World Council of Churches

Annual Review 2004

“The primary purpose of the fellowship of

churches in the World Council of Churches

is to call one another to visible unity in

one faith and in one eucharistic

fellowship, expressed in worship

and common life in Christ,

through witness and service

to the world, and to advance

towards that unity in order

that the world may

believe.”

From the Constitution of the

World Council of Churches

General Secretary’s Introduction 2WCC in Brief 3WCC Year in Review 4Deepening the Christian Fellowship 8Churches for Reconciliation and Peace 11Building the Unity of the Church 12Churches Speaking the Truth to Power 13Churches in Dialogue with Other Faiths 14Mission & Evangelism: Healing a Broken World 15Churches Caring for Life 16Churches Serving Human Need 18Education: Nurturing the Ecumenical Vision 19Bossey: An Ecumenical Laboratory 20Preserving the Ecumenical Memory 21Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel 22Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa 23

WCC Recent Publications 24WCC on the World Wide Web 26WCC Member Churches 27WCC Finance Overview 28WCC Financial Contributors 29WCC Governing Advisory and Consultative Bodies 31WCC Structure and Staff Teams 32WCC Programmes and Activities 33

WCC Annual Review 2004CONTENTS

WCC Annual Review 2004Project coordination: Geneviève Jacques, Alexander Belopopsky, Yannick Provost.Text and editing: Alexander Belopopsky with Theodore Gill, Joan Cambitsis, Libby Visinand and WCC programme staff.Membership and finance data: Jean-Nicolas Bazin, Elaine Dykes.Image research and photo credits: WCC/Peter Williams and ACT International; Reuters; WCC/Belopopsky;WCC/Michel; Bossey Ecumenical Institute.Design and Layout: Aplin Clark (UK).Printed in France in April 2005.

Photo creditsFront cover: The courage to hope: girls outside a Catholic church in Eritrea (WCC/Peter Williams). Inside front cover: Armenian carved cross at Etchmiadzin (WCC/Peter Williams).Back cover: the ecumenical centre in Geneva (WCC/Peter Williams).

The following related documents are available on our website www.wcc-coe.org or on request from WCC:

WCC Directory 2005Includes lists and contact details of WCC member churches, ecumenical organizations, governing bodies and staff.

WCC Finance Report 2004The detailed audited report on WCC finance.

WCC Programme Plan 2006 (Summary)An overview of WCC programme plans.

World Council of ChurchesP.O. Box 2100CH-1211 Geneva 2SwitzerlandTel: +41 22 791 6111Fax: +41 22 791 0361E-mail: publicinformation@wcc-coe.orgWeb: www.wcc-coe.org

G e n e r a l S e c r e t a r y ’s I n t r o d u c t i o n

2

The year 2004 proved to be rich ininitiative and hope for the World Councilof Churches and for the wider ecumenicalmovement. The WCC was able to provide a unique space for the articulation of acommon voice and for concerted action of churches in a world characterized byconflict and polarization.

The WCC annual review 2004 offers aglimpse into the wealth of activity carriedout by the Council together with itsmember churches and ecumenical partnersaround the globe. Whether in theologicalstudy, mobilization for justice and peace,dialogue with other faiths, humanitarianservice, or education and formation, theWCC provided innovative leadership and aglobal institutional form to the communityof churches worldwide. As the largestglobal organization of churches, the WCCremains a unique and privileged instrumentof the ecumenical movement.

This was also my first year as WCC generalsecretary and I am grateful to our churches,ecumenical partners and agencies for theirgenerous support and encouragementwhich have sustained me and carried theCouncil during this period. In my firstmonths of service, I gave some priority to meeting with and listening to ourmembership and wider constituency in my visits to several regions of the world.Wherever I went, I witnessed the profoundchanges affecting the world, and I felt the

anxiety and concern of our churches andtheir societies. Fear, poverty and illnesscontinue to enslave many millions.

But in all places I also experienced anauthentic sense of Christian hope rooted ina profound spirituality and faith in JesusChrist. This hope emerges joyfully in thecontinuity of things of the spirit with action for justice and peace. I am convincedthat this spiritual yearning of people issomething the ecumenical movement needsto rediscover as a source of vitality, a“compass” for our actions and a foundationfor renewal.

In 2005 the WCC enters the final yearbefore its ninth assembly in Porto Alegre,Brazil, which takes as its theme “God, inyour grace, transform the world”. Weanticipate that this assembly will be aunique moment of fellowship, prayer andhope for thousands of Christians fromaround the world. The year of preparationis certain to be significant for the Council,as a rapidly changing world context andnew realities require that we discern andadapt our strategies and programmaticfocus. The effective and united voice andwitness of the churches has rarely been sonecessary.

Rev. Dr Samuel KobiaWCC general secretary

Introduction

“A year rich in initiative and hope

… in a world characterized by

conflict and polarization”Rev. Dr Samuel KobiaWCC general secretary

W CC I n B r i e f

3

The World Council of Churches is the world’s most inclusive ecumenicalorganization, and aims to promoteChristian unity in faith, witness andservice. The WCC defines itself as afellowship of churches which confess theLord Jesus Christ as God and Saviouraccording to the scriptures and seek tofulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Today, the WCC brings together 347churches, denominations and churchfellowships in over 100 countriesthroughout the world, representing over550 million Christians and includingchurches from the diverse traditions of theProtestant Reform, most of the world’sOrthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches,as well as many United and Unitingchurches.

The modern ecumenical movement beganin the late nineteenth and early twentiethcenturies, when Christians began to prayand work together across denominationalboundaries. By the 1920s, severalpioneering movements had been formed to advance the cause of church unityworldwide. In 1937, church leaders fromProtestant and Orthodox traditions agreedto establish a World Council of Churches,and in 1948 representatives of 147churches gathered in Amsterdam toconstitute the WCC. Since that time, a

growing number of churches on everycontinent have joined this search forChristian unity.

Eight WCC assemblies have met sinceAmsterdam (1948): Evanston (1954), New Delhi (1961), Uppsala (1968), Nairobi (1975), Vancouver (1983),Canberra (1991) and Harare (1998). The ninth assembly will be held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2006.

Each assembly elects a central committee(158 members) which meets every 12 to 18 months, and an executive committee(25 members) which meets twice a year to oversee the policies and programmes of the Council.

In 2004, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia (fromKenya) succeeded Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser(from Germany) as the general secretaryand heads the 170 staff based at the WCC headquarters in Geneva. The WCCmaintains offices in the USA, the MiddleEast, Eastern Europe and the Pacific andworks with a network of programme staffand consultants in all regions.

The World Council of Churches is the

world’s most inclusive ecumenical

organization, and

aims to promote

Christian unity in

faith, witness and

service

4

WCC Year in Review 2004New WCC general secretaryThe WCC welcomed a new generalsecretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia from theMethodist Church in Kenya, who took upoffice in January 2004. In an interviewpublished after his first 100 days in theposition, Kobia emphasized that, as amovement and as an institution, he “wouldlike to see the WCC offer moral guidanceon the crucial issues facing the world. I am convinced that the questionsconfronting the world today are of afundamentally spiritual nature … I wouldlike the WCC to be both a bridge-builderand a bridge itself, connecting humanityand allowing people to relate to each other again.”

India: Christian presence at the World Social ForumAffirming the spirituality of life and humandignity was the WCC’s central theologicalmessage at the World Social Forum inMumbai, India, in January. The themeunderlay the five seminars the WCC ranjointly with the World YWCA, the LutheranWorld Federation (LWF), Church WorldService and other ecumenical organizations.A strong interfaith dimension was part ofthe approach of the ecumenical delegation,the largest Christian participation since theSocial Forum started in 2000.

USA: “The Power and Promise of Peace”“The Power and Promise of Peace” was the compelling theme for the 2004 annualfocus of the WCC’s “Decade to OvercomeViolence (DOV): Churches SeekingReconciliation and Peace (2001–10)”, this time on the USA. It was also the themeof the 2004 annual meeting of the UnitedStates Conference of the WCC, held 5–6October in Atlanta, Georgia. Among keypersonalities involved in the event wereformer US Ambassador to the UN, Rev.Andrew Young, King Center president andCEO, Martin Luther King III, and the WCCpresident from North America, Dr BernicePowell Jackson.

Churches and the Rwandagenocide: The Kigali CovenantThe need for churches to confess theircollective failure in addressing theRwandan genocide when it erupted tenyears ago was part of the message that theWCC general secretary brought to Rwandaduring his first visit to the country from16–18 April 2004. A central part of theprogramme was devoted to an internationalecumenical workshop on “Lasting Peace inAfrica” co-convened by the WCC and theAll Africa Conference of Churches, andattended by church and ecumenical leadersfrom some 20 African countries. Theworkshop’s conclusions were summarizedin a document – the “Kigali Covenant” –which proclaimed “never again should sucha degree of violence and crime against

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Installation of new general secretary Kobia in Africa Overcoming violence: focus on USA

5

humanity be allowed to occur in any of ourcountries … the leadership of churches andgovernments [should] feed the minds andsouls of their people with love, peace andreconciliatory messages so that painfulexperiences in human memory are notexploited.”

Orthodox Church relations:meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch“You are at home here,” were the wordsused by Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I to welcome the WCC general secretaryduring his first visit to the EcumenicalPatriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey, in May2004. In his welcome, the EcumenicalPatriarch said that, as one of the foundingmembers of the WCC in 1948, theEcumenical Patriarchate “has alwayscollaborated fully” and “will continue towork within the WCC towards the unity ofthe church”. The Ecumenical Patriarchatehas given strong support to the work of the Special Commission on OrthodoxParticipation in the WCC since 1998. Kobiahighlighted “the pioneering role of theEcumenical Patriarchate in the areas ofecology and interreligious relations.”

Kobia meets with UN secretary-generalChurches’ concern over the situation inIraq and Israel/Palestine, the role of religionin conflict, and working relations betweenthe WCC and the United NationsOrganization were the focus of the firstmeeting between the UN secretary-general

Kofi Annan and the WCC general secretarySamuel Kobia on 19 May. Annan welcomedthe initiative to invite the Council’smember churches to mark the InternationalDay of Peace with prayer services.

Hopes for peace in Sudan

“Peace is coming” was the hopeful refrainechoed by the international ecumenicalwomen’s delegation to Sudan which was co-organized by the WCC and the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), 29 June–9 July. Earlier in the year, theWCC general secretary welcomed thepeace agreement between the warringparties in the Sudanese civil war as “an important step towards nationalreconciliation and healing” and “a turningpoint for the people of Sudan”. The WCChas been at the forefront of church effortsfor peace in the country for decades.

