wfn.org | World Council of Churches delegates ponder group's future

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Sept. 10, 2002	News media contact: Linda Bloom7(212) 870-38037New York
10-32-35-71B{400}

NOTE: For related coverage, see UMNS story #382.		

By United Methodist News Service

While tackling global issues and addressing relations between denominations,
participants in the recent World Council of Churches Central Committee
meeting faced a larger question: What is the future of the ecumenical
organization?

United Methodist representatives were among those pondering the answer at
the Aug. 26-Sept. 3 gathering in Geneva. The WCC represents a fellowship of
342 church bodies in more than 100 countries.

Although dwindling financial support for the 54-year-old council is a very
real issue, it is not the only one that needs examination, according to Lois
Dauway, an executive with the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board
of Global Ministries.

"The world is changing, and many of the organizations that the WCC helped
give birth to are growing in strength and vitality," she said. Perhaps the
council should reshape itself to work in partnership with these regional
ecumenical groups and not duplicate their efforts, she said.

Such partnerships were endorsed by the Rev. Konrad Raiser of the Evangelical
Church in Germany, the WCC's chief executive, who called for a "new
ecumenical configuration" for the 21st century during his opening report to
the 158-member central committee. He pointed out that the ecumenical
movement is no longer drawing enthusiastic support from youth and has always
been shunned by some conservatives within the church.

The Rev. Bruce Robbins, chief executive of the United Methodist Commission
on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, noted that traditional
models of ecumenism are shifting, putting pressure on the WCC and other
established organizations.

One example of change is a dialogue with Pentecostal churches. Robbins is
co-moderator of the WCC group involved with that dialogue, which will have
its third meeting Nov. 7-13 in Seoul, Korea, hosted by the Korean
Presbyterian Church and Assemblies of God of Korea. 

Robbins still considers the WCC to be a relevant organization, especially
because of "the incredible opportunity" of bringing together Christians from
around the world. But he expects its future to revolve more around the
relationships of its members "instead of putting the majority of our
energies into advocacy work." 

An example was the recent focus on Orthodox membership. Committee members
generally endorsed the final report of the Special Commission on Orthodox
Participation in the WCC after discussion of its five main themes:
ecclesiology, social and ethical issues, common prayer, a consensus-model
for decision-making, and future membership and representation. Jan Love, a
former central committee delegate and United Methodist laywoman from South
Carolina, was a member of the special commission, formed in response to
Orthodox complaints that Protestant views on theology dominated the WCC.

Robbins said he found the Aug. 26-Sept. 3 meeting "a remarkable beginning"
in terms of the WCC's future, based on the "honesty of conversation" between
representatives of the two major streams of Christianity in the organization
- the Protestants and the Orthodox. What is missing, he pointed out, is the
voice of Roman Catholics, but he hopes "that will change some day."

Financial problems do remain an issue. An unanticipated shortfall in income,
brought about by a loss in investments and drop in expected contributions,
has depleted the WCC's general reserves, although an earlier restructuring
of the investment portfolio lessened the amount of loss. Various cost-saving
measures are being considered, and the central committee agreed to cut the
projected 2003 budget.

Michael Hardon, director of WCC Income Monitoring and Development, said
during a press briefing that, in many cases, the shortfall in contributions
resulted from member churches and other donors suffering investment losses
of their own. 

While the United Methodist Church and other denominations remain financially
committed to the WCC, "traditional ways that ecumenism has been funded are
no longer available," Robbins said flatly. He added that decisions have to
be made "on what's essential and non-essential to the council." He expects
some of those cuts to take effect by the end of the year.

In other business, the central committee:

7	Expressed concern over U.S. military threats against Iraq, as well
as alarm over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the dispute between India
and Pakistan over Kashmir and continuing violence in Colombia.

7	Urged churches to monitor the situation of religious minorities in
Bangladesh and remain in prayer for the churches and people of the Sudan.

7	Chose Porto Alegre, Brazil, as the site of the WCC's ninth assembly
in 2006, with the date to be set later. It would be the organization's first
assembly in Latin America.

7	Marked the 75th anniversary of the Faith and Order movement, which
has a goal of visible unity of the church. The Rev. David Yemba, a United
Methodist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, currently serves as
moderator of the WCC's Faith and Order Commission.

7	Named an 18-member search committee to seek candidates to succeed
Raiser, who plans to retire at the end of 2003, as general secretary. He has
served in that position since January 1993.

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United Methodist News Service
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