From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org


WCC will visit Kenya & Rwanda


From "WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>
Date Mon, 05 Apr 2004 16:48:47 +0200

World Council of Churches
Press Release PR-04-04
For Immediate Use
5 April 2004

WCC moderator, general secretary to visit Kenya and Rwanda 

The moderator of the World Council of Churches' central
committee, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, and the WCC general
secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, are to pay a pastoral visit to
Kenya (8-15 April) and to Rwanda (16-18 April). 

In Nairobi, Kenya, they are scheduled to visit the headquarters
of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) and the National
Council of Churches in Kenya (NCCK), to meet their leadership as
well as national church leaders and local congregations. A
meeting with President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya is also scheduled.

This will be Kobia's first visit to his home country and
continent as WCC general secretary and African Christian leaders
will offer a thanksgiving service at All Saints Cathedral in
Nairobi for the WCC general secretary's ecumenical work and
commitment. 

Aram I is to give a public lecture on "Challenges of the
ecumenical movement in the 21st century and the role of Africa"
at UFUNGAMANO, an initiative of churches, other religious faiths
and civil society organizations. Kobia will give a public lecture
on the theme "Behold, I create a new Africa" at St Andrew's
Church in Nairobi. 

Aram I and Kobia will then proceed to Kigali, Rwanda, for
meetings with WCC member churches and government officials, and
to address an ecumenical workshop on "Lasting peace in Africa",
which will gather participants from all over Africa. 

Aram I will speak on "Genocides in the 20th century and lessons
to humanity," while Kobia will speak on "Hope for lasting peace
in Africa". They will also pay respects at the Kigali genocide
site. 

The visit will close with an address to the people by Aram I
during a service of worship at the National Stadium in Kigali. 

Those accompanying the WCC central committee moderator and
general secretary will include, among others, Dr Agnes Abuom, one
of the WCC presidents, and in Rwanda: the Rev. Dr Mvume Dandala,
AACC general secretary, and Mr Peter Weiderud, director of the
WCC Commission of Churches on International Affairs. 

A detailed programme of the visit is available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/regional/africavisit04.html 

Biographical information and free high resolution photos of the
WCC central committee moderator and general secretary are
available at
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/press_corner/bios.html 

Media contacts 
Kenya: Mitch Odero, +254.20.444.1483/1338/9,
infodesk@aacc-ceta.org 
Rwanda: Tharcisse Gatwa, +250.0878.0367

For further information, please contact Juan Michel, WCC  media
relations officer,  tel: +41 22 791 6153, mobile +41 79 507 6363,
media@wcc-coe.org  

**********

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 Samuel Kobia from the Methodist Church in Kenya.

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 

PO Box 2100
1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
1


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