Faith and Order Commission meets in Malaysia

The world’s most representative theologicalforum for Christian unity – the WorldCouncil of Churches’ Commission on Faith and Order – met in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia, from 28 July to 6 August 2004,under the theme “Receive one another, asChrist has received you, for the glory ofGod” (Romans 15:7). The commission’sfirst meeting in the twenty-first century, itwas also the first time it gathered in aMuslim-majority country. In his address tothe meeting, the prime minister ofMalaysia, H. E. Dato’ Seri Abdullah bin Haji

Ecumenical Patriarch Faith and Order: young theologians United Nations

6

Ahmad Badawi, stated that the largeChristian gathering gave him “great hopethat, together, we can fight the perceptionthat religions are at war, and thatcivilizations are colliding”.

Churches continue the fight against HIV/AIDSThe WCC, as part of the EcumenicalAdvocacy Alliance, joined other faith-basedgroups at the 15th international AIDSconference in Bangkok, Thailand, in July to highlight the major role religiouscommunities play in responding to thephysical, emotional and spiritual needs of those living with HIV and AIDS.Participants also debated the challengesinvolved in combating stigma andpreventing the spread of the virus.

WCC executive experiences Asian vitalityThe vitality of the churches and of theecumenical movement in Korea and in theAsia region were at the centre of attentionduring the August WCC executivecommittee meeting in Seoul. Members ofthe WCC’s governing body met with SouthKorean church leaders and president Roh Moo-hyun, who expressed strongappreciation of the WCC for its“fundamental assistance” in support ofhuman rights and democratization in hiscountry. The president also invited a futureWCC assembly to a reunited Korea.

21 September: International Day of Prayer for PeaceWithin the framework of its Decade toOvercome Violence, the WCC called on itsmember churches to pray for peace on 21September. The new WCC initiative waslinked to the International Day of Peacedeclared by the UN general assembly.Church leaders from all regions contributedinspiring video messages for the launch. In his message, WCC moderator CatholicosAram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church(Cilicia) emphasized that “peace is anessential dimension of our Christian life andwitness. Peace is a gift of God given tohumanity through the incarnation of ourLord Jesus Christ. Peace is also a God-givenvocation that must be fulfilled in obedientresponse to the call of God.”

World Bank and InternationalMonetary Fund at the Ecumenical CentreWorld Bank (WB) president James D.Wolfensohn and International MonetaryFund (IMF) deputy managing directorAgustín Carstens joined WCC generalsecretary Samuel Kobia and WCC presidentfor Africa Agnes Abuom for a high-levelencounter between the three organizationson 22 October 2004 at the EcumenicalCentre in Geneva. The event was theculmination of a two-year process andresulted in a statement on “CommonGround and Differences of View” onpoverty eradication worldwide.

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World Bank president Wolfensohn Spirituality against HIV/AIDS Korean welcome

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Towards the ninth assembly: Kobia in Latin AmericaSamuel Kobia visited five Latin Americancountries in 21 days on his first visit tothe region since he became generalsecretary. The intensive programme inBolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay andChile included meetings with church andecumenical organizations, as well as withrepresentatives from civil society andgovernment authorities. In Porto Alegre,Brazil, Kobia participated in the planningcommittee meeting for the WCC ninthassembly, to be held in this city in February 2006.

Church advocacy at the United Nations

United Nations reform, economic justice,the crisis in Sudan and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty were the focus of theannual World Council of Churches’ UNAdvocacy Week which took place from 14–19 November in New York at the UNand the WCC’s UN liaison office.

On the wings of a dove“On the wings of a dove”, a 16-day WCCglobal campaign to overcome violenceagainst women and children, waslaunched on 25 November 2004.Churches and church-relatedorganizations worldwide addressedviolence against women and children bypromoting increased public awareness,and attempting to bring justice andhealing to those who have suffered or arestill suffering from violence. Worship andprayer vigils, discussions and exhibitionsalso characterized the campaign.

Ecumenism in the twenty-firstcenturyThe future of ecumenism in the twenty-first century was the focus of a majorconference convened by the WCC from30 November–3 December near Geneva.The event gathered representatives froma range of churches and agencies todiscuss more effective institutional formsfor ecumenical work in a changing globalcontext. The consultation’s finalstatement emphasized the urgency ofseeking new forms of ecumenism. It alsounderlined the WCC’s role to provide aforum for “exchange and commonadvocacy against injustice”, to “fosteraccountability in the quality ofrelationships among churches andpartners”, and to “provide space for the ecumenical movement to formulate acommon ecumenical vision for thetwenty-first century”.

Ten years of ecumenical newsWCC co-sponsored Ecumenical NewsInternational celebrated its 10thanniversary in 2004. Congratulating the agency, the WCC general secretaryunderlined the commitment “to the vision of an independent, professional,ecumenical news service as anindispensable resource for the witnessand mutual understanding of theChristian fellowship worldwide.” Further information on www.eni.ch.

Asian tsunami: churches quick to ACTWCC member churches were among the first to respond to the devastatingtsunami which affected several Asiancountries at the end of 2004. Workingthrough ACT (Action by ChurchesTogether) churches and related agenciespledged over $40 million in response tothe crisis. WCC staff also visited theaffected region and facilitatedcollaboration among local churches andaid organizations. ACT is a global allianceof Orthodox and Protestant churches co-founded by WCC to respond tohumanitarian disasters.

Background and further informationon these highlights and other WCCactions in 2004 are available on ourwebsite: www.wcc-coe.org

Latin America Churches in ACTionCatholicos Aram I

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“A call for atransformationof theecumenicalmovement fromthe narrowconfines of itsinstitutions”

The WCC brings together Christianchurches from all regions and a broadspectrum of confessional families.Nurturing and deepening the fellowshipamong churches and ecumenical partnersis a central task of the WCC through thework of its general secretary and theOffice of Church and EcumenicalRelations.

Church and ecumenical relationsThroughout 2004, an intensive programmeof visits to churches was carried out by thegeneral secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia,during his first year of service (15 visits to 6 continents), carefully prepared incooperation with staff responsible for the programmatic content and thecommunication aspect. The series of visitsincluded Asia, the Pacific, Europe, NorthAmerica, Africa and an extensive tour ofLatin America, in advance of the WCC’sninth assembly in Brazil in 2006.

Work on the recommendations of theSpecial Commission on OrthodoxParticipation in the WCC was pursued,focusing primarily on a review of decision-making procedures, the adoption of aconsensus model, a strengthening of WCCmembership criteria, and the necessaryrevision to WCC procedural rules. Thesteering committee of the SpecialCommission in the WCC met in Minsk,Belarus, in June 2004. Participants affirmedsupport for changes in the WCC's decision-

making and membership rules, anddeveloped theological reflection on issuesof ecclesiology.

In early March, in Lebanon, the WCCgeneral secretary and the moderatorCatholicos Aram I met with Cardinal WalterKasper and representatives of the Vatican’sPontifical Council for Promoting ChristianUnity. The Joint Working Group betweenthe WCC and the Roman Catholic Churchheld its last plenary session in May 2004and concluded the seven-year mandate ofthe Group by adopting a detailed reportand results of joint studies that will bepresented at the ninth assembly. In 2006,the Joint Working Group will celebrate the40th anniversary of its existence.

The WCC co-organized the fifth annualmeeting of the Joint Consultative Groupbetween the WCC and Pentecostals inSouth Africa in September.

A reinforced global roleIn September, the annual meeting of theWCC with leaders of regional ecumenicalorganizations approved the text of a jointletter to the UN secretary-generalexpressing support for a strengthened UNrole in the world. The group also gaveparticular attention to a reinforced globalrole for the WCC and closer collaborationwith its regional partners. Earlier in theyear, in June, the WCC hosted a meeting ofthe ecumenical officers of memberchurches, who explored ways of

S t r e n g t h e n i n g t h e O n e E c u m e n i c a l M o ve m e n t

Deepening the Christian

Fellowship

9

coordinating ecumenical efforts moreeffectively, and discussed interfaithrelations and new trends in the Christianworld.

In May 2004, the Global Christian Forumin Asia was the first of a series of fourregional consultations that will lead to aGlobal Christian Forum planned for 2007.

The Joint Consultative Group of the WCCand Pentecostals held its fifth annualmeeting in South Africa in Septemberand prepared a report to be submitted tothe ninth assembly.

New member churchesIn its August meeting the executivecommittee approved the application ofnew member churches. It endorsed theproposal that the Protestant Church inthe Netherlands be accepted as amember church in continuation of themembership of the former NetherlandsReformed Church, Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and EvangelicalLutheran Church in the Kingdom of theNetherlands, which have now united.

Ecumenism in the 21st century The landmark consultation on ecumenismin the 21st century, organized nearGeneva, 30 November–3 December 2004,brought together more than 100participants from WCC memberchurches, from Catholic and Pentecostalchurches as well as from Christian worldcommunions, regional and nationalecumenical organizations, internationalecumenical institutions and church-related agencies.

During the three days of dialogue,participants shared their visions ofecumenism and looked at more effectiveways to work together in today’s rapidlychanging ecclesial, economic and politicalcontexts. The consultation concludedwith a call for a transformation of theecumenical movement from the narrowconfines of its institutions. In relateddiscussions, WCC sought to strengthenits policy of partnership with specializedorganizations of churches, which havetraditionally formed a key network ofsupport for ecumenical work, especiallyin the areas of advocacy anddevelopment. Further steps in theprocess of institutional “reconfiguration”are anticipated during 2005.

A common ecumenical homeThroughout the year the EcumenicalCentre, the WCC’s Geneva headquarters,remained a space of welcome and diverseactivity. Almost 3000 visitors in organizedgroups originating from more than 30countries were welcomed to the centreand participated in presentations anddiscussion with staff of WCC and partnerorganizations. The centre provides aunique open space of hospitality ininternational Geneva, and its facilities areregularly used by other organizations andinstitutions.

Towards the ninth assembly 2006 Preparations for the WCC’s ninthassembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil inFebruary 2006 moved into a new phase.An assembly office was opened in Genevaand a coordinator and other staff wereappointed. The Assembly PlanningCommittee met twice, in Italy and inBrazil, to develop the programme and toapprove key policies. Staff worked withlocal churches and partners in PortoAlegre to plan for the event, which willgather over 3,000 Christians from alltraditions and all regions under thetheme “God, in your grace, transform the world”.

