wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Bossey: 2 new scholarship endowments

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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 - 04/02/2010 07:45:00

>TWO NEW SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENTS FOR BOSSEY

The endowment of two new scholarship funds geared towards
facilitating studies at the Ecumenical Institute of the World
Council of Churches (WCC) was celebrated at the graduation
ceremony for the 61st session of the institute's Graduate School
of Ecumenical Studies ( http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=2682 )on 3
February.

The Bishop Vinton R. Anderson Ecumenical Leadership Scholarship
Fundwas created to provide support for African Methodist
Episcopal students attending the Graduate School of Ecumenical
Studies. The fund was initiated by Bishop Anderson of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church ( http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=5361
)in the USA. Born 1927 in Bermuda, he was the first African
American to serve as WCC President for North America (1991-98).

With an initial capital of 100,000 US dollars, the fund was
established as part of the Ecumenical Trust in New York, USA,
which, among other functions, collects donations in favour of the
Ecumenical Institute.

The Elisabeth and Jan Remijn-Oerlemans Scholarship Fundis being
created from a legacy of some 100,000 Swiss francs bequeathed to
the Ecumenical Institute by Elisabeth Remijn, née Oerlemans. In
1948, she had participated in the founding assembly of the WCC in
Amsterdam. 

The Reformed parish of Interlaken, where Elisabeth and her
husband Jan Remijn lived for many years, is one of the parishes
that regularly receive visits from students of the Ecumenical
Institute in Bossey, Switzerland. Jan Remijn was the pastor of
Unterseen until his death in 1986. Supported by his wife, he has
initiated an ongoing programme of worship services in Dutch for
the many holiday guests in the region. 

>More information on the Ecumenical Institute:
>http://bossey.ch

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

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,
witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical
fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings
together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches
representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110
countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic
Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit,
from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva,
Switzerland.