wfn.org | Title: WCC welcomes new members

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches
Press Release 03-29.03e
For Immediate Use
27 August 2003

CENTRAL COMMITTEE						   03

WCC welcomes new members

The World Council of Churches' (WCC) Central Committee received into the
fellowship one joint church membership and six ecumenical organisations in
actions on Tuesday, 26 September.  

The Northern and Southern Provinces of the Moravian Church in America, each a
founding member of the WCC, applied to combine their membership as the
Moravian Church in America. Their application for joint membership came in
the light of the Final Report of the Special Commission on Orthodox
Participation in the WCC to encourage even more ecumenical cooperation.
Acceptance of their joint membership reduces the total number of WCC member
churches to 341.  

Four councils of churches were granted associate council status. The
Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) was formed in 1929, and has 14 member
churches and six member organisations. More recently, the CCN has worked with
the Christian Association of Nigeria, which includes the Roman Catholic,
Evangelical and Pentecostal churches.	

The Christian Council of Norway, established in 1992, has 15 member churches,
representing a wide range of confessions, ranging from Orthodox to Salvation
Army. It has also applied for association with the Conference of European
Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance.   

The Council of Churches of Puerto Rico was motivated in its application by
its recognition of the role of the WCC in working for the unity of the
churches and its desire to be more closely involved with the WCC's members.
For 96 years, until 2002, it was the Evangelical Council of Puerto Rico; the
change of name came from the desire of its members to open themselves to
dialogue with other denominations.  

The Protestant Council of Rwanda, established in 1963, has six member
churches and two associate member churches. Its decision to apply was
motivated, among other reasons, by gratitude for all that the WCC has done in
Rwanda.  

Two applications for the status of international ecumenical organisation were
also accepted. The Global Fellowship of Christian Youth was founded in 1963
under the name of "The World Conference - a family of Christian Youth
Organisations". Its oldest affiliate is the Boys' Brigade in the United
Kingdom.  

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian housing
ministry dedicated to promoting good housing and eliminating homelessness.
Since its inception in 1976, Habitat has built over 100,000 houses worldwide.
It wishes to expand and strengthen its partnerships, and its application to
the WCC was made in this spirit.    

The applications for joint membership, Associate Council and International
Ecumenical Organisation can be found on our website at:  
http://www2.wcc-coe.org/ccdocuments2003.nsf  

For further information, please contact the Media Relations Office, tel: +41
(0)22 791 64 21 /61 53	

**********

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches, now 341, in
more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which
meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in
1948 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary
Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

World Council of Churches
Media Relations Office
Tel: (41 22) 791 6153 / 791 6421
Fax: (41 22) 798 1346
E-mail: media@wcc-coe.org 
Web: www.wcc-coe.org 

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