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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (206
notes).

Note 204 by UMNS on July 9, 1997 at 14:51 Eastern (3326 characters).

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT: Linda Bloom                              392(10-71B){204}
         New York (212) 870-3803                      July 9, 1997

Despite differences at assembly,
Europeans celebrate the spirit

               by United Methodist News Service

     Although delegates to the recent Second European Ecumenical
Assembly in Graz, Austria, were far from unified, a celebratory
spirit did prevail, according to two United Methodist
participants.
     Bishop Heinrich Bolleter of Zurich, Switzerland -- who serves
as the United Methodist bishop for Central and Southern Europe --
said that because of success at the first assembly in 1989 on
dealing with peace, justice and environmental issues, there were
high hopes for the June 23-29 event in Graz.
     But those hoping to achieve unity on the issues of the
integrity of creation and more opportunities of ministry for lay
men and women "could not see fulfillment of their wishes in Graz,"
he added.
     Discussions were more freeflowing in the informal workshop
settings. But as one of 700 delegates -- representing the
sponsoring Conference of European Churches and Conference of
European Bishops' Conferences -- Bolleter said he found the
official discussions very limited.
     Accusations by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexi II of
aggressive proselytizing by both Catholics and Protestants and a
proposed new Russian law aimed at shutting out other religious
groups, along with other differences between East and West,
contributed to the tension.
     The tension remained during a meeting of the Conference of
European Churches, which began after the assembly concluded and
continued through July 4. And, since the Georgian Orthodox Church
recently had withdrawn from the conference, "there was always the
threat from the Orthodox side" of more churches pulling out if
they were displeased, Bolleter explained.
     "Many of the issues really could not be discussed," he added.
     The Rev. Helmut Nauser -- a consultant for the Graz Assembly
and conference superintendent of the United Methodist Austria
Provisional Annual Conference -- agreed "there are still a number
of open questions" to settle between the European religious
groups.
     But he told United Methodist News Service that he also sees
"growing and good cooperation between Protestant, Catholic and
Orthodox churches.
     The assembly, Nauser explained, "showed that a new kind of
ecumenical reality is emerging" on the grassroots level and
pointed to the 12,000 visitors from various countries -- including
1,200 from Romania alone -- who met together.
     "They worshiped together, they sang, they discussed, they
ate, they had fellowship, in a very positive way," he said.
     Bolleter agreed that their spirit was contagious. While the
opening of the assembly had been dominated by church leaders, the
closing worship was dominated "by the joy of celebrating
together."
     More than 40,000 people participated in that service. "There,
I think . . . we could sense the unity which is there instead of
all the tensions and problems we still have," he said.
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