wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Major shift in WCC culture and ethos

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World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 10/02/2005

WCC EMBARKS ON A MAJOR SHIFT IN ITS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND ETHOS

Reaching decisions by consensus, a major shift in the culture and ethos of
the World Council of Churches (WCC), will be at the centre of the upcoming
meeting of its Central Committee, which will take place 15-22 February in
Geneva.

At this meeting, the last one of its mandate, the Central Committee
members will try for the first time to reach decisions by consensus, for
which they will test a new set of consensus procedures. They will also
consider a number of changes in the WCC constitution and rules that are
necessary to make consensus the established method of decision-making.

Main highlights on the Central Committee agenda are:

WCC ninth Assembly - Committee members will take decisions that will give
its definitive shape to this major event, to be held in Porto Alegre,
Brazil, in February 2006.

Pacific region - The situation of the peoples of the region as well as the
churches and ecumenical bodies' witness in its midst will be the subject
of a plenary session.

Contemporary ethical challenges - Committee members will debate what the
WCC has done to facilitate the churches' discussion on the issue of Human
sexuality since the Harare assembly (1998).

Taking place under the overall thematic umbrella of "Healing and Reconciliation", the meeting will discuss the reports of the Central Committee
moderator Catholicos Aram I and WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel
Kobia.

Also on the agenda will be: review of the current debate about the search
for a new configuration of the ecumenical movement; WCC relations with the
Roman Catholic Church; and a major evaluation of the programmatic work of
the Council to be presented to the next assembly.

In addition, the committee will deliberate on and possibly issue statements and minutes on the following international issues: loss of indigenous
languages, Iraq, uprooted people, and the International Criminal Court.

The 150-member WCC central committee serves as the Council's chief
governing body between its assemblies. Meeting every 12 to 18 months, it
is responsible for carrying out policies adopted by the assembly,
reviewing and supervising WCC programmes and adopting the Council's
budget.

The agenda of the meeting is available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/press_corner/cc2005draftagenda.html

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.