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“Creative waysof promoting a culture ofpeace andreconciliation”

D e c a d e t o O ve r c o m e V i o l e n c e

Churches for

Reconciliation and Peace

Launched in 2001, the WCC’s Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) remains apriority theme for the fellowship andcontinues to provide a unique frameworkfor churches around the world to address“the spirit, logic and practice” of violenceand to develop creative ways of promotinga culture of peace and reconciliationtogether.

The power and promise of peaceThe DOV annual focus for 2004 was on theUSA, organized under the theme “ThePower and Promise of Peace”. A nationalDOV committee and the WCC US officecoordinated a calendar of church peaceevents throughout the year, culminating inOctober at the WCC US Conference annualmeeting in Atlanta. Attention was drawn tothe US churches’ responsibility for peaceand justice through a series of workshopsand worship services, and participantswere moved by the messages of solidaritybrought by a group of eight “living letters”from countries in conflict. In 2005, the DOVannual focus is on Asia, taking the theme“Building Communities of Peace for All”,which is also the theme of the seventhassembly of the Christian Conference ofAsia.

Religion, power and violenceReligion has potential both as a soothingbalm and as an explosive fuel in situationsof conflict. The sixth Willem Visser ‘t Hooftconsultation, held at the Ecumenical

Institute in Bossey in June 2004, broughttogether people from various religioustraditions, soliciting their spiritualresources to identify inter-religious models,resources and networks for peace-building.A short film on the event was produced.

International Day of Prayer for PeaceIn consultation with the United Nations,the WCC invited churches from around theworld to mark 21 September 2004 as thefirst International Day of Prayer for Peace,to coincide with the UN’s existing day ofpeace. One of the highlights of this globalmobilization was a series of messages from14 world Christian leaders and peace-makers from all continents. These weremade available on the DOV website, alongwith other resources for prayer and liturgy.

Throughout the year, the DOV coordinatingoffice developed closer links with the UNDecade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World. Inthis context, the WCC’s DOV programmetook part in the first internationalexhibition of peace initiatives in Paris. New DOV educational tools and materialswere made available on the DOV websiteand on CD.

Further information:www.overcomingviolence.org

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“Receive oneanother, asChrist hasreceived you,for the gloryof God”

The WCC coordinates and supports theefforts of churches to study the theologicaland doctrinal issues affecting their unityand division, primarily through itsCommission on Faith and Order. TheRoman Catholic Church is a full partnerwith member churches of the WCC in the work of Faith and Order, andrepresentatives of other non-memberchurches are involved in the meetings andrelated study processes.

Faith and Order Plenary CommissionThe year proved to be one of change andsteady development for Faith and Order.The milestone event was the Faith andOrder Plenary Commission meeting inlate July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, underthe theme “Receive one another, as Christhas received you, for the glory of God”(Rom. 15:7). The Plenary Commission,which is held every seven years, concludedthat “there are still many questions weneed to explore, but we became aware ofreaching a moment of hope, havingidentified a framework which might enablechurches to move forward in terms ofmutual recognition”. A group of youngertheologians made a significant impact onthe meeting, through both theirinterventions and a message to thegathering.

Visible unity of the churchFaith and Order focused on several studiesadvancing the visible unity of the church.

The study on ecclesiology – developed inlight of churches’ responses to the ground-breaking WCC process on baptism,eucharist and ministry (BEM) – seeks toexpress what the churches “can now saytogether about the nature and purpose ofthe church” and, from that perspective, to clarify the continuing areas ofdisagreement.

The work on ecclesiology wascomplemented by a study of ethnic identity,national identity and the search for theunity of the church. This explores the roleof churches in situations of tension andconflict – especially where divisionsbetween churches reinforce ethnic andnational cleavages – and how Christianunity can further the churches’ witness toreconciliation and justice. The ongoingFaith and Order study on the nature andmission of the church was also upheld as amajor ecumenical tool for the twenty-firstcentury.

Week of Prayer for Christian UnityThe Week of Prayer for Christian Unity2005, prepared early in the year, markedthe beginning of a new era of collaborationbetween the WCC and the Roman CatholicChurch. For the first time, the text was notonly jointly prepared but also co-publishedby the WCC and the Pontifical Council forPromoting Christian Unity.

U n i t y o f t h e C h u r c h

Building the

Unity of

the Church

13

“To monitor and influence UN policy by bringing the voice ofthe churches to the forefront of international debate”

E c u m e n i c a l A d vo c a c y a n d Pe a c e f u l R e s o l u t i o n o f Co n f l i c t s

ChurchesSpeaking the

Truth to Power

The year 2004 provided ample reasonsfor promoting ecumenical advocacy andpeaceful resolution of conflicts. TheChurches’ Commission on InternationalAffairs is the WCC’s instrument foradvocacy and Christian witness in thearena of global political life. In late 2003and 2004, the International Affairs teamanalysed and prepared statements andminutes on conflicts in Sudan, Korea,Zimbabwe, Somalia, Israel/Palestine,India/Pakistan and on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Emerging advocacy prioritiesRecognizing the need for a flexibleresponse to new crises, in 2004 the CCIACommission also identified the need for amore proactive advocacy approach tofour regional priorities during the periodleading up to the WCC ninth assembly:(1) peace with justice in Israel/Palestine,including support for the ecumenicalaccompaniment programme and effortsto establish a Jerusalem EcumenicalCentre in the old city; (2) promotion of peace and reunificationin the Korean peninsula; (3) close cooperation with the ZimbabweCouncil of Churches in support of a

sustainable resolution of the politicalcrisis there; (4) special efforts to accompany Cubanchurches in the complex transition on the island.

United Nations liaisonThe strengthened WCC UN Liaison Officein New York serves as a link between theUN and the work and constituency of theWCC and aims to monitor and influenceUN policy by bringing the voice of thechurches to the forefront of internationaldebate. Among the year’s priority areaswere monitoring of the UN securitycouncil in response to conflicts,disarmament and environment, economicjustice, impunity and the rights ofindigenous peoples.

The WCC UN office facilitated the firstmeeting of the new WCC generalsecretary with his UN counterpart KofiAnnan. A highlight of the year was theWCC Advocacy Week at the UN, whichwas organized for the second time inNew York in November. Some 80participants from churches and partnerscame together for a week of discussionand common strategizing. Four public

seminars were held in the UN building on the Millennium Development Goals,nuclear proliferation, UN reform and thesituation in Sudan.

Nuclear non-proliferationThe Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treatystatement was followed-up by a WCCdelegation to five foreign ministries ofnon-nuclear members of NATO, and tothe NATO headquarters, focusing on the contradictions between existing stateundertakings in the NPT and thelanguage used in the Strategic Doctrineof NATO in which nuclear weaponsmaintain an essential role. The delegationwas well received and in each capitalthere was strong interest in furtherdialogue with churches.

Spirituality and politicsIn response to the increasing interactionbetween religion and politics, a seminarwas organized in December on “SpiritualAccompaniment on Political Processes”.One conclusion was the need for aclearer and more proactive political rolefor the churches, in order to strengthenthe value of politics by refocusing onissues of principle.

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“Do not neglect to show hospitalityto strangers, forby doing thatsome haveentertainedangels withoutknowing it”

The WCC is increasingly expected toprovide analysis, resources and guidanceon interreligious dialogue andcooperation. The WCC InterreligiousRelations and Dialogue staff work with a broad network of other faithcommunities, institutions and academicsto maintain and strengthen interfaithtolerance and mutual understanding,despite an international context which has reinforced prejudice and interreligious tension.

Religious plurality and Christianself-understandingAfter a two-year study process involvingdiverse international networks and WCC staff teams, a study document on a theological approach to ReligiousPlurality and Christian Self-Understanding was produced and willbe presented at the WCC ninth assembly.The theme of hospitality was chosen asthe leitmotif of the document, indicatinga welcoming attitude to others andechoing the biblical experience ofHebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to showhospitality to strangers, for by doing thatsome have entertained angels withoutknowing it.”

Christians and Muslims in the USAThe WCC helped initiate discussionsbetween diverse Muslim and Christiangroups from the USA and the Middle Easton the impact of US–Arab relations onChristian–Muslim mutual perceptions and the so-called clash of civilizations. In 2003 and 2004, a series of conferenceswas held in Europe and the Middle East.Visits of Middle Eastern Christians andMuslims to the USA were prepared for2005 and a set of encounters withChristians of various persuasions wasplanned.

Teaching for toleranceThe WCC continued to facilitate contactsand exchange between Christianinstitutions and centres specializing inthe study of Islam and Christian–Muslimrelations. A number of meetings havebeen held over the years with a variety ofthemes. In 2004, and for the third timesince 1995, the WCC co-sponsored withthe University of Balamand in Lebanonan international consultation ondeveloping teaching programmes ininterreligious and intercultural studies.

African religious and spiritual lifeA major multifaith consultation on thecontribution of Africa to religious andspiritual life was jointly prepared by theWCC and the Pontifical Council forInterreligious Dialogue and held inSeptember in Ethiopia.

Imagining the futureA planning group involving partners fromother religions began preparations for amajor WCC interreligious conferencescheduled for June 2005. Under thetheme “A critical moment in interreligiousrelations and dialogue: thinking together,assessing the present and imagining thefuture”, this global event is expected tosignal renewed ecumenical commitmentto interreligious dialogue.

D i a l o g u e w i t h N e i g h b o u r s o f O t h e r R e l i g i o n s

Churches in Dialoguewith Other Faiths

Mission and evangelism is one of thecentral historical streams of the workof the WCC. Mission in an ecumenicalperspective is understood as thepromotion of common witness andmutual support of churches in theirevangelistic and healing role in theworld. The WCC mission staff workwith churches and mission agenciesworldwide to develop collaboration andto deepen reflection on the theologyand methods of holistic mission.

Promoting the ministry ofreconciliationThe theme of reconciliation undergirdedthe main activities of the programme onmission and evangelism in preparationfor the conference on world mission andevangelism in Athens in May 2005, underthe theme “Come, Holy Spirit, Healand Reconcile! Called in Christ to beReconciling and Healing Communities”.Among the most genuinely global missiongatherings, the conference will involveover 500 participants from virtuallyall Christian traditions. During 2004,priority was given to the theological,spiritual and material preparationsfor this major event.

Several theological and spiritualdocuments were published in theInternational Review of Mission and inbook form. Two statements wereprepared on new insights in theologyand mission: one on missionfrom the perspective of the message ofreconciliation, the other on the intrinsicrelationship between the healingmandate of the church and its missionarycalling.

