wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] WCC cuts budget for next global assembly by half

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WCC cuts budget for next global assembly by half
03373
September 4, 2003

WCC cuts budget for next global assembly by half

By Jerry L. Van Marter
Ecumenical News International

GENEVA - A new policy of fiscal prudence means the next gathering in Brazil
of the highest governing body of the World Council of Churches (WCC) will
receive only half the amount of money that was allocated for the last meeting
held in Zimbabwe.

The ninth general assembly of the cash - strapped WCC, scheduled for February
2006 in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, will also be two days
shorter and have a third fewer delegates than the previous gathering held in
Harare in 1998.

The assembly budget for the Porto Alegre gathering - approved here Sept. 2 by
the WCC's central committee, its main governing body - totals 6.3 million
Swiss francs (US$4.5 million). By comparison, the total cost of the Harare
assembly was 13.4 million Swiss francs.

Assemblies of the WCC, the world's biggest church grouping, take place
approximately every seven years, gathering together several thousand people
including delegates from its 342 member churches as well as many other
participants.

The WCC's finance committee said the Porto Alegre assembly will be held at a
much less-expensive venue than previous gatherings and will last for 10 days
instead of the previous 12 days.

"However, it is unlikely any future assembly, particularly one in a developed
country, will be able to be held for this small amount of money," cautioned
the Rev. Anders Gadegaard, the finance committee's vice-moderator.

The assembly will be held under the theme, "God, in your grace, transform the
world," members of the WCC central committee decided. Because the word
"grace" is difficult to translate in some languages, the final versions of
the chosen theme will not be released until after the WCC officers meet later
in November.

Guidelines for the allocation of the 700 delegate seats at the assembly, down
from 996 in Harare, created some consternation.

"The more we limit the number of delegates, the more our churches feel
under-represented," complained Marita Krueger of the Evangelical Church of
Germany.

"We realize there are some difficulties," said the Rev. Eberhardt Renz, one
of the WCC's presidents, who brought the seat allocation proposal. "Bigger
churches will be hit harder by the reduction in seats."

Heike Bosien, also from the Evangelical Church in Germany, told the central
committee she feared there would be fewer young delegates at the Brazil
assembly than at previous such gatherings despite the priority organizers
place on the presence of youth.

Specific allocation of delegates' seats will be completed by February 2004.

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