wfn.org | All Africa Conference of Churches Bulletin No: 004 November

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Assembly Update

Bulletin No: 004  November 14, 2003

The All Africa Conference of Churches 8th General Assembly
Yaoundi, Cameroon, November 22-27, 2003 * Theme: Come, Let Us Rebuild (Neh. 
2: 17-18)

President Joaquim Chissano and Cameroonian President Paul Biya will address 
the 8th AACC General Assembly in Yaoundi

By: Elias Massicame, in Maputo City & Mitch Odero in Nairobi

The Chairperson of African Union (AU) and the President of the Republic of 
Mozambique, His Excellence Mr. Joaquim Chissano will deliver the 
Keynote-speech at the opening ceremony of the forthcoming All Africa 
Conference of Churches (AACC) 8th General Assembly that will take place in 
Yaoundi, Cameroon, from 22 to 27 November 2003.  The opening address will 
be delivered by Cameroonian President Paul Biya

President Chissano made this commitment when he was receiving in his palace 
(Ponta Vermelha) in Maputo recently, the representatives of the ecumenical 
movement, namely Rev. Dr. Andre Karamanga from the World Council of 
Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr. Comlan Prosper Deh from the AACC and Rev. Dinms 
Matsolo, Mr. Boaventura Zita and Mr. Elias Massicame, from the Christian 
Council of Mozambique (CCM) who paid him a courtesy call.

By accepting the invitation from the AACC, President Joaquim Chissano paid 
tribute to the churches and the ecumenical movement for their support to 
liberation movements noting that he among other leaders in Africa, was a 
beneficiary of a scholarship from the ecumenical movement.

Church leaders from all over Africa gather in Yaoundi to map out how their 
large constituency could support efforts in the war against HIV/AIDS, 
elimination of poverty among others under the theme "Come Let us Rebuild".

It is billed as one of the largest gathering of church leaders in recent 
times in Africa.

With effective mobilisation of 120 million congregational members of the 
AACC member churches, they hope to bolster the NEPAD vision particularly 
the desire for ownership of NEPAD vision by the people of Africa.

The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) is a pan-African fellowship 
consisting of 169 national churches in 39 countries.  Its member churches 
consist of 120 million Christians across the continent.

The AACC was founded on April 20, 1963 in Kampala, Uganda during its maiden 
General Assembly.  This General Assembly was then convened to foster unity 
of the Church in Africa.  There were numerous immediate tasks facing the 
AACC, including the battle against colonialism in Africa.

Since its inception, the AACC has been the tool through which the body of 
Christ in Africa has united to tackle issues that are facing this 
continent, as well as stressing the importance of representing often 
under-represented groups, such as youth and women.  This year's General 
Assembly will be no different.

The youth and women will hold a two day pre-assembly to discuss the role of 
women and youth in Africa.  During this pre-assembly, there will be 
numerous break-out sessions where these concerns will be addressed; in 
addition to this, the women and youth will make specific recommendations to 
the assembly itself, showing once again how valued their voice and input 
truly is.

The theme of this year's General Assembly is from Nehemiah 2:17, "Come Let 
Us Rebuild."  Each day of the conference will concentrate on a different 
section of this rebuilding theme, as they gather to discuss the issues most 
pertinent to Africans.

Among speakers will be the outgoing General Secretary of World Council of 
Churches Rev. Dr. Konrad Raiser, he will discuss the "Reconfiguration of 
the Ecumenical Movement."  Complementing this lecture will be "The Place of 
Africa in the Ecumenical Movement" by Rev. Dr. Sam Kobia, the General 
Secretary-Elect of the World Council of Churches.

Church leaders will deliberate on topics such as Health and Healing, 
Ethical & Moral guidance on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other killer diseases, 
Healing Wounds & Trauma of Destruction.  In the area of Africa and the 
Democratisation Process, there will be discussion on Power, Authority and 
Governance and What kind of Democracy in Africa?  Other discussions will 
focus on Human Rights and "Our Prophetic Voice", Gender Issues: Empowering 
African Women, and the African Child.  Another plenary will discuss 
Globalisation and Challenges of Poverty in Africa, Environmental 
Degradation and Natural Disasters, African Debt (burden), and NEPAD.

On HIV/AIDS there will be testimonies from people who are living with 
HIV/AIDS, followed by the launching of the AACC Position Paper on HIV/AIDS 
by the Cameroonian Minister of Health, as well as the candle lighting 
ceremony and covenanting.