop of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia, Carlos Poma, called on churches to be in solidarity with the Bolivian social movement. Wed, 19 Oct 2005 10:38:00 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1006&cHash=0204d31a2a It is time to break down the prejudices and traditional barriers between "Evangelical" Pentecostals and "ecumenical" Protestants, according to a panel discussion at a preparatory event for the World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly. Wed, 19 Oct 2005 10:24:00 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5837&cHash=9dad391d12 Seminarians, students and youth delegates have expressed their determination to carry forward the ecumenical vision in the US, and have challenged church leaders to take their contribution seriously. Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:35:06 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=990&cHash=5f12e0d6b2 The rebuilding of a church destroyed by human hatred and ideology can be a sign of God's transformative grace, says bishop Margot Kaessmann in the following article, reflecting on the theme of the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches: God, in your grace, transform the world. Fri, 14 Oct 2005 11:30:10 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=923&cHash=900126c9d5 With blue and orange cards in their hands, delegates at the 9th World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly gathered in Porto Alegre next February will wave goodbye to old-style parliamentary majority votes. Does the Council's future lie in consensus decision-making? Thu, 06 Oct 2005 14:57:08 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=914&cHash=cc64b99d08 It was the Latin American Churches that first suggested divine grace as a theme for the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches. In the following article, a Latin American theologian reflects on what it means to pray "God in your grace, transform the world" in Latin America today. Tue, 04 Oct 2005 11:14:22 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=906&cHash=950871ffcb The excitement and brilliance of the carnival, the grace and skill of soccer, the exotic tropical beaches and the uproar of political scandals: these are some superficial snapshots of Brazil, a country rich in natural resources and creativity but battered by poverty. What is the country that will host the World Council of Churches' 9th Assembly next February really like? Thu, 29 Sep 2005 18:11:42 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=886&cHash=b4bc75b48c A spear buried on the common border of two nomadic-pastoralist communities in the North Rift region of Kenya marked the end of bloody clashes a couple of decades ago. Today, the two rivals need the churches to help them arrest a fast-growing gun culture. Wed, 21 Sep 2005 11:15:07 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5838&cHash=d7e99fa9eb Churches must take responsibility to nurture healing in broken societies and to promote peace, urged leaders of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in public statements on Haiti and small arms released today. Fri, 16 Sep 2005 16:08:31 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=850&cHash=1e1fef7012 ''The theme of the upcoming 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) is a prayer: God, in your grace, transform the world. But perhaps we ought to ask the question 'What would we do if God actually answered that prayer?' Or 'Dare we pray for transformation?' Wed, 14 Sep 2005 16:40:05 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5839&cHash=d5758bb0c8 Next February, twenty-six young leaders from the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) will come together in Porto Alegre, Brazil, to offer their experiences and challenges to the wider ecumenical movement. Mon, 12 Sep 2005 17:11:48 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=633&cHash=62a5744999 The World Council of Churches (WCC) wants to make its Ninth Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, a space where young people are welcome and enabled to speak - and be heard. "We are doing our best for young people to have as much of an impact as possible," says Natalie Maxson, the person responsible for the WCC's youth programme. Tue, 06 Sep 2005 14:17:11 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=618&cHash=70ca4b6d92 They had literally groped in the dark for ages. But for the past three years, more than a thousand upland folk in a remote village in northern Philippines have felt blessed because they are finally seeing the light of fluorescent bulbs. Tue, 30 Aug 2005 11:36:48 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5840&cHash=916ddd40ce No more violence! Portuguese-speaking women are hoping that this cry will be heard at the World Council of Churches' (WCC) next Assembly. "Violence is sin, and God calls us to salvation," they say. Thu, 25 Aug 2005 12:06:46 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5841&cHash=75b4849679 In 2005, for the second year running, churches representing over 560 million Christians world-wide are being invited to mark the UN International Day of Peace, 21 September, as an International Day of Prayer for Peace. Mon, 08 Aug 2005 15:52:53 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=617&cHash=bcc11ac8b2 The theme for the World Council of Churches (WCC) 9th Assembly, to be held in Porto Alegre, Brazil 14-23 February 2006, invites us to return to, and re-appropriate, the resources of prayer. Thu, 23 Jun 2005 14:11:13 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5842&cHash=d49ed43a62 Grace and peace to you on this Feast of Pentecost 2005, in which we celebrate the many gifts of God?s Spirit! Wed, 04 May 2005 16:29:34 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=616&cHash=c63be4603f People going to Brazilian churches these days have the opportunity not only to free themselves of the weight of their sins but also of their weapons and the risks