wfn.org | All Africa Conference of Churches Assembly Schedule

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

November 14, 2003

UPDATED COVERAGE ADVISORY / FOR MEDIA PLANNING
EXCEPTIONAL CONTENT, SOUND AND VISUALS

800 CHURCH LEADERS FROM ACROSS AFRICA TO MEET NOV. 22-27, YAOUNDE

Ecumenical Assembly Will Address HIV/AIDS With Testimonies from HIV+ Pastors
and Others, Voluntary On-Site Testing, Candlelight Procession

Other Topics: Violence, Terrorism, Debt, Trade/NEPAD, Good Governance, Child
Soldiers, Poverty, and More; Many International Guests

WHAT: One of the largest gatherings of Africa's churches in recent times -
the 8th continent-wide Assembly of the Nairobi-based All Africa Conference
of Churches, which comprises 169 member churches and associate members
including national councils of churches in 39 countries.  Constituency base:
120 million Africans.  The last such assembly was held in 1997 in Addis
Ababa.

WHEN/WHERE: Registration Nov. 22, Assembly Meets Nov. 23-27, Palais des
Congres, Yaounde, Cameroon.

WHAT: EXCEPTIONAL CONTENT, SOUND AND VISUALS.  HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

8.30-12.30 Nov. 23:  Opening Worship at the National Stadium.  Yaounde's
churches will be closed so that members can join AACC delegates for this
explosion of Gospel music and celebration, featuring a procession into the
stadium.

15.00-19.00 Nov. 23: Assembly Opening Ceremonies at the National Conference
Center (Palais des Congres).  Including welcome from the President of
Cameroon, His Excellence Paul Biya, and keynote address by the Chair of the
African Union, His Excellence Mr. Joaquim Chissano, President of the
Republic of Mozambique.

11.00-13:30 Nov. 24: Addresses by the AACC's President, the Most. Rev. Prof.
Kwesi A. Dickson, from Ghana, and by the AACC's new General Secretary, the
Rev. Dr. H. Mvume Dandala, a South African.

15.00-17.00 Nov. 24: Addresses by the outgoing and incoming general
secretaries of the World Council of Churches (respectively, the Rev. Dr.
Konrad Raiser of Germany and the Rev. Dr. Sam Kobia of Kenya).	Dr. Kobia
will speak on "The Place of Africa in the Ecumenical Movement."

11.00-13.00 Nov. 25: Address by Dr. Agnes Abuom of Kenya, Africa President,
World Council of Churches.

17.30-18.00 Nov. 25: Plenary on disabilities presented by the Ecumenical
Disability Advocacy Network.

18.00-19.30 Nov. 25: Children's Plenary.  African children including child
soldiers will tell their own stories of marginalization, poverty, war,
abuse - and hope.
-more-
AACC ASSEMBLY, YAOUNDE, CAMEROON / Nov. 14 Advisory / Page 2

21.00-22.30 Nov. 25: Plenary presented by African American churches.

15.00-17.30 Nov. 26: HIV/AIDS Plenary, including testimony by HIV+ church
leaders and others living with HIV/AIDS as a way of demystifying and
destigmatizing HIV/AIDS.  The AACC will offer voluntary on-site testing and
is encouraging church leaders -- in clerical garb! - archbishops, bishops,
pastors, laity - to be tested for HIV/AIDS.

18.30-20.30 Nov. 26: Candlelight procession and covenanting ceremonies in
Yaounde in solidarity with people living with HIV/AIDS.

Nov. 25-26: Africa's Churches Speak.  Small group discussions and "cluster
hearings on a wide range of issues - democratization and good governance,
HIV/AIDS, globalization, poverty, self-reliance, war, reconstruction,
trade/NEPAD, terrorism, violence and more - charting Africa's churches'
ecumenical response for the next five years.

9.30-17.30 Nov. 27: Plenary actions on Assembly recommendations.

17.30-19.00 Nov. 27: Closing worship with communion.  Message by the Rev.
Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary, Lutheran World Federation.

20.00 Nov. 27: Closing banquet.

* Youth and Women's Pre-Assembly Events Nov. 19-21.

SUPPORT SERVICES FOR NEWS MEDIA:

Full newsroom with computers, telephone and internet access, complete
documentation, on-site media liaison staff and daily news conferences with
Assembly newsmakers.

See www.aacc-ceta.org for more information.  AACC-CETA Nairobi:
254-20-444-1338/9 and 1483.  Media Contact in Yaounde: Rev. Rene-Didier
Salla Abondo, Mobile: 237-995-2287.  Additional Mobile Numbers to Follow.

E-Mail: Carol Fouke-Mpoyo, AACC-CETA Media Team Member, at
cfouke@ncccusa.org and cjfm10@hotmail.com

-end-