Mission with the poorThe Urban and Rural Mission officeconvened an intercontinentalconsultation in Ghana in June 2004

under the theme “mission from theperspective of people in struggle”.Participants emphasized the need for anunderstanding and practice of missionwith the poor, involving the church andtransforming its mission to go beyond thechurch into diverse religious and socialcontexts.

Other key moments of reflection duringthe year included the Zambia conferenceon mission and development, the annualschool for evangelism held in Fiji, and anAfro-Asian mission consultation in Indiaon healing, reconciliation and power.

Churches as healing communities:HIV/AIDSTo foster churches’ reflection and actionon their healing ministries, in particularin relation to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, aseries of consultations was organized inall regions. Networking and advocacywork was developed in relation toHIV/AIDS in close cooperation with theEcumenical Advocacy Alliance, co-founded by the WCC, such as support forthe code of good practice for HIV/AIDSand an active contribution at the 15thinternational AIDS conference in Bangkokwhere the contribution of faith-basedorganizations was accordedunprecedented recognition.

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“Called inChrist to bereconciling and healingcommunities”

M i n i s t r y o f R e c o n c i l i a t i o n

Mission and

Evangelism: Healinga Broken World

16

“For the WCC,priority is givento ethicalapproaches tojustice, humanrights andequality”

The WCC works with churches andecumenical networks to upholdalternative visions of the unity ofhumankind, a vision characterized by justice, peace and solidarity.

Dialogue with international financial institutionsDialogue with the World Bank and theInternational Monetary Fund culminatedin October with a historic high-levelencounter between the leadership of theWCC and the two financial institutions.Their common commitment to overcomepoverty was affirmed, despite differingperspectives: priority is given toeconomic growth by the Bretton Woodsinstitutions, while the WCC’s priority isethical approaches to justice, humanrights and equality. The threeorganizations agreed to continue jointwork on case studies to assess the impacton people’s lives of World Bank and IMFprogrammes.

The WCC’s AGAPE process (Alternativesto Globalization Addressing People andEarth) culminated with a meeting toharvest the findings of a regional processof consultation, to be presented at theWCC’s ninth assembly. The WCC’s rolein promoting ecumenical coordination at the World Social Forum developedsignificantly in India and in preparationsfor Porto Alegre in 2005.

Practical justiceRussia’s signing of the Kyoto Protocolwas welcomed by the WCC network onclimate change, which significantlycontributed to this achievement. Thenetwork began to broaden its cooperation

with other ecumenical partners, linking its work on climate change with a commitment to ensure clean water for all.

Members of churches and organizationsworking on racial justice reflected on the theme “Living out the challenges oftransformative justice.” They developedtheir responses to exclusive migrationpolicies and increasing xenophobia and racist violence in some countries. A resource guide on TransformativeJustice: Being Church and OvercomingRacism was published and widelydistributed.

The Indigenous People’s programme emphasized loss of land and resourcesand the safeguarding of indigenouslanguages. Relocating the programme toBolivia allowed greater emphasis on thedaily experience of indigenous peopleand churches in their local context.

On the wings of a doveA global church campaign on violenceagainst women was launched by theWCC on 25 November and lasted until 10 December. Entitled “On the wings of a dove”, the campaign focused on effortsmade to overcome violence againstwomen and children. Brochures, postersand a website were used to raiseawareness of the problem in churchesand among the broader public.

E t h i c s o f L i f e a n d A l t e r n a t i ve s t o G l o b a l i z a t i o n

Churches Caring

for Life

17

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“Conditions affecting refugees, migrants and internallydisplaced people worsened in most regions of the world”

S o l i d a r i t y a n d S h a r i n g i n t h e R e g i o n s

Churches Serving

Human Need

Since its inception, the WCC hasconsidered service to those in need ascentral to the life of the ecumenicalmovement. The WCC strengthenscollaboration in the area of practicalsolidarity, capacity-building anddevelopment cooperation worldwide, and coordinates ecumenical work withrefugees and migrants. During 2004,staff of the Diakonia and Solidarity teamcoordinated some 54 ecumenical round-table programmes focusing on povertyalleviation and social welfare, supporteda range of church projects and visits,and conducted training workshops inseveral regions.

Considerable progress was made inestablishing church-based networksworking on children’s issues in Asia.These networks enable churches to bemore aware of the needs of children intheir countries, to develop more effectiveways of responding to those needs and to learn from – and encourage – oneanother. An international conference ofOrthodox Church social and humanitarianorganizations was held in Finland in May,leading to plans for a global Orthodoxnetwork on diakonia.

Commission of the Churches onDiakonia and DevelopmentThe new WCC Commission of theChurches on Diakonia and Developmentmet in May to consider issues such as therole of religion in development, diakoniaand justice, and the rights-basedapproach to development. The 2005meeting of the Commission will follow-upon these issues, consider a code ofconduct for churches and relatedorganizations working in diakonia anddevelopment, and discuss interfaithperspectives on development and service.

A study on the relationship betweendiakonia and justice was carried out in conjunction with the Justice, Peaceand Creation team. Contributions werereceived from approximately 100partners working in the regions. Theresults will be published in 2005.

Uprooted peopleWork with uprooted people continues to be a high priority, particularly asconditions affecting refugees, migrantsand internally displaced people worsen inmost regions of the world. Ecumenicalworking groups met in most regions, andthe annual meeting of the GlobalNetwork on Uprooted People took placein September with a particular focus ongender-based violence and HIV/AIDSamong refugees and migrants.

Cooperation increased with ACTInternational, the WCC-relatedemergency coordination office. At thevery end of the year, the destructioncaused by the tsunami disaster in Asialed to a massive outpouring of assistancefrom the international community. ACTmobilized significant support for churchpartners in the region. Although rarelyhighlighted in international media, thesupport of Asian churches and relatedorganizations in the affected areas wasimmediate and effective.

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“To enablechurches andecumenicalorganizationsto be effectivecarriers of theecumenicalvision”

The purpose of ecumenical formation in the WCC is to develop anew anecumenical consciousness in thechurches and ecumenical movement, and to enable churches and ecumenicalorganizations to be effective carriers ofthe ecumenical vision.

Understanding the ecumenicalmovementThere is increasing recognition of theneed for ecumenical formation within the leadership and staff of churches,councils and agencies in the ecumenicalmovement. In response, two initiativeswere taken in 2004. A CD-ROM wasproduced containing advice,methodologies, presentations andresources to assist ecumenical formationin various contexts. In December, aninternational ecumenical formationseminar brought together staff from 14churches and agencies for an intensiveprogramme designed to help participantsunderstand the ecumenical movementand to strengthen their activeparticipation.

In some places, ecumenism is regardedwith suspicion, but church workers arekeen to know more. A workshop washeld in November at the InternationalBaptist Theological Seminary in Pragueon the theme “Education for unity andunity in education”. Church, religious andtheological educators came from

Orthodox and Protestant churches inCentral and Eastern Europe. Althoughthere were significant differencesbetween the countries represented,participants identified commonchallenges to the role and content ofreligious education in state education and the need to develop theologicaleducation.

Working in the regionsThe strategy of appointing WCC regionalconsultants for the Asia/Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, and LatinAmerica/Caribbean regions is proving to be effective for the EcumenicalTheological Education programme, which requires contextual approaches.Examples include the development of an HIV/AIDS-responsive theologicalcurriculum for Africa, which is now usedas a model for other regions. Workcontinues to help women gain access totheological education and to encouragechurches to engage them.

Future leaders and advocates ofecumenismThe experience of WCC scholars studyingin another country has continued toproduce leaders and advocates for theecumenical movement. In 2004, 76scholarships were awarded for individualsand 12 for group training. Regionalconsultations for Africa and the Pacificwere held to assist WCC national

correspondents and other stakeholders tounderstand the programme and how itoperates, and to ensure that prioritiesand procedures are responsive to regionalneeds. There continues to be a low levelof funding for scholarships for theologicalstudies. An external evaluation of theWCC scholarships programme will takeplace in 2005.

T h e C h a l l e n g e o f E c u m e n i c a l Fo r m a t i o n

Education:Nurturing the

Ecumenical Vision

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“Bossey offers a uniqueecumenicallearningexperience tomany studentsfrom diverseChristiantraditions and origins”

Bossey: An Ecumenical Laboratory

The WCC’s Ecumenical Institute at Bossey,near Geneva, contributes to the formationof ecumenical leadership, both lay andordained. Founded in 1946, and affiliatedwith the University of Geneva, Bosseyoffers a unique ecumenical learningexperience to the many students fromdiverse Christian traditions and originswho attend the Institute’s GraduateSchool. Other institutes and universitiescontinue to seek collaboration with Bossey,confirming that ecumenical commitmentand enthusiasm are still alive and at workin many parts of the world.

Expanding ecumenical horizonsDuring 2004, two new elements wereintegrated into academic programmes that substantially changed the dynamics of the student community and the wholeethos and methodology of teaching. The first was the decision to admit in theannual intake of 40 places students fromnon-WCC member churches or fromchurches and religious communities whichare not traditionally part of the ecumenicalmovement. Bossey is thus endeavouring to enlarge the scope of its ecumenicalencounter and stimulate positiveengagement with these churches.

Interfaith learningThe second significant change was thedecision to include an interfaith dimensionin the curriculum of Bossey. Studentsargued that cohabitation with people of

other faiths has become a reality in manyparts of the world, and there is a need tostudy the nature of Christian identity andwitness in these contexts. Scholars fromother faith communities have been invitedto lecture and interact with the students.

Forming future ecumenical leadersBossey continues to attract more and moreapplications from potential students, with2–4 applicants for every study place.Bossey’s research confirms that many ofthe Institute’s alumni are among the topleaders of WCC member churches,governing bodies and the wider ecumenicalmovement.

The 55th session of the Graduate School ofEcumenical Studies was held on the theme“The responsibility of religion for peace-making in contexts of increasing violence”and ended in February. The 56th sessioncommenced in October with the theme“For thine is the kingdom and the powerand the glory: God’s power and humanaccountability”. Alongside the traditionalannual graduate programme, the Master of Ecumenical Studies and the Ph.D.programme in Ecumenical Studiesattracted considerable interest.

E c u m e n i c a l I n s t i t u t e, B o s s ey

21

“One of themost valuableof the WCC’sassets”

The wealth of knowledge on church lifeand the history and concerns of theecumenical movement contained in itslibrary and archives is one of the mostvaluable of the WCC’s assets. Beginning in2003, the WCC received a special grantfrom the private Swiss bank Pictet et Cieto establish an Ecumenical ResearchCentre. The purpose of the new centre isto improve the accessibility of WCC libraryand archive resources to researchers andstudents as a unique global centre ofecumenical learning and ideas. Thecompletion of this major project will bemarked by a series of interfaith events inGeneva in late 2005.

