wfn.org | A century of ecumenism will be marked this November in New Orleans

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

A November 9-11 Centennial Gathering in New Orleans
will mark one hundred years of ecumenical cooperation

See www.ncccusa.org/witnesses2010/100706centennialgathering.html

New Orleans, July 9, 2010 -- When the National Council of Churches and  Church 
World Service gather here in the Marriott New Orleans Convention  Center for 
their General Assembly this November 9-11, the meeting will  mark a historic 
milestone for the ecumenical movement.

One hundred years ago, representatives of Christian churches around the  world 
gathered in Edinburgh, Scotland, for an unprecedented World  Missionary 
Conference. The conference, which brought together  missionary, faith and 
order, social activism and education streams of  the churches, is considered 
the birth of the modern ecumenical movement.

The anniversary is being celebrated worldwide, most recently back in  June when 
more than 300 delegates and 100 other participants gathered in  Edinburgh to 
celebrate this marker on the road to church unity and to  imagine the future. 
The theme of the most recent gathering was,  "Witnessing to Christ Today."  
This November 9-11 in New Orleans, the discussions of what it means to  be 
ecumenical in the 21st century will continue at a centennial  gathering that is 
part of the General Assembly of the National Council  of Churches and Church 
World Service. The theme of the Centennial  Gathering is "Witnesses of These 
Things, Ecumenical Involvement in a New  Era." (See 
www.ncccusa.org/witnesses2010/)

The theme is taken from Luke 24:48 which is the scriptural theme text  for the 
2010 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity -- an additional  reminder that there 
is one, multi-faceted ecumenical movement.
  
"In one sense, this event will be a 'celebration' of modern ecumenism,"  said 
the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC General Secretary and one of the  planners 
of the Gathering. " But it will also a time for assessing the  churches' 
failure to receive God's gift of unity, for anticipating new  directions for 
ecumenism in the 21st Century, and for recommitting  ourselves and our churches 
to the ecumenical calling."

Unlike the original gathering which was generally attended by mainline  
Protestants, the Centennial Gathering in New Orleans is expected to  welcome a 
wider spectrum of faith representatives.

"Leaders of various partner bodies -- in this effort to realize a  visible 
unity of faith, witness, and service -- have indicated their  strong interest 
in participating in this centennial assembly,"   Kinnamon said.

In addition to representatives of member communions composing the NCC  and CWS, 
others expected to attend include the National Association of  Ecumenical and 
Interreligious Staff (NAEIS), the organization of State  Ecumenical Executives 
(SEE), the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,  the Canadian Council of 
Churches, the Caribbean Council of Churches, the  World Student Christian 
Federation, and the U.S. Conference of the World  Council of Churches. 

The process of preparing for the Centennial Assembly includes five study  
groups dealing with crucial themes of our era: 

* Christian Understanding of Unity in an Age of Radical Diversity
* Christian Understanding of Mission in an Age of Interfaith Relations
* Christian Understanding of War in an Age of Terrorism
* Christian Understanding of the Economy in an Age of Growing Inequality
* Christian Understanding of Creation in an Age of Environmental Crisis

The text of the study papers, currently being edited, will be posted at  the 
Centennial Gathering website, www.ncccusa.org/witnesses2010/ President over the 
meeting will be the Rev. Peg Chemberlin, president of  the National Council of 
Churches, and Bishop Johncy Itty, chair of the  Church World Service Board of 
Directors.

Kinnamon and the Rev. John L. McCullough, executive director and CEO of  Church 
World Service, will be reporting on the missions and ministries  of their 
organizations.

Other personalities participating in the gathering will include Kathryn  Lohre, 
President Elect, National Council of Churches; Rev. Karen  Hamilton, General 
Secretary, Canadian Council of Churches; Rev. Dr. Olav  Fykse Tveit, General 
Secretary, World Council of Churches; Archbishop  Demetrios of America; Bishop 
Vashti McKenzie, African Methodist  Episcopal Church; Rev. Dr. Lois Wilson, 
United Church of Canada and  Canadian Council of Churches; Rabbi Steve Gutow, 
President, Jewish  Council for Public Affairs; and Dr.Sayyid M. Syeed, Islamic 
Society of  North America; Archbishop Gregory Michael Aymand of New Orleans; 
Dr.  Elizabeth Ferris, senior fellow in Foreign policy and co-director of The  
Brookings  Institution.                 

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of  Christ in 
the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical cooperation  among Christians 
in the United States. The NCC's 36 member faith groups  - from a wide spectrum 
of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical,  historic African American and 
Living Peace churches - include 45 million  persons in more than 100,000 local 
congregations in communities across  the nation.

Church World Service works with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty  and 
to promote peace and justice around the world. Recognized as one of  America's 
Most Efficient Charities, Church World Service has earned an A  rating from the 
American Institute of Philanthropy and was named one of  the Top 100 Highly 
Rated Charities by GiveSpot.com.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office),  646-853-4212 
(cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org