WCC NEWS: 2013 Assembly theme: "God of life, lead us to justice and peace"

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World Council of Churches - News

2013 ASSEMBLY THEME: “GOD OF LIFE, LEAD US TO JUSTICE AND PEACE”

For immediate release: 22 February 2011

“God of life, lead us to justice and peace” will provide the theme
for the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The Assembly
is to be convened in October 2013 at Busan, South Korea.

The theme was determined by the WCC Central Committee on Tuesday 22
February following periods of discussion spread over several days. A
“theme” is not merely a slogan or motto for a WCC assembly but
provides a focus for theological reflection, worship and meditation
surrounding the assembly, as well as for planning of programmatic
activities before, during and after the event.

The theme of the 9th Assembly, held in Porto Alegre, Brazil in February
2006, was “God, in your grace, transform the world.” The theme for the
10th Assembly is also phrased in the form of a prayer.

The proposal of the 2013 theme was accompanied by the citation of a
biblical text: Isaiah 42:1-4, depicting the servant of the Lord who
neither breaks a bruised reed nor quenches a dimly burning wick (verse 3)
and who will not be crushed “until he has established justice in the
earth” (verse 4).

The 10th Assembly theme as adopted was one of two suggestions from the
Assembly Planning Committee. The other possibility presented early in the
meeting was: “In God’s world, called to be one”.

During the course of deliberations, several attempts were made by Central
Committee members to combine the emphases of justice, peace and life, on
the one hand, and of unity on the other hand.

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC, in the final
moments before the decision, asserted that “seeking justice and peace is
a call to unity – and may be clearly interpreted as such”.

Carmencita Karagdag from the Philippine Independent Church reminded the
Central Committee that neither the word “justice” nor “peace” has
appeared in any “theme” of the previous nine WCC assemblies since the
council was founded in 1948.

In the end, “God of life, lead us to justice and peace” was adopted by
consensus. The wording was adopted in its English-language formulation.
Official translations of the theme into many languages, including Korean,
will be coordinated by the WCC and announced in the coming days and
weeks.

“We are addressing the whole world,” said Metropolitan Mor Eustathius
Matta Roham in regard to the theme. A member of both the Central Committee
and the Assembly Planning Committee, he represents the Syrian Orthodox
Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, located near the other end of
the Asian landmass from South Korea. “This will be read in many
different places, by Christians and non-Christians. We must be sure that
the theme will be clearly stated in all languages.”

See also Central Committee moderator Walter Altmann’s earlier comments on
proposals for the 10th Assembly theme (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=c18a7c59f2530eb9c896
)


More information on the Central Committee meeting (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=12074e220405126f5216 )

Photos of the meeting (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=b4b6eb59b72a80c8c68b )


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.



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