One library on two sitesAs part of the project, the management ofthe libraries at the Ecumenical Centre inGeneva and the Ecumenical Institute ofBossey, was merged and consolidated.Common policies on cataloguing andacquisitions were established andimplemented. In consultation with facultyand staff, thematic collections wereassigned a primary site, while maintainingreference titles at both. In this process20,000 books were transferred to theEcumenical Institute, doubling the numberof books available there for students andfaculty.

A central element of the project, therenovation and expansion of the library at the Ecumenical Institute, was completed

in late 2004. The ground floor, which usedto be a basement for book storage, hasbecome a spacious, luminous area with areception and office, reading tables forreference books and periodicals, and aseparate computer room with 18 terminals.The first floor is used for open shelves andreading tables as well as a separate readingroom for 20 people. Overall, the new libraryprovides significantly more space for users,and has doubled its storage capacity. Thetransfer of part of the collection to Bosseyand the installation of additional mobileshelving for the archives has reduced thepressure on the Geneva library.

Preserving ecumenical memoryConsiderable progress was made on thestatus, cataloguing and recording of the collections of church and ecumenicalreviews and periodicals, which are keyresources for study and research onecumenical issues. Significant work wasalso accomplished in the critical area of the historical archives of the Council by creating new indexes for the entirecollection of photographs and paperarchives. Efforts were made to increaseonline availability, and a new computer-based management and archive system was introduced.

E c u m e n i c a l L i b r a r y a n d R e s e a r c h Ce n t r e

Preserving the Ecumenical

Memory

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“EAPPI accompaniesPalestinians and Israelisin non-violent actionand advocacy to endillegal occupation andsupport a just andsustainable peace inthe region”

The Ecumenical AccompanimentProgramme in Palestine and Israel(EAPPI) is currently the mostcomprehensive ecumenical response to any conflict situation. EAPPIaccompanies Palestinians and Israelis innon-violent action and advocacy to endillegal occupation and support a just andsustainable peace in the region. Sincethe start of the programme, 168 peoplefrom more than 30 churches in 12countries – including for the first time South Africa – have served as“ecumenical accompaniers” with localchurches, Palestinian and Israeli NGOs,and local Palestinian communities invarious capacities.

Concern for justice and peace in the Holy LandThe WCC has a long history of concernfor justice and peace in the Holy Land –the biblical land where Jesus Christwalked. In 2001 the worsening politicaland social situation in Israel and theoccupied Palestinian Territorieschallenged churches to match theirstrongly worded statements with action.Responding to an appeal by the heads ofchurches and Christian communities inJerusalem for presence and solidarity –an appeal supported by other churchesand ecumenical agencies – the WCCexecutive committee recommended inSeptember 2001 the development of anaccompaniment programme.

In 2004, among multiple initiativesthroughout the occupied territories,EAPPI monitors in Jayyous providedvaluable accounts of the impact of the Israeli security barrier on localpopulations. EAPPI reports were used in the Palestinian submission to theInternational Court of Justice in TheHague, which found the construction of the wall by Israel to be illegal.Accompaniers also assisted theInternational Committee of the Red Crosswith information in a case it has broughtagainst the Israeli military due to itsactions in the Jayyous area. EAPPIaccompaniers from South Africa andGermany also made a series ofpresentations about their respectiveexperiences of forced division andseparation, and raised the local profile of the programme.

Raising awarenessAccompaniers were encouraged to write and share their experiences, withstories and photos posted daily atwww.eappi.org. Upon return to theirhome country they engaged in furtherawareness-raising and advocacy throughpresentations in their parishes andcongregations, interviews and articles inthe media, and also in meetings withpoliticians and institutions, in order toinfluence public opinion about theconsequences of occupation.

The EAPPI was coordinated andmanaged locally at the office inJerusalem, and internationally in Geneva,by a team of four full-time and two part-time programme staff. Nationalcoordinators are based in countriessending accompaniers. Internationalmeetings with EAPPI staff and nationalcoordinators were organized in Jerusalemin March and October.

A local reference group was appointed inthe spring, chaired by Lutheran BishopMunib Younan and involving WCCmember churches and EAPPI local keypartners. The group serves in an advisorycapacity, in particular in identifyingplacements and potential activities inIsrael and Palestine.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l E c u m e n i c a l I n i t i a t i ve : E A P P I

Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in

Palestine and Israel

23

“Stigma anddiscriminationagainst peopleliving withHIV/AIDS is sinand against thewill of God”

Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative

in Africa

The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains one ofthe greatest health challenges of ourtime. AIDS is now by far the leadingcause of death in sub-Saharan Africa,and to date over 15 million Africans have died from AIDS. The EcumenicalHIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA)was set up in 2002 as a jointundertaking of African churches,Northern churches and agencies and the WCC, in response to the crisis.

Towards AIDS-competent churchesThe EHAIA enables churches in Africa togain access to the information, training,networks and funding they need to helpdeal with HIV/AIDS in their communities.

The initiative works to help churches in Africa become “AIDS-competentchurches” whose teaching and practiceindicate clearly that discriminationagainst people living with HIV/AIDS isagainst the will of God, and to participateactively in collaborative efforts towardsHIV/AIDS prevention.

Since the formation of the EHAIA, fourregional offices run by coordinators andguided by regional reference groups havebeen established (East, West, South andCentral Africa). A theological consultanthas also consolidated work withtheological training institutions and staff.The focus has been on training churchleadership and workers, andstrengthening policy and programme

development. More than ten thousandchurch-related resource persons from allover Africa were directly trained by theEHAIA during this period.

Summit of African church leaders A major EHAIA highlight in 2004 was thesummit meeting on HIV/AIDS of Africanheads of churches and the NewPartnership for Africa’s Development(NEPAD), in Nairobi, Kenya, in earlyJune. The meeting reaffirmed the pledgeof African church leaders to contributeactively to overcoming AIDS, and decidedto dedicate the last Sunday of Novembereach year to fasting and prayer for therapid end of HIV/AIDS and relatedstigma. Envisioning their communities ascentres of mutual spiritual and materialsupport, and of knowledge, advocacy and resources, leaders committedthemselves to promoting the activesupport of church institutions for healthtreatment and ensuring access toadequate health facilities.

An important catalyst for changeA mid-term assessment indicated that the EHAIA programme “has been animportant catalyst for an evolution in theway churches think about and respond to HIV/AIDS. Increasingly, churches aredeveloping the capacity to understandthe magnitude of the epidemic.” The report outlined how churchcommunities increasingly seek to prevent

HIV transmission and to care for thosesuffering from AIDS-related illness.Receiving the assessment, theInternational Reference Group agreedunanimously that EHAIA is “on the righttrack” and should continue with itsimportant mission.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l E c u m e n i c a l I n i t i a t i ve : E H A I A

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Recent WCC

Publications

A History of the Ecumenical Movement

Vol. 3: 1968-2000

John Briggs, Mercy Amba Oduyoye and Georges Tsetsis eds

Project editor: Hugh McCullum

The third volume of the history of theecumenical movement opens with in-depthreviews of the global context of ecumenism,trends in the life of the churches, anddevelopments during the period covered.Chapters on specific themes – mission,dialogue, ecumenical formation, the Bible,spirituality, inclusive community, ecumenicalsocial thought, justice and peace, racism andethnicity, science-technology-ecology, diakonia– are followed by a discussion of criticisms ofthe movement and of the World Council ofChurches. The third part of the volume givesa region-by-region account of ecumenicalactivities and developments in the final thirdof the 20th century.

Authors: K.C. Abraham, Ulrich Becker, CarlosF. Cardoza-Orlandi, Emilio Castro, KeithClements, Martin Conway, Jean Corbon, PaulA. Crow Jr, Richard D.N. Dickinson, K.M.George, Stanley Samuel Harakas, MichaelKinnamon, Birgitta Larsson, Peter Lodberg,Martin E. Marty, Melanie May, Harding Meyer,Lewis S. Mudge, Dafne Sabanes Plou,Elisabeth Raiser, Todor Sabev, IsraelSelvanayagam, T.K. Thomas, Lukas Vischerand Hans-Ruedi Weber.

Editors: John Y. Briggs is professor emeritusof the University of Birmingham, UK, andsenior research fellow and director of theBaptist History and Heritage Centre atRegent’s Park College in the University ofOxford. Mercy Amba Oduyoye is director ofthe Institute of African Women in Religionand Culture of Trinity Theological Seminary,Legon, Ghana. Georges Tsetsis is GrandProtopresbyter of the EcumenicalPatriarchate, and was permanentrepresentative of his church to the WorldCouncil of Churches from 1985 to 1999.

704pp., Sfr.80.00

Volumes 1 and 2 are available again!

Vol. 1, 1517-1948. Among the authors ofchapters are W.A. Visser’t Hooft, GeorgeFlorovsky, Ruth Rouse and Oliver S. Tomkins.

Ruth Rouse and Stephen Charles Neill eds,870pp., Sfr.80.00

Vol. 2, 1948-1968. Authors of chapters includeLesslie Newbigin, Vasil T. Istavridis, EugeneCarson Blake, Hans-Ruedi Weber, LukasVischer and Hans Jochen Margull.

Harold E. Fey ed., 592pp., Sfr.55.00

Dictionary of the EcumenicalMovement

Nicholas Lossky, José Míguez Bonino, John S.Pobee, Tom Stransky, Geoffrey Wainwrightand Pauline Webb eds

A standard reference work indispensable forstudents and scholars, church leaders andpastors, providing a wealth of up-to-dateinformation available in no other singlesource. The 700 entries have been written by

some 370 leading figures in the ecumenicalmovement from every Christian confessionand all parts of the world. Entries cover, for example, the areas of faith and order,dialogue, mission and evangelism, andrelations of Orthodox, Protestants andCatholics within the ecumenical movement,and include biographical sketches of some ofthe individuals who have furthered the causeof ecumenism in the 20th century, crossreferences, and bibliographies.

Nicholas Lossky is professor emeritus at theUniversity of Paris-Nanterre, and professor ofchurch history at the Orthodox theologicalInstitute of St Sergius in Paris. José MíguezBonino is professor emeritus at the HigherEvangelical Institute of Theological Studies(ISEDET), Buenos Aires, Argentina. John S.Pobee is professor of New Testament at theUniversity of Ghana. Tom Stransky teaches atthe Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem,where he was rector from 1987 to 1999.Geoffrey Wainwright holds the Cushman chairof Christian theology at Duke University,Durham, North Carolina, USA. Pauline Webbwas organizer of religious broadcasting in theWorld Service of the BBC, and is still a regularbroadcaster in the BBC’s religiousprogrammes.

