wfn.org | NCC, CWS General Assembly convenes in Denver

[Philip Jenks <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

National Council of Churches and Church World Service
open annual General Assembly in Denver

Denver, November 12, 2008 -- The annual General Assembly of the National Co uncil of Churches USA and Church World Service convened Tuesday for its thr ee-day annual meeting in the Renaissance Denver Hotel in Denver.

"For one hundred years, we have gathered -- or have been gathered -- by God 's grace, not to celebrate our achievements but to give thanks for what God  has done, is doing, and will do to tear down the dividing walls of hostili ty that separate even the followers of Christ," said the Rev. Dr. Michael K innamon, NCC General Secretary, in his report to the delegates. "May our ti me together this week build up the church in love and give glory to our Cre ator!"

The Rev. John McCullough, Executive Director of Church World Service, repor ted the agency's response to a busy year of disasters, natural and human, i n the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Mya nmar, Haiti, Cuba and elsewhere, sounded a note of hope.

"My sisters and brothers in Christ, if we can only decide to work together  despite the limitations of our life together to create a warm and inviting  environment for God's children, and if we are willing to risk to do even mo re together than we can ever possibly do apart, then even they will know th e revival of their spirits, the certainty that God is not only for us, but  also for them; and next year when we gather as Assembly we will truly be ab le to focus more on celebrating the goodness of God in the land of the livi ng."

Presiding over the meeting is H.E. Bishop Vicken Aykazian, President of the  National Council of Churches. The General Assembly agenda and program was  developed by a planning committee chaired by Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos,  Chicago.

The theme of this year's Assembly is Luke 9: 50: "Jesus said ... Whoever is  not against you is for you."

The statement is a response by Jesus to his disciples' complaints about a m an they didn't know who was casting out demons in Jesus' name. The words in voke the brokenness of a world in which suspicion and distrust govern our r elationships and create obstacles to church unity.

Dr. Gary Dorrien, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theo logical Seminary in New York and Professor of Religion at Columbia Universi ty, addressed the opening session of the Assembly on "Remembering 100 years  and anticipating the future." (See http://www.ncccusa.org/ga2008/dorrien.h tml)

Topics planned for discussion at the General Assembly raise questions about  the universal obligation to be good neighbors, including immigration refor m, the meaning of Christian unity in a pluralistic era, and the "phobias" t hat stand in the way of ecumenical unity, racial justice and interfaith dia logue.

The Rev. Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicag o, will address the assembly on "Reclaiming our focus on racial justice."

Highlighting the Assembly will be presentations by NCC General Secretary, t he Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, who was elected to his post at the last Gener al Assembly in November 2007; and by the Rev. John McCullough, Executive Di rector of Church World Service.

The 100th anniversary of the National Council of Churches, which traces its  origins to the founding of the Federal Council of Churches in December 190 8, will be celebrated at the closing gathering on Thursday, November 13.

Preceding the Assembly beginning on the evening of November 7 was a young a dult gathering called, "New Fire: Young Adult Ecumenical Formation Days," t hat featured keynote addresses by Kinnamon  and by the Rev. Deborah DeWinte r, Program Executive of the U.S. Conference for the World Council of Church es.

Bible studies will be led by Dr. Rodney Sadler, Associate Professor of Bibl e at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Educat ion, Charlotte, N.C., and Dr. Despina Prassas, Assistant Professor of Theol ogy at Providence College, R.I.

NCC News contact: Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228, pjenks@ncccusa.org