http://wcc2006.info/ News from the WCC Assembly 2006 en http://wcc2006.info/fileadmin/images/wccassembly/assemblylogos/logo_e.gif http://wcc2006.info/ 120 177 News from the WCC Assembly 2006 TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sat, 25 Feb 2006 04:30:00 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8559&cHash=f8d644da58bfce622813b5beb74a98f3 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 04:30:00 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8518&cHash=ed5ebd3226542caea2ad9c1549a7c11e 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 04:15:00 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8556&cHash=e802656e8308b8bbeb6b97c0106828ca Walter Altmann, Gennadios of Sassima and Margaretha Hendriks-Ririmasse are, respectively, the new moderator and vice moderators of the WCC central committee. Fri, 24 Feb 2006 22:04:03 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8558&cHash=106266920097b8af56fd6b101a40108e 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 09:33:49 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8548&cHash=4a4cb5e056a96808c847389ddf531b7f 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 07:13:42 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8557&cHash=6968ba3dcd7bdac24882a397530fe6c3 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 04:35:27 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8494&cHash=ab46ddab9dc578be09eeda9de0587320 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. Wed, 22 Feb 2006 20:35:57 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8513&cHash=4521df4447ba6c30c9d0331a1b53841f 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... Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:52:27 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8514&cHash=c7ecf495c10f9d8539e56ada23d9038d 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. Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:52:00 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8515&cHash=63b0fa95d5d8244dc8995547988229b7 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. Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:51:40 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8516&cHash=3576978d2f2b41a1289b8ee335f8fa26 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 Nations dedicated to the... Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:48:50 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8512&cHash=65c13f5732069457085bb889722585e1 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. Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:46:35 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8517&cHash=6738e4ce82117e89a1e73656a42c9a45 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". Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:41:48 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8460&cHash=970a381ac9ad01fb658ffbdcd06c9299 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 15:41:39 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8461&cHash=09794ab4c0a4b7c6f6635a028b8fbb75 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 13:58:16 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8462&cHash=66baf75847588709840c3f17fd7eebf5 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 13:16:02 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8463&cHash=871493f1007bc6a94b7a51eb9da08828 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 12:39:06 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8457&cHash=eda0806919d9aeb34a1ed4bd9edfa367 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 10:06:31 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8437&cHash=156a929d210f3daa71192552a804e9b7 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 08:40:57 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8438&cHash=551906c0a977260b9328cf3e73f50d65 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 08:26:23 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8387&cHash=ff11c76dc4c43e8bba2fd26d824f21d0 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 10:08:17 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8386&cHash=6d1828a351c54a1e7532f62b0d9696d6 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 10:07:50 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8391&cHash=456bce13fdfc6b779fe4104a374ad0ef 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 08:18:49 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8362&cHash=bf17428eca2a377f4a8c4ea785f63670 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 15:44:32 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8363&cHash=5284e0b5ba8e1e532ad6c0ae2faab1e5 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 10:52:11 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8338&cHash=36c7f512781bdac14aca425ef2c85039 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 09:47:21 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8361&cHash=a5d6e455e6e836a740b326abba454da7 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 08:35:37 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8360&cHash=87047bd16ce9d345983f79aa2a3fa473 "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". Sun, 19 Feb 2006 18:02:58 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8329&cHash=69b6ee58cc585516e49ab9c2d16ef9b8 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 15:07:47 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8337&cHash=20f5714ac9e0cb1ddc23e482db671f99 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". Sat, 18 Feb 2006 20:42:00 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8298&cHash=8c76a0b3f3efb91df79299bb39ee4873 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 09:33:39 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8206&cHash=0488bde27c79d5db24f9e5183dfb8e7c "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 06:25:00 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8207&cHash=665142da9da627fc92375277a91e8935 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 05:23:17 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8297&cHash=e1caaffff9c9262ef95a30055c48d613 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. Fri, 17 Feb 2006 18:15:03 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8187&cHash=00e4fd60f41f34d066548337d51ec67f 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 08:32:31 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8153&cHash=96bdb6b3fce4dc30f8a1d74c21cc85e6 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 16:03:06 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8127&cHash=f59370a9723507b4759d2cd857cdb636 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 13:14:44 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8126&cHash=a2e7ff58d122d59b26f9ed3bd5515285 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 12:54:48 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8154&cHash=02d934f7a54e1ca89b92f15770ee0e6f 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 10:42:54 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8101&cHash=76acb76a074751e2610f6cd921c7528a 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 07:49:08 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8032&cHash=5b1cb8bb869869ef19e76672013c4ac4 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 17:40:49 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8084&cHash=ade80adc9134edc187db640c9aa8735b 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 yet know". Wed, 15 Feb 2006 15:39:18 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8085&cHash=1c58787c9ccda0993697ec184e087846 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 13:52:38 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7993&cHash=9ac791c93484c48e0cb446376bb86444 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 15:31:19 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7991&cHash=31506fb499f1538acbaa59cd02c7b30f 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 13:57:16 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7994&cHash=6f1b512abd100297dbb3bcdfa205538c 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 13:19:53 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7992&cHash=700b0e57be0c16ca3070ea4e58aebe3b 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 06:40:41 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7995&cHash=a681b2d48bc76c4970d5731bc7d94681 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 06:31:44 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8033&cHash=ff52ec523b8fd5a8d5115f5c10181eed 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 06:29:38 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7966&cHash=28796dfdff7bf9fa845201f405dd43e8 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 