wfn.org | Update: WCC general secretaries at AACC assembly

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches 7 Press Update
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 26/11/2003 - pu-03-48

AACC Assembly:
WCC general secretaries highlight ecumenical vision and
challenges

The vision at the heart of the ecumenical movement and the
challenges it
 faces at the beginning of the 21st century in Africa were
highlighted by
 both the outgoing and incoming general secretaries of the World
Council of
 Churches (WCC) at the 8th Assembly of the All Africa
Conferences of
 Churches (AACC) in Yaounde, Cameroon, on 24 November.

 Speaking at a plenary called "AACC celebrates world ecumenism",
Rev. Dr
 Konrad Raiser chose the reconfiguration of the ecumenical
movement as his
 topic. An in-depth discussion on reconfiguration has been
launched under
 the WCC's lead; Raiser pointed out that the success of
reconfiguration
 depends on the ability to recreate an "ecumenical vision" for
the 21st
 century.

 Important as clear goals and objectives as well as
organizational
 coherence may be, it is "the 'ecumenical vision' "handed to us
in the
 biblical witness," that gives the ecumenical movement its
vitality, Raiser
 argued. This vision "expressed among other places in the prayer
"that all
 may be one" (John 17, 21)  "has to be appropriated afresh in
each
 generation," he said.

 Recalling various attempts over recent years to spell out "the
ecumenical
 vision for the present context", Raiser noted that the WCC's
1998 assembly
 had identified "the visible oneness of the body of Christ, the
healing of
 human community, the liberating power of forgiveness, and a
culture of
 dialogue and solidarity" as key elements of such a vision.

 The vision is a "life-centred" one. As such, it is "in tension
with"
 economic globalization, Raiser suggested. It also has concrete
 consequences for the "organized life of the ecumenical
movement": it
 requires "increased cooperation and partnership for mutual
support",
 instead of competition; "multilateral instead of bilateral
relationships";
 "conciliar structures rather than denominationalism".

 The WCC outgoing general secretary noted that while the
ecumenical vision
 and values must find expression in "the fellowship of people
and churches
 in local contexts", the regional and global ecumenical
organizations allow
 "the different local expressions of ecumenism to encounter one
another in
 mutual accountability".

African challenges

 In his turn, the WCC general secretary-elect Rev. Dr Samuel
Kobia stressed
 that the ecumenical movement in Africa is called to provide
"an
 alternative vision of a renewed future in which all should have
life in
 abundance". The challenge of the ecumenical movement is "to
develop
 alternative paradigms, social grids and indices conducive to a
 comprehensive understanding of the prevailing historical
moment."

 Speaking "as one of the sons of this great continent", Kobia
stated that
 "while poverty and disease are on the increase in most parts of
the
 continent, the struggles for the well-being of the poor and the
weak must
 remain on top of our agenda together".

 "While seeking justice for the poor and upholding the integrity
of
 creation in order to foster renewal of public life and values,
the
 churches together with civil society institutions are now faced
with the
 formidable task of rebuilding societies differently", looking
for "radical
 structural change in the living conditions of the working poor,
excluded
 groups and peasant communities in rural Africa", Kobia said.

 In this endeavour, the churches are called together "to be
creative and
 not driven by ideological but theological imperatives". It is
"vitally
 important", Kobia stressed, that churches "bring theology back
to the
 people, and craft new themes of spirituality that are congenial
to our
 unique experience and place in the world".

 One way to do that would be to establish "parish networks of
social study
 groups and awareness building initiatives that will strengthen
the
 ecumenical movement from below". In addition to that, "we must
re-think
 institutional forms of ecumenism" in order to express "the
aspirations for
 unity among ordinary Christians who seek to bring change in
society",
 Kobia added.

 Bonds of affection

 During the plenary devoted to celebrate world ecumenism, Rev.
Dr. Mvume
 Dandala, AACC general secretary, hailed Raiser for his
"extensive
 commitment to Africa" manifested during his tenure as WCC
General
 Secretary. Kobia, who succeeds Raiser on January 1, was for his
part
 welcomed as the first WCC General Secretary from Africa.

 The AACC presented plaques of tribute to Raiser and to Melaku
Kifle, WCC
 Programme Executive for Africa, who was seconded by the WCC to
the AACC as
 acting general secretary during the past 18 months. Kobia, who
was at his
 turn presented with a Bible, had praised the election as AACC
general
 secretary of Rev. Dandala, whose leadership will ensure "the
conference of
 churches is owned by those whom it serves".

 Kobia had also previously recalled the WCC Programme to Combat
Racism,
 created in 1968, as "one of the greatest programmatic
milestones in the
 life of the WCC". However, he added, "to combat new and old
forms of
 racism, including ethnic strife that lead to genocide, remains
on the
 agenda of WCC in its journey together with Africa".

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 The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now
342, in
 more than 120 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, Netherlands. Its staff is
headed by
 general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in
Germany.