entailed in their possession. Mon, 02 May 2005 15:52:36 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5843&cHash=15cb22b4ad Church representatives have outlined an extensive reshaping and streamlining of the activity of the World Council of Churches (WCC), to better equip the global Christian body for a "fast-changing" world context and new patterns of church life. Tue, 22 Feb 2005 13:25:19 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5844&cHash=d10a4fb65c Planners for the ninth WCC assembly promised a dynamic event for 2006 during an update to the central committee Wednesday - exactly one year before the assembly. Thu, 17 Feb 2005 13:04:32 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5845&cHash=a2abc1ed94 To restate the ecumenical vision for the 21st century requires a profound change in churches and ecumenical bodies, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia told the central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) today. Tue, 15 Feb 2005 15:24:50 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5846&cHash=0d08f818c3 Reaching decisions by consensus, a major shift in the culture and ethos of the World Council of Churches (WCC), will be at the centre of the upcoming meeting of its Central Committee, which will take place 15-22 February in Geneva. Thu, 10 Feb 2005 08:50:22 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5847&cHash=a6e942e6e0 "The other world we are thinking of is the one we have, not a world beyond," said Rev. Orlando Santos de Oliveira. The primate of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil was speaking at the opening session of a theological forum on the theme of "Theology for another possible world". Therefore "The only possible theology is one that engages with a liberating God on a... Mon, 24 Jan 2005 15:54:52 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5848&cHash=a146f9d529 The spiritual dimensions of transformation underlie its social dimensions, observed participants at an international pre-assembly meeting of WCC Orthodox member churches which completed its work on the island of Rhodes, Greece, yesterday. Mon, 17 Jan 2005 16:07:26 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5849&cHash=91c0550149 An Inter-Orthodox Meeting in preparation for the ninth assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) is taking place 11-16 January in Rhodes, Greece. Wed, 12 Jan 2005 11:21:03 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5850&cHash=5bf2452a94 The WCC ninth assembly in 2006 should be a time of "inspiration and hope" for the churches according to members of the international planning committee after their first visit to the assembly venue in Porto Alegre, Brazil, last week. Mon, 15 Nov 2004 15:55:43 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5851&cHash=f3107e435a World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia lauded the enthusiasm and commitment of Brazilian Churches to prepare for the ninth WCC Assembly. Sun, 14 Nov 2004 15:55:43 +0100 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5852&cHash=898bc92ccd Changes planned in the WCC are a move towards "a new ethos and culture" with the potential "to strengthen and deepen the fellowship of churches". This was the view expressed by the Steering Committee of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC which met in Minsk, Belarus, 16-19 June 2004. Wed, 23 Jun 2004 15:55:43 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5853&cHash=76b2db8b7a "God, in your grace, transform the world" will be the theme of the Ninth General Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), planned for February 2006 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The decision was taken today by the WCC Central Committee meeting in Geneva, August 26 to September 2. The final wording of the theme in English, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese will be announced after the... Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:55:43 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5854&cHash=8e9323dd66 Cf. WCC Press Release PR-03-17, of 9 May 2003 Cf. WCC Press Updates UP-03-22 and UP-03-23, of 13 and 16 May 2003 The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser invited people to propose possible themes for the Council's upcoming ninth assembly, to take place in Porto Alegre in February 2006. Raiser issued the invitation towards the end of an 11-17 May visit to... Mon, 19 May 2003 15:55:43 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5855&cHash=37f27eae1b Cf. WCC Press Release PR-03-17, of 9 May 2003 Cf. WCC Press Update UP-03-22, of 13 May 2003 The Brazilian Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC). But it has pledged its full support for the WCC's upcoming ninth assembly, slated to take place in Porto Alegre in February 2006. The pledge was made by Dom Sinésio Bohn, the Catholic bishop of the diocese of... Fri, 16 May 2003 15:55:43 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5856&cHash=45411e25f7 Cf. WCC Press Release PR-03-17, of 9 May 2003 The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has already been invited to the next assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), which will take place in February 2006 in Porto Alegre. The WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, extended this invitation during a meeting in Brasilia on 12 May 2003. "I should still be head of the... Tue, 13 May 2003 15:55:36 +0200 http://www.wcc-assembly.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5857&cHash=b4edd0a6d7 The Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) will be in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2006, the Central Committee decided Monday (2 September). The delegates made their decision by paper ballot after a recommending committee split three ways on possible venues. Churches in Korea and Cyprus also invited the Council to hold its assembly in Seoul and Nicosia. According to the Rev.... Mon, 02 Sep 2002 15:55:24 +0200