1322pp., 2nd edition, illustrated, Sfr.125.00

Worship Today: Understanding,Practice, Ecumenical Implications

Thomas F. Best and Dagmar Heller eds

Many discussions of worship reveal a lack ofdetailed knowledge about what unites – anddivides – the churches in their worship today. This book offers a wide-ranging andfascinating survey of the contemporary stateof Christian worship, and five prominentliturgists reflect on the current state ofChristian worship and on opportunities and challenges facing the churches, bothindividually and ecumenically, in their worship today.

Thomas F. Best is executive secretary in Faith and Order, World Council of Churches.Dagmar Heller, a former executive secretary in Faith and Order, is now executive secretaryfor ecumenical relations, and for bilateraldialogues with Orthodox churches, of theProtestant Church in Germany (EKD).

340pp., Sfr.38.50

For All Peoples and All Nations:Christian Churches and Human Rights

John Nurser

In this new century, born in hope but soonthereafter cloaked in terror, many see religionand politics as a volatile, if not deadly,mixture. For All Peoples and All Nationsuncovers a remarkable time when that wasnot so; when, together, those two entitiesgave rise to a new ideal: universal humanrights. The publication of this book marks the 60th anniversary of the San Franciscoconference on the “international order”, whichset up the United Nations.

John S. Nurser is a fellow of the human rights

WCC PublicationsP.O. Box 2100CH-1211 Geneva 2Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 791 6111Fax: +41 22 798 1346E-mail: publications@wcc-coe.org

On-line order form: www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/news/pubs/index-e.html

25

centre at the University of Essex and canonemeritus of Lincoln cathedral in the Church ofEngland. He was the founding director of theecumenical group Christianity and the Futureof Europe.

240pp., Sfr.29.50

Interpreting Disability:A Church of All and for All

Arne Fritzson and Samuel Kabue

An exploration of the relationship betweenChristian churches and persons withdisabilities. The book acknowledges thechallenge of communicating humanexperience across differences in culture andlanguage, as well as across cultures andvarying degrees of physical and mental ability.Includes the WCC’s policy statement ondisability, “A Church of All and for All”.

Arne Fritzson is a pastor and theologian of theMission Covenant Church in Sweden, servingon the faculty of Uppsala University. SamuelNjuguna Kabue, a Presbyterian layman, worksin Nairobi as coordinator of EDAN.

100pp., Sfr.17.00

Axis of Peace: Christian Faith in Times of Violence and War

S. Wesley Ariarajah

Are there “just wars”? What does the Bible teach about war and violence? Whatconstitutes patriotism when one’s nation is at war? Is there theological justification forwars of self-defence or liberation? The authorexplores these questions to facilitate ongoingconversation in faith communities.

S. Wesley Ariarajah, a Methodist scholar of religions from Sri Lanka, is professor ofecumenical theology at the graduate andtheological schools of Drew University,Madison NJ, USA.

144pp., Sfr.19.00

Virtual Christianity: Potential andChallenge for the Churches

Jean-Nicolas Bazin and Jérôme Cottin

How is the emerging Internet culture affectingChristian churches? How can churchesinfluence the formation of the “virtual” world?Should we expect to find a new form ofChristian faith evolving on the web, or simplyto encounter a fresh means of experiencingChristian traditions? To what extent mustchurches resist tendencies present in the new media?

Jean-Nicolas Bazin works for the WCC as a specialist in new technologies. JérômeCottin works in the communication field for Méromédia and teaches in the religiousstudies and sacred arts faculties of theCatholic Institute of Paris.

130pp., Sfr.19.00

Building Peace: Overcoming Violence in Communities

Mary Yoder Holsopple, Ruth E. Krall andSharon Weaver Pittman

In Building Peace, three North Americanprofessional women with wide internationalexperience offer practical, step-by-stepguidance for overcoming violence and buildinga culture of peace. Using paradigms that haveproved successful in the disciplines of publichealth and community development, theyaddress the problem of violence as anepidemic that is threatening our families’ lives and health.

Mary Yoder Holsopple, who has experienceworking with victims of war and poverty inAfrica, now serves as an elementary schoolsocial worker. Ruth E. Krall is a clinician,theologian and educator with primary interestin healing the wounds of violence. SharonWeaver Pittman has dedicated her life topromoting peace and community-buildingactivities.

120pp., Sfr.16.00

Coming to Consensus:A Case Study for the Churches

Jill Tabart

The author relates the experience of theUniting Church in Australia in moving to the use of the consensus method in makingdecisions, from the birth of the idea to themodel used currently, a process of severalyears during which constant evaluation aided continuous improvement. Coming toConsensus is a resource for church councils at every level as they seek an authenticallyChristian method for discussing contestedissues and discerning ways to move forwardtogether.

Jill Tabart was an architect of the consensusprocedures used by the Uniting Church inAustralia, serving as president of the nationalassembly of her church at the time theprocedures were introduced.

86pp., Sfr.14.00

The Ecumenical Review

The theological quarterly of the WCC. Eachissue is devoted to current themes of vitalinterest for the ecumenical movement, witharticles from Protestant, Orthodox and RomanCatholic authors, reflecting a wide range ofconfessional and regional perspectives. Recentissues have dealt with religion and violence,Orthodox perspectives on the church, and thetheme of the ninth assembly, “God, in YourGrace, Transform the World”.

International Review of Mission

The missiological quarterly of the WCC. While its focus is ecumenical missiology, italso gives a voice to other perspectives, suchas those from Pentecostal and Evangelicaltheologians. Recent issues have exploredwomen and mission; the changing faces ofChristianity; and divine healing,Pentecostalism and mission.

Annual subscription for each: SFr.52.00,US$37.50, £24.00, Euros 38.00

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World Council of Churcheshttp://www.wcc-coe.orgThe main website of the World Council ofChurches is a unique resource for thoseinterested in the role and vision, structures,programmes, relationships and resources ofthe broadest and most inclusive among themany organized expressions of the modernecumenical movement.

Decade to Overcome Violencehttp://www.overcomingviolence.orghttp://www.vaincrelaviolence.orghttp://www.gewaltueberwinden.orghttp://www.superarlaviolencia.orgThe interactive website of the Decade toOvercome Violence is designed to stimulateinvolvement, facilitate exchange andprovide information, ideas, contacts, storiesand other resources. Visitors can sign upfor e-mail news, download materials on thetheology of peace and practical ways ofovercoming violence, submit informationand stories.

WCC 9th assemblyhttp://www.wcc-assembly.infoThe website of the WCC’s ninth assemblyin Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2006 containsbackground information, documents andresources related to this unique eventwhich will gather thousands of Christiansfrom around the world for fellowship,prayer, celebration and reflection.

Conference on World Mission and Evangelismhttp://www.mission2005.orgThe world mission conference will takeplace in Athens, Greece from 9-16 May2005. Using this website, those interestedin participating in common reflection onmission as reconciliation and healing canparticipate in discussions on the conferencethemes, share documents and informationabout relevant events, follow the realconference when it happens, and thinkabout what they can do locally.

Keeping the Faithhttp://www.keeping-the-faith.info‘Keeping the Faith’ is an integratedexhibition, web and book project of theWCC, planned for the two years leading up to the WCC’s ninth assembly in PortoAlegre, Brazil, in 2006. The site will followthe project as it explores the reality of theliving church in today’s various culturalcontexts around the world.

Ecumenical AccompanimentProgramme in Palestine and Israelhttp://www.eappi.org

Maintained in Jerusalem by staff of theWCC’s Ecumenical AccompanimentProgramme in Palestine and Israel, theEAPPI site provides up-to-date news,photos and eye-witness accounts of the volunteer workers accompanyingPalestinians and Israelis in non-violentactions and concerted advocacy efforts for peace and justice.

Ecuspace – Ecumenical Information-Sharing Platformhttp://www.ecuspace.netEcuspace is an online private forum wherepeople from WCC member churches,national or regional councils of churches,theological institutions, church-relatedagencies or local groups involved inecumenical action can share documents, tell others what they are doing and accessinformation on programmes and upcomingevents.

PhotoOikoumene – Photos forprofessionalshttp://www.photooikoumene.org

PhotoOikoumene features professional-quality photos related to church andsociety that document the life of theecumenical movement. These are availablefor purchase by editors, journalists,agencies, publishers, audio-visual producersand other multipliers.

Websites of WCC-relatedorganizations:Ecumenical News Internationalwww.eni.ch

Action by Churches TogetherInternationalwww.act-intl.org

Ecumenical Advocacy Alliancewww.e-alliance.org

Ecumenical Church Loan Fundwww.eclof.org

Although the information given here is inEnglish, many of the above websites aremultilingual. The content of the websites of WCC-related organizations is editoriallyindependent of WCC.

WCC e-news

http://onlineservices.wcc-coe.org/

Stay informed about WCCprogrammes and activities, receivepress releases and regularinformation on WCC work by e-mailwith this new service from WCC.Users can also select from a choice ofonline WCC newsletters.

WCC on the World Wide Web

Africa 94 churches

133,140,734 members

Asia 74 churches

62,437,231 members

Caribbean 13 churches

2,617,611 members

Europe 79 churches

273,843,789 members

Latin America 28 churches

4,520,532members

Middle East 12 churches

9,729,600 members

North America 30 churches

73,622,644 members

Pacific 17 churches

1,950,126 members

Region Total member Number of WCC Total church Total churchchurches member churches % membership membership %

Africa 94 27% 133 140 734 24%Asia 74 21% 62 437 231 11%Caribbean 13 4% 2 617 611 < 1%Europe 79 23% 273 843 789 49%Latin America 28 8% 4 520 532 < 1%Middle East 12 3% 9 729 600 2%North America 30 9% 73 622 644 13%Pacific 17 5% 1 950 126 < 1%Total 347 100% 561 862 267 100%

Family Total member Number of WCC Total church Total churchchurches member churches % membership membership %

African Instituted 8 2% 20 480 000 4%Anglican 34 10% 67 702 778 12%Assyrian 1 < 1% 350 000 < 1%Baptist 24 7% 28 553 454 5%Disciples 6 2% 2 071 665 < 1%Free 16 5% 1 196 867 < 1%Hussite 1 < 1% 130 000 < 1%Independent 2 < 1% 3 600 000 < 1%Lutheran 47 14% 59 147 107 11%Mar Thoma 1 < 1% 1 061 940 < 1%Methodist 39 11% 39 053 836 7%Non denominational 2 < 1% 16 115 800 3%Old Catholic 8 2% 4 721 621 < 1%Eastern Orthodox 16 5% 200 216 536 36%Oriental Orthodox 7 2% 62 081 000 11%Pentecostal 6 2% 481 996 < 1%Reformed 103 30% 29 641 615 5%United and Uniting 26 7% 25 256 052 4%Total 347 100% 561 862 267 100%

Table 1: Member churches by region

Table 2: Member churches by church family

27

WCC Member

Churches

2004WCC member church statistics by region and church family

The information presented here is based on membership figures as declared by WCC member churches forthe WCC ninth assembly (2006) asregistered before March 2005. The churchcount includes the 347 member churchesand incorporates the “international”membership of the churches which maybe in more than one country or region.The choice of confessional familycorresponds to the self-identity of theindividual churches.

