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World Council of Churches - Update
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 19/01/2006

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY PLAYS ROLE
IN DEVELOPING ECUMENICAL SPIRITUALITY, KOBIA SAYS

The marks of ecumenical spirituality are "readiness to rethink and to be
converted" and willingness "to bear the otherness of the other, including
refugees, people of another colour and other faiths, the old and the poor
- all God's people," said Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia yesterday, the first day of
the 2006 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Preaching at a service in the French-language church in Switzerland's
capital Bern, Kobia recognized that bearing the otherness of the other "is
not a simple matter". For this to happen, Christians "must develop the
spiritual capacity to hear and see the grace of God in the other, [...]
the capacity to feel the pulse of the world around us and to listen to the
voices of those far and near".

According to the WCC general secretary, the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity has a "very significant role" to play in such an endeavour. "As we
meet, sing, pray and worship together here in Bern in the context of the
universality of the world-wide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, [...]
we are one with our brothers and sisters in Bolivia, in Kiribati, in
Botswana and, yes, with our Irish brothers and sisters who have prepared
the liturgical materials we are using this week."

Kobia gave thanks to God for the "world-wide community" which each year
comes "together in spirit to pray for God's energy and guidance in search
of unity". "Prayer," Kobia said, "remains at the heart of the unity that
we seek." A unity that is "not just for our sake, but also for the sake of
the world".

> Sharing views with Swiss churches and state

The WCC general secretary has been in Bern for the past two days paying
his first official visit to the churches of the country that is home to
the headquarters of the WCC.

During his visit, Kobia met with the leadership of the Federation of Swiss
Protestant Churches (SEK-FEPS) and its member churches. He also met with
Moritz Leuenberger, the president of Switzerland's seven-member Federal
Council, and with Micheline Calmy-Rey, the federal councillor responsible
for foreign affairs.

Kobia's discussion with SEK-FEPS focused on ecumenism in the 21st century,
touching on such issues as confessionalism vs. emerging mega-churches, the
declining influence of the churches in Europe, and such possible ecumenical models as Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).

The Swiss church leaders indicated that SEK-FEPS hopes to get more
involved in the WCC's 2001-2010 Decade to Overcome Violence, especially in
view of the planned DOV focus on Europe in 2007. Similarly, SEK-FEPS is
interested in working with the WCC on the issue of globalization in
general, and water in particular.

Primarily an opportunity to discuss the WCC's role and work, Kobia's
meeting with Swiss president Moritz Leuenberger allowed them to exchange
views on the topic of access to water, which is increasingly becoming an
issue in Switzerland as it is in other parts of the world.

The main foci of Kobia's discussion with Micheline Calmy-Rey were UN
reform, the situation in Israel-Palestine, and in Korea. Referring to
security, human rights, and development as the three pillars of the UN
system, the WCC general secretary congratulated the Swiss government on
being "at the forefront in the UN on security and human rights issues",
but indicated that "there are more expectations in relation to the third
pillar, development", in regard particularly to Switzerland's overseas
development assistance.

Kobia was accompanied by WCC staff members Jacques Matthey (mission and
evangelism), Teny Pirri-Simonian (church and ecumenical relations), Martin
Robra (ethics and ecology), Sabine Udodesku (executive secretary), and
Peter Weiderud (international affairs).

The 2006 Week of Prayer materials are available on the WCC website at:
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/wop2006contents.html
[Français] - [Deutsch] - [Español]

Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches' website:
http://www.sek.ch [in German and French]

This material may be reprinted freely.

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org

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The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 347, 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 Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.