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World Council of Churches
Press Release, PR-00-33
For Immediate Use
10 November 2000

Asian and Pacific church leaders gather in China

With a special focus on globalization and its impact in their regions and respective countries, over twenty leaders of Asian and Pacific ecumenical organizations, churches, and regional programmes of church-related agencies will meet in Shanghai and Nanjing, China, 11-16 November. The encounter, hosted by the Asia desk of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in collaboration with the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and the China Christian Council (CCC), is a joint meeting of two WCC regional groups.  

The joint meeting, which takes place every three years, will identify common and emerging issues and priorities for ecumenical involvement and joint action in the regions. Participants will also have the opportunity to observe the life and witness of Chinese Christians and the changes taking place as the People's Republic of China undergoes a transformation from a socialist, centrally-controlled system to a market-oriented economy in a globalized system.  

The Pacific regional group will be looking closely at issues of tradition and culture in relation to international human rights standards. Also, in light of recent crises in the region, the group will reflect on the role of churches and civil society. The group's main aim will be to determine the priorities for WCC regional work in the Pacific for the coming three years.  

Matthews George Chunakara, WCC executive secretary for Asia, notes that discussion in the past between the two regional groups has emphasized the impact of economic involvement by Asian companies expanding their offshore activities in the Pacific, including joint ventures between foreign companies and state-owned Chinese enterprises. "This has been a common concern for people in Asia and the Pacific," he notes, "especially those business enterprises which drain natural resources from developing countries and ultimately affect the sustainable development and economic growth which should have helped the common people in the regions."

As part of the meeting, participants will visit the New Economic Zones near Shanghai, and will have an opportunity to observe the effect of the new economic trends in urban and rural communities. They will meet with people who, at local and national levels, have given leadership to the Chinese churches over the past several decades. Bishop K.H. Ting, a prominent ecumenical leader from the People's Republic of China, will greet and address the participants at the joint meeting's inaugural session.  

Participants include:

Rev. Dr Feliciano Carino, General Secretary, Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)

Ms Li En-Ling, Amity Foundation, People's Republic of China

Rev. Dr Ipe Joseph, General Secretary, National Council of Churches in India		

Mr Israel Paulraj, Treasurer, CCA	

Ms Helen Monisha Sarkar, CCA General Committee Member, Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh

Rev. Dr Richard Siwu, Vice Moderator, Gereja Masehi Injili Minahasa, Indonesia

Ms Noi Ton, Thailand

Professor Dr Samuel Lee, Christian Institute of Social Studies, Seoul, Korea

Dr Prawate Khid Arn, Executive Secretary, Justice, Development & International Affairs Cluster, CCA

Ms Margareta Koltai, Asia Secretary, Church of Sweden

Dr Ad Mook, Asia/Pacific Desk, Dept. of Global Ministries of the Uniting Church of the Netherlands

Rev. Valamotu Palu, General Secretary, Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC)

Deacon John Dierking, Guam

Father Line Folaumoeloa, Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga		

Mrs Sophia W.R. Gegeyo, General Secretary, Papua New Guinea Council of Churches

Mrs Fuiva Kavaliku, PCC Executive Committee Moderator, Tonga

Rev. Dr Sekuini L Seva'aetasi, General Secretary, National Council of Churches in American Samoa

Mrs Losena Tubanavau-Salabula, Pacific Concerns Resource Centre Inc., Fiji Islands

Pasteur Jean Hnoija Wete, President of the Evangelical Church in New Caledonia and the Loyalty Isles

Special Invitees:

Bishop K.H. Ting

Dr. Han Wen Zhao, General Secretary, China Christian Council

For further information, please contact Karin Achtelstetter, Media Relations Officer
Tel:  (+41.22) 791.61.53, Mobile:  (+41) 79.284.52.12

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The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches, now 337, in more than 100 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, The Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

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