28

Financial results 2004 (Swiss Francs 000’s)

Unrestricted and Restricted Total Total designated funds funds funds funds

2004 2004 2004 2003

Income Membership and UDI 7,325 – 7,325 7,028 Contributions – 31,675 31,675 33,218 Investment and currency gains/(losses) 10 181 191 946Rental income, sales and misc. income 3,949 1,988 5,937 6,019Unrestricted income distribution (5,389) 5,389 – – Total Income 5,895 39,233 45,128 47,211

Expenditure Direct programme costs 14 11,888 11,902 15,095 Operating and other programme costs 3,665 10,204 13,869 11,849 Salaries 4,020 14,218 18,238 18,590 Redistribution of costs (3,191) 3,191 – – Total costs and transfers 4,508 39,501 44,009 45,534

Transfers to/(from funds) 340 (348) (8) (238) Net increase/(decrease) for the year 1,727 (616) 1,111 1,439

Note: The results for 2004 are unaudited,as prepared on 7 March 2005. Income andexpenditure of the following entities areyet to be included on consolidation: WCCEastern Europe Office, Poland; WCC/EWSFCroatia; and the relevant share of theEcumenical Trust of the WCC and NCCC,USA. Prior year comparatives are auditedconsolidated results. Audited consolidatedresults for 2004 will be presented in theWCC Financial Report 2004. UDI signifiesundesignated income, i.e. not donated toa specific programme.

Membershipand UDI 16%

Investment and currency gains 1%

Contributions 70%

Rental income, sales andmisc. income 13%

Strengthening the One Ecumenical Movement 7%

Ecumenical Institute, Bossey 10%

Inter-religious Dialogue 2%

Ecumenical Focus on Africa 1%DOV 1%

Unity of the Church 4%

International Affairs 6%

Mission and Evangelism 10%

Ecumenical Formation 9%Justice, Peace and

Creation 10%

Communication 13%

Diakonia andSolidarity 27%

WCC expenditure by coreprogramme 2004

WCC sources of income 2004

WCC Finance

Overview

2004

29

AFRICAAfrica Inland Church - SudanAfrican Protestant Church (Cameroon)Anglican Church of KenyaAnglican Church of TanzaniaAssociation of Baptist Churches in RwandaChurch of Christ - Light of the Holy Spirit

(Dem. Rep. Congo)Church of Christ in Congo - Episcopal Baptist

CommunityChurch of Christ in Congo - Evangelical CommunityChurch of Jesus Christ on Earth by his Messenger

Simon Kimbangu (DR Congo)Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)Church of the Brethren in NigeriaChurch of the Lord (Aladura) Worldwide (Nigeria)Church of the Province of Southern Africa

(South Africa)Church of the Province of UgandaChurch of the Province of West Africa (Ghana)Episcopal Church of BurundiEritrean Orthodox Tewahedo ChurchEthiopian Orthodox Tewahedo ChurchEvangelical Church of CameroonEvangelical Church of the CongoEvangelical Lutheran Church in TanzaniaEvangelical Pentecostal Mission of AngolaEvangelical Presbyterian Church of TogoEvangelical Presbyterian Church, GhanaEvangelical Reformed Church of AngolaLesotho Evangelical ChurchMethodist Church in ZimbabweMethodist Church NigeriaMethodist Church of Southern Africa (South Africa)Methodist Church, GhanaOther contributions, AfricaPresbyterian Church in CameroonPresbyterian Church of Ghana Presbyterian Church of MozambiquePresbyterian Church of RwandaProtestant Methodist Church of BeninProtestant Methodist Church of the Ivory Coast Province of the Episcopal Church of RwandaProvinces of the Moravian Church in TanzaniaReformed Church in ZambiaReformed Church in ZimbabweReformed Church of Christ in NigeriaReformed Presbyterian Church of Equatorial

GuineaUnited Church of Christ in ZimbabweUnited Church of ZambiaUnited Congregational Church of Southern Africa

(South Africa)Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa

(South Africa)

ASIAAnglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and

PolynesiaAnglican Church of AustraliaBangladesh Baptist Church SanghaBaptist Union of New ZealandChina Christian Council

Christian Protestant Angkola Church (GKPA) (Indonesia)

Christian World Service (Aotearoa New Zealand)Church of BangladeshChurch of Christ in ThailandChurch of North IndiaChurch of South IndiaChurch of the Province of MyanmarEast Java Christian Church (GKJW) (Indonesia)Episcopal Church in the PhilippinesEvangelical Christian Church in Halmahera

(Indonesia)Evangelical Christian Church in Tanah Papua

(Indonesia)Evangelical Methodist Church in the PhilippinesHong Kong Christian CouncilHong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in ChinaIndonesian Christian Church (GKI)Javanese Christian Churches (GKJ) (Indonesia)Kalimantan Evangelical Church (GKE) (Indonesia)Karo Batak Protestant Church (GBKP) (Indonesia)Korean Christian Church in Japan (KCCJ)Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (India)Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar (India)Mara Evangelical Church (Myanmar)Methodist Church in MalaysiaMethodist Church in SingaporeMethodist Church of New ZealandMethodist Church Sri LankaMethodist Church, Upper MyanmarMyanmar Baptist ConventionNational Christian Council in JapanNational Council of Churches in AustraliaNCC Australia - Christian World ServiceNippon Sei Ko Kai (Anglican Communion in

Japan)Pasundan Christian Church (GKP) (Indonesia)Presbyterian Church in TaiwanPresbyterian Church in the Republic of KoreaPresbyterian Church of Aotearoa New ZealandPresbyterian Church of KoreaProtestant Christian Batak Church (HKBP)

(Indonesia)Protestant Church in Sabah (PCS) (Malaysia)Protestant Church in South-East Sulawesi (GPST)

(Indonesia)Rissho Kosei-kai (Japan)Simalungun Protestant Christian Church (GKPS)

(Indonesia)Toraja Church (Indonesia)United Church of Christ in JapanUnited Evangelical Lutheran Church in IndiaUniting Church in Australia

CARIBBEANJamaica Baptist UnionMethodist Church in CubaMethodist Church in the Caribbean and the

Americas (Antigua & Barbuda)Moravian Church in SurinameMoravian Church, Eastern West Indies Province

(Antigua & Barbuda)Presbyterian Church in Trinidad and Tobago

Presbyterian Reformed Church in CubaUnited Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands

EUROPEArmenian Apostolic Church (Etchmiadzin)Baptist Union of DenmarkBaptist Union of Great BritainBrot für Alle (Switzerland)Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in GermanyCEVAA - Community of Churches in Mission

(France)Christian Aid (UK and Ireland)Christian Council of SwedenChurch in WalesChurch of EnglandChurch of GreeceChurch of IrelandChurch of NorwayChurch of ScotlandChurch of SwedenChurch of the Augsburg Confession of Alsace and

Lorraine (France)Comitato Cattolico per la Collaborazione Culturale

(Vatican)Conference of European ChurchesConseil Suisse des Missions Évangéliques

(Switzerland)Council for World Mission (UK)Czechoslovak Hussite ChurchDanChurchAid (Denmark)Danish Mission CouncilDiakonisches Werk der EKD (Germany)Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

(Turkey)EED - Church Development Service (Germany)EKD - sEvangelical Church in GermanyEstonian Evangelical Lutheran ChurchEuropean Continental Province of the Moravian

Church (Netherlands)Evangelical Baptist Union of ItalyEvangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB)Evangelical Church of the A.and H. Confessions

in AustriaEvangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession

in RomaniaEvangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession

in PolandEvangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession

in SlovakiaEvangelical Lutheran Church in DenmarkEvangelical Lutheran Church of FinlandEvangelical Lutheran Church of FranceEvangelical Lutheran Church of IcelandEvangelical Lutheran Church of LatviaEvangelical Methodist Church of ItalyEvangelical Presbyterian Church of Portugal Evangelical-Lutheran Church from RomaniaEvangelisches Missionswerk in Deutschland

(Germany)Federation of Swiss Protestant ChurchesFédération Suisse des Femmes Protestantes

(Switzerland)FinnChurchAid (Finland)

WCC Financial Contributors 2004

30

Fondation pour l’aide au Protestantisme Réformé (Switzerland)

Greek Evangelical ChurchHEKS-EPER (Switzerland)ICCO-Interchurch Org. for Development

Cooperation (The Netherlands)Lusitanian Church of PortugalLutheran Church of HungaryMennonite Central Committee, Northwest Europe

Office (Germany)Mennonite Church GermanyMennonite Church in the NetherlandsMethodist Church in IrelandMethodist Church of Great BritainMission Covenant Church of SwedenNathan Söderblom Memorial Fund (Sweden)Netherlands Missionary CouncilNorwegian Church AidOld Catholic Church of AustriaOld Catholic Church of SwitzerlandOld Catholic Church of the NetherlandsOld Catholic Mariavite Church in PolandOrthodox Autocephalous Church of AlbaniaOrthodox Church of FinlandOrthodox Church of the Czech Lands and SlovakiaPax Christi e.V, Deutsches Sekretariat (Germany)Peace Watch SwitzerlandPictet et Cie (Switzerland)Presbyterian Church of WalesPro Ökumene e.V. (Germany)Protestant Church in the NetherlandsProtestant Federation of FranceReformed Church in HungaryReformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine (France)Reformed Church of FranceReformed Church of RomaniaReligious Society of Friends (UK)Remonstrant Brotherhood (Netherlands)Romanian Orthodox ChurchRussian Orthodox ChurchSalvation Army (United Kingdom)Scottish Episcopal ChurchSilesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg

Confession (Czech Republic)Spanish Evangelical ChurchSpanish Reformed Episcopal ChurchStichting Rotterdam (The Netherlands)Stichting Steunfonds Bossey Nederland