15:59:58 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7967&cHash=6a679221bfcd421cf221ddd7077a9643 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 14:56:11 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7996&cHash=a29f7ecde9e02c20e07ef93ea707dfb3 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 14:50:20 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7968&cHash=14557e86d803b17afbd5c2d3c6511c71 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 14:00:16 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7974&cHash=b598661edfa5bc6471ffb9c65794156c 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 04:36:54 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7918&cHash=0bf6374b0fb5bb295f5507bc33b0108b 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 13:00:47 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7914&cHash=10e5954c0f3756d74f73942f18778d7a 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 09:03:13 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7765&cHash=ea18844ab94ca18165dbbebd55f86665 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 10:16:51 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=7746&cHash=e407ad67d5d3d4dc1c079b222d8ed744 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 03:42:00 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5833&cHash=59947b89506c8d5cec64e450c4dfbccd "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 09:55:31 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2731&cHash=f6e49e11b9bd1fd7e4846de2c529f624 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 03:42:17 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1412&cHash=c5050fa670b59efdd29862d5ba7e1fd0 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 09:42:00 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1403&cHash=c7f71d8d7034a00fc80aa893ab846d98 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. Wed, 14 Dec 2005 22:11:04 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1398&cHash=45b26ecc6e38104d809e2c250ec9b1b5 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 10:15:56 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1385&cHash=794c2896449071939afc22e9e48b0412 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 08:18:08 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1038&cHash=994b558b4c70ce6170ccd6315ffcb36a 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 11:28:35 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1037&cHash=678d66160f16107c6ab51a265ab101e1 "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 03:17:00 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5835&cHash=bdddb882739748af2801da5fb41d8f6e 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 04:20:03 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1027&cHash=084bda1a1c6725a65bbbb246ae7425ec "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 08:24:14 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1022&cHash=3ebfdcffc7b51565c374b79819aafdd1 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 09:52:22 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5836&cHash=d2a68229f9219410cbc1dd71ca487dd1 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 10:27:34 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=999&cHash=0f99ac02b075d9ef8c80b9acd15b15df 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. Wed, 19 Oct 2005 22:44:15 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1007&cHash=c266bf1d339527a69a221c8d61be81c7 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 04:38:00 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1006&cHash=0204d31a2aa833a3de48c6968ad82ff8 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 04:24:00 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5837&cHash=9dad391d12d92a0325022e13fde1013e 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 11:35:06 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=990&cHash=5f12e0d6b220ced61aa048e4e1ad7a42 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 05:30:10 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=923&cHash=900126c9d5a41158bad9e50513bd5165 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 08:57:08 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=914&cHash=cc64b99d086f479a051ed4bd88a0aeea 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 05:14:22 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=906&cHash=950871ffcb5b5eec39a47651df592d95 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 12:11:42 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=886&cHash=b4bc75b48c551df1fe9afa45259cd472 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 05:15:07 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5838&cHash=d7e99fa9eb55b8e85116f4feb3cb2c1e 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 10:08:31 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=850&cHash=1e1fef7012b0c1067bce747ae273fa76 ''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 10:40:05 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5839&cHash=d5758bb0c837dd6b2cef0edde674f162 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 11:11:48 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=633&cHash=62a5744999e8ef844b819cd5e65dd595 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 08:17:11 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=618&cHash=70ca4b6d922f57e1f24ac7977ef21dcb 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 05:36:48 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5840&cHash=916ddd40cec8378672c0a8acb0c74840 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 06:06:46 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5841&cHash=75b4849679c2fcd53aa2143c72c1f353 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 09:52:53 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=617&cHash=bcc11ac8b279cc00e13be42e2c45060b 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 08:11:13 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5842&cHash=d49ed43a62776066bc2a88e949eb65d2 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 10:29:34 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=616&cHash=c63be4603f56e90061bbe5ac5e5bcf4b 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 09:52:36 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5843&cHash=15cb22b4ad3ec641be66e835aa0f0c42 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 07:25:19 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5844&cHash=d10a4fb65c1bb084a5215c61b31db8b6 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 07:04:32 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5845&cHash=a2abc1ed948f286727c972890f313ed0 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 09:24:50 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5846&cHash=0d08f818c30b95a3dc9de2f74429c4e1 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 02:50:22 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5847&cHash=a6e942e6e0817b7bff6034fa436267e0 "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 concrete pastoral base, in... Mon, 24 Jan 2005 09:54:52 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5848&cHash=a146f9d52946fcd2bc1b50e3abe1377f 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 10:07:26 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5849&cHash=91c055014935a9fa497500c6ba438c8a 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 05:21:03 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5850&cHash=5bf2452a94f79dbe8f0b2b78d358f765 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 09:55:43 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5851&cHash=f3107e435af80e83fc189f50a5fc0b0b 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 09:55:43 -0500 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5852&cHash=898bc92ccdb712452747a8d0df3db6d0 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 09:55:43 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5853&cHash=76b2db8b7a3e8f947a1aeb5421d42121 "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 09:55:43 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5854&cHash=8e9323dd6611e61fc9cf27ef3851998c 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 09:55:43 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5855&cHash=37f27eae1b8f41e09195cc54b95ef4ba 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 09:55:43 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5856&cHash=45411e25f73d7ba6baafdfd88e789b68 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 09:55:36 -0400 http://wcc2006.info/index.php?id=1098&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5857&cHash=b4edd0a6d73d4b1719648759fd867faa 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 09:55:24 -0400