wfn.org | WCC AGENDA: February 2005

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

World Council of Churches - Agenda
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 31/01/2005

FEBRUARY 2005

> WCC Central Committee meeting
> WCC-RCC Joint Working Group
> Workshop on sexual violence in Africa
> WCC general secretary to visit Scandinavian countries

>>>WCC Central Committee meeting
15-22 February, Geneva, Switzerland

The World Council of Churches will hold its next Central Committee meeting
from 15-22 February in Geneva, Switzerland. The WCC's main governing body
will discuss several key issues such as the overall theme of healing and
reconciliation, issues related to the Pacific region, and different
churches' understandings of human sexuality. The WCC assembly, taking
place in Porto Alegre (Brazil) in February 2006, and consensus methodology
as a new approach to decision-making are also at the top of the agenda.
Public issues such as Indigenous peoples, migration, and small arms will
also be discussed, and the Central Committee will consider papers on
communication and advocacy work.

Draft agenda and accreditation form for media available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/press_corner/index-e.html

>>>Executive Committee of the WCC-RCC Joint Working Group
27-28 February, Geneva, Switzerland

The Executive Committee of the Joint Working Group of the Roman Catholic
Church and the World Council of Churches will meet to discuss the comments
of the WCC Central Committee on Roman Catholic Relations in general, and
the eighth report of the Joint Working Group to the upcoming WCC Assembly.
It will also plan the celebration of the 40th anniversary of its
mandate.

More information about the Joint Working Group is available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/ecumenical/index-e.html

>>>Workshop on stopping sexual violence in Africa
23 February - 1 March 2005, Limuru, Kenya

To empower sexually abused women and silent churches to speak out and to
end violence against women and children is the main aim of the "Tamar
campaign workshop" organized by the World Council of Churches in collaboration with St Paul's United Theological College, Limuru, Kenya, and the
Fellowship of Churches and Councils of Churches in the Great Lakes and
Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA).
Through contextual Bible studies, the workshop is intended to develop
practical and pastoral responses towards safety, justice and healing. The
five-day workshop will bring together about 40 theological educators and
women in church ministry from various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The "Tamar campaign", outlining the bigger framework of the workshop, is a
project of the Institute for the study of the Bible at KwaZuluNatal
University, South Africa. The institute promotes contextual Bible study as
a way of developing biblical, theological and ethical resources for
restoring dignity and wellbeing to the sufferers of sexual violence and
their families. The campaign is based on the story of incest and rape of
Tamar by her half-brother (2 Samuel 13).

>>>WCC general secretary to visit member churches in Scandinavia
27 February - 7 March, Norway, Sweden, Denmark

WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will visit WCC member churches
in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Meetings with members and partners of the
WCC, with church leaders and government representatives are scheduled for
all three countries.
Highlights of the visit to Norway will be a meeting with Crown Prince
Haakon, a lecture at the Norwegian School of Theology, and a meeting with
the Sami Council of the Church of Norway.
In Sweden, Kobia will preach at an Eucharist service in Uppsala Cathedral,
and hold a lecture at the Theological Institute at the University of
Uppsala.
The visit to Denmark will include meetings with Lutheran and Baptist
member churches as well as with church Organizations like DanChurchAid and
the Danish Missionary Council.

Unless noted otherwise, events are by invitation only and not open to the
press or general public. The information above may change without
notice.

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org

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The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in
more than 120 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, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.