(The Netherlands)The Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church Trankebarfondet (Denmark)Union of Welsh IndependentsUnited Free Church of ScotlandUnited Protestant Church of BelgiumUnited Reformed Church (UK)Waldensian Church (Italy)Werkgroep Oecumenisch Programma

(The Netherlands)

LATIN AMERICAAnglican Church of the Southern Cone of America

(Argentina)Christian Biblical Church (Argentina)Church of God (Argentina)Church of the Disciples of Christ (Argentina)Episcopal Anglican Church of BrazilEvangelical Church of Lutheran Confession

in Brazil

Evangelical Church of the River Plate (Argentina)Evangelical Methodist Church in UruguayEvangelical Methodist Church of ArgentinaMethodist Church in BrazilMethodist Church of PeruMoravian Church in NicaraguaPentecostal Church of Chile

MIDDLE EASTArmenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia

(Lebanon)Church of CyprusCoptic Orthodox Church (Egypt)Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle

EastGreek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All

Africa (Egypt)Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the

East (Syria)Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of JerusalemNational Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon Synod of the Evangelical Church of IranSyrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All

the EastUnion of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in

the Near East (Lebanon)

NORTH AMERICAAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church (USA)American Baptist Churches in the USAAnglican Church of CanadaApostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the

East-N.A.Diocese (USA)Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society

of FriendsCARE USAChristian Church (Disciples of Christ) (USA)Church of the Brethren (USA)Church World Service (USA)CIDA - United Church of CanadaEpiscopal Church in the USAEstonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad

(Canada)Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaEvangelical Lutheran Church in CanadaFoundation for Theological Education in Southeast

AsiaInternational Council of Community Churches

(USA)International Orthodox Christian CharitiesIrwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation (USA)John C. & Chara C. Haas Charitable Trust (USA)Mennonite Central Committee (USA)Moravian Church in America (USA)National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.National Council of the Churches of Christ in

the USAOrthodox Church in America (USA)Presbyterian Church (USA)Presbyterian Church (USA) FoundationPresbyterian Church in CanadaProject Ploughshares (Canada)Reformed Church in America (USA)Religious Society of Friends - Friends General

Conference (USA)Religious Society of Friends - Friends United

Meeting (USA)Tides Foundation (USA)

Trinity Western University (Canada)United Church of CanadaUnited Church of Christ (USA)United Methodist Church (USA)Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada

PACIFICChurch of Melanesia (Solomon Islands)Church of NiueCongregational Christian Church in American

SamoaCongregational Christian Church in SamoaCook Islands Christian ChurchEvangelical Church in New Caledonia and the

Loyalty IslesEvangelical Church of French Polynesia Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (Methodist Church

in Tonga)Kiribati Protestant Church Methodist Church in FijiMethodist Church in SamoaTuvalu Christian ChurchUnited Church in the Solomon IslandsUnited Church of Christ-Congregational in the

Marshall Islands

GLOBALACT InternationalFellowship of the Least CoinInternational Labour Office

OTHER CONTRIBUTIONSIndividualsLocal congregationsLocal denominational bodiesLocal ecumenical bodiesOther local contributions

31

WCC Governing, Advisory and

Consultative Bodies 2004Central and Executive CommitteesModerator: Catholicos Aram I of CiliciaVice-moderators: Dr Marion Best, Mrs Justice Sophia O.A. Adinyira

Programme CommitteeModerator: Rev. Dr K.M. George

Finance Committee Moderator: Bishop McKinley Young

Commission on Faith and OrderModerator: Bishop Dr David K. Yemba

Commission on World Mission and EvangelismModerator: Rev. Ruth Bottoms

Commission on Education and Ecumenical FormationModerator: Rev. Ofelia Ortega

Commission of the Churches on Justice, Peace and the Integrity of CreationModerator: Rev. Robina Winbush

Commission of the Churches on International AffairsModerator: Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat

Commission of the Churches on Diakonia and DevelopmentModerator: Mr Christer Akesson

Board of WCC US ConferenceModerator: V. Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky

Board of the Ecumenical Institute at BosseyModerator: Dr Robert Welsh

Communication Advisory GroupModerator: Ms Manoushag Boyadjian

Reference Group on Decade to Overcome ViolenceModerator: Dr Janice Love

Reference Group on Inter-religious RelationsModerator: Rev. Dr Ipe Joseph

Joint Working Group between the Roman Catholic Church and the WCC Co-moderators:Archbishop Mario Conti (Roman Catholic Church)Bishop Dr Jonas Jonson (WCC)

Steering Committee of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCCCo-moderators:Bishop Rolf Koppe (other churches)Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Ephesus (Orthodox churches)

Joint Consultative Group between the WCC and the PentecostalsCo-moderators:Rev. Dr Cecil M. Robeck (Pentecostals)Rev. Dr Bruce W. Robbins (WCC)

Presidents

Dr Agnes AbuomAnglican Church of Kenya

Right Rev. Jabez L. BryceAnglican Church in Aotearoa,New Zealand and Polynesia

H.E. Metropolitan Chrysostomos of EphesusEcumenical Patriarchate (Turkey)

H.H. Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I IwasSyrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East

Dr Moon Kyu KangPresbyterian Church in theRepublic of Korea

Obispo Federico J. PaguraEvangelical Methodist Churchof Argentina

Dr Bernice Powell-JacksonUnited Church of Christ (USA)

Bischof Eberhardt RenzEKD-Evangelical Church inGermany (Württemberg)

32

WCC Structure and Staff Teams 2004General Secretariat

General Secretary Samuel Kobia (Kenya: Methodist Church in Kenya)Deputy General Secretary Georges Lemopoulos (Turkey: Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople)

Executive Secretary Sabine Udodesku (Germany: Evangelical Church in Germany)

Related offices:Office of Church and

Ecumenical Relations Teny Pirri-Simonian (Lebanon: Armenian Apostolic Church)Office of Inter-religious Relations and Dialogue Tarek Mitri (Lebanon: Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East)

Hans Ucko (Sweden: Church of Sweden)Decade to Overcome Violence

Coordination Office Hansulrich Gerber (Switzerland: Swiss Mennonite Church)9th Assembly Office Douglas Chial (USA: Presbyterian Church USA)

Ecumenical Institute, Bossey Ioan Sauca (Romania: Romanian Orthodox Church)

Programme TeamsDirector of Programme Geneviève Jacques (France: Reformed Church of France)

Team coordinators:Faith and Order Tom Best (acting director) (USA: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ))

Mission and Ecumenical Formation Carlos Ham (Cuba: Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba)Justice, Peace and Creation Aruna Gnanadason (India: Church of South India)

International Affairs, Peace and Human Security Peter Weiderud (Sweden: Church of Sweden)

Ecumenical Focus on Africa Melaku Kifle (Ethiopia: Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church)Diakonia and Solidarity Elizabeth Ferris (USA: Religious Society of Friends)

Publications and Research Yannick Provost (France: Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople)Public Information Alexander Belopopsky (UK: Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople)

Management TeamsDirector of Management William Temu (Tanzania:

Roman Catholic Church)(NB: House Services and Computer Information Services are directly supervised by the Director of Management)

Team coordinators:Finance Elaine Dykes (UK: Church

of Scotland)Financial Controller Costandi Mustaklem

(Jerusalem: Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem)

Human Resources Christina Minezac (Switzerland: Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople)

Income Monitoring and Development Michiel Hardon

(Netherlands: Protestant Church in the Netherlands)

WCC Management and Staff Teams 2004

33

CP01 Strengthening the One Ecumenical Movement

01 Giving leadership to the work of the WCC

02 Fostering membership relations03 Widening the fellowship04 Coherence of the ecumenical

movement

CP03 Ecumenical Institute, Bossey01 Ecumenical formation02 Visiting professors03 Publications

CP04 Dialogue with Neighbours of Other Religions

01 Deepening relations with partners in dialogue

02 Enhancing dialogue on issues of common concern

03 Christian identity and religious plurality

CP05 Ecumenical Focus on Africa01 Enhancing African churches’

capacity for life in dignity02 Ecumenical accompaniment for

Africa’s peace initiatives04 Africa and the ecumenical

movement

CP06 Decade to Overcome Violence

CP07 Unity of the Church01 Ecclesiology02 Baptism (worship)03 Ecumenical hermeneutics04 Church and world06 Theological reflections on peace07 Other Faith and Order activities08 Faith and Order Plenary

Commission

CP08 Ecumenical Advocacy and Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts

01 Peaceful responses to conflicts and war

02 Ecumenical advocacy03 Public issues and publications

CP09 Mission and Evangelism: Promoting the Ministry of Reconciliation

01 Conference on World Mission and Evangelism

02 Mission study: study process on reconciliation and healing in mission

03 Evangelism04 Mission in solidarity with the poor

(Urban Rural Mission)05 Health and healing

CP10 The Challenge of Ecumenical Formation

01 Ecumenical formation02 Ecumenical Theological

Education (ETE)03 Scholarships

CP11 The Ethics of Life and Alternatives to Globalization

01 Economic globalization: affirming alternatives

02 Being church: strengthening voices of youth

03 Caring for life: reflecting on ethics of life and life-sustaining alternatives

04 Being church: strengthening voices of racially oppressed and indigenous peoples

05 Being church: strengthening voices of women

06 Ecumenical Disabilities Advocates Network (EDAN)

07 Publications

CP12 Diakonia and Solidarity01 Creating spaces for analysis and

reflection02 Sustaining relationships for

solidarity and witness04 Ecumenical advocacy on uprooted

people05 Strategic Initiatives Fund06 Multilateral solidarity07 Building capacities08 Developing a coherent and holistic

approach to meeting human needs

CP14 Communicating the Fellowship 01 Media relations02 World Wide Web03 Visual arts04 Programme liaison

CP15 Telling the Ecumenical Story01 Publishing books and producing

other communication vehicles02 Sales, marketing and distribution03 Managing the library and archives of

the WCC04 Language service

INTERNATIONAL ECUMENICAL INITIATIVES

E1 Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel

01 Ecumenical accompaniers02 Awareness-building and advocacy03 Jerusalem Ecumenical Centre

E2 Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa

WCC Programmes and Activities 2004This page comprises a completelist of WCC core programmes andactivities as structured in 2004.Core programmes CP02 and CP13were discontinued before 2004and are not listed here

World Council of Churches

P.O. Box 2100

CH-1211 Geneva 2

Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 791 6111

Fax: +41 22 791 0361

E-mail: publicinformation@wcc-coe.org

Web: www.wcc-coe.org