wfn.org | Title: WCC: again 342 member churches

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

World Council of Churches
Central Committee 2003
Press Release Nr. 11
For Immediate Use

WCC again has 342 member churches

The WCC Central Committee has accepted an application for membership of the
WCC from the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, formerly a WCC member through
the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church.	

Founded in 329 AD by St Frementius, first Bishop of Abyssinia, the Church now
has 2,000,000 believers in 1,500 congregations served by 15,000 clergy. Women
are active in all areas of the Church's life except the priesthood.  

The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church is a member of the All Africa Conference
of Churches. It belongs to the 'family' of Oriental Orthodox Churches. It
sees its mission priorities as the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the
eradication of disease, hunger and ignorance.  

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 342, 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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