wfn.org | WCC AGENDA: January 2006

["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 - 22/12/2005

JANUARY 2006

:: Seminar on UN reform in New York
:: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
:: Kobia to meet churches and government officials in Bern

> International ecumenical seminar on UN reform
> 11-13 January, New York, United States

The WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) is
bringing together about 20 key experts on UN-related issues from member
churches and partners for a three-day seminar on UN Reform. The seminar,
to be held at the UN Church Center in New York, will discuss the content
of a proposed WCC 9th Assembly statement on this topic, and will include a
12 January public plenary at which the president of the UN General
Assembly, Jan Eliasson, will be a panellist. The draft of the proposed
statement will be presented a month later to the Public Issues Committee
of the WCC 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The UN Reform agenda
includes four areas: the Security Council; creation of a human rights
council; a peace-building commission; and reform of the UN secretariat.

Contact: Laurence Bropleh, +1 212-867-5890
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/international/unliaison.html

> Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
> 18-25 January, Worldwide

"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Matt.
18: 20) is the theme - chosen by an ecumenical group in Ireland - of the
2006 edition of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Jointly prepared
since 1968 by the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church, the Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity is traditionally celebrated from 18-25 January.
Resources include an introduction to the theme, a suggested ecumenical
worship service that local churches are encouraged to adapt for their own
particular contexts, biblical reflections and prayers for the "eight
days", and additional prayers from, and an overview of, the ecumenical
situation in the country that has prepared the material - in this case,
Ireland.

http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/wop-index.html

> Kobia to meet churches and government officials in Bern
> 18-19 January, Bern, Switzerland

The main purpose of a January visit to Switzerland's capital city Bern by
WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia is to meet with the Federation
of Swiss Protestant Churches (on 18 January). On the same day, Kobia will
also meet with the Swiss president, Moritz Leuenberger, and on 19 January
with the country's foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey. On the evening
of 18 January, Kobia will preach at a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
service in the French-language church in Bern. The service will be
attended by Swiss delegates and visitors to the WCC Assembly. A brief
visit to the Swiss Protestant churches' development agency Bread for All
is also envisaged.

Contact: Simon Weber, +41 (0)31 370 2501; mobile: +41 (0)78-739-5853
http://www.sek.ch/ [in German or French]

> Major WCC events coming up:

WCC 9th Assembly (2006)
14-23 February 2006, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Media representatives interested in attending any of the events listed
above should contact the WCC media relations office in advance. Unless
noted otherwise, events are by invitation only and not open to the general
public. Dates and venues 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 347, 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.