wfn.org | WCC NEWS: The new agenda: unity remains central

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World Council of Churches - News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 28/08/2009 15:48:09

>THE NEW AGENDA: UNITY REMAINS CENTRAL

World Council of Churches general secretary-elect Rev. Dr Olav
Fykse Tveit was asked on Friday to outline his vision for the
organization. He didn’t have to look far for inspiration.

A tapestry on the wall just to his left at the press conference,
in the same hall where he was elected to the office the day
before, displayed the words – in Greek – of Christ’s prayer in
John 17: “. . . that they all may be one”.

“That is the foundation of the World Council of Churches, and
its goal,” said Tveit, currently general secretary of the Church
of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations. “Any
vision for this work has to make that vision visible. It’s not
the old agenda; it’s the new agenda, as well.”

Tveit went on to say that the WCC has particular gifts to offer
the world, including a strong legacy of service, a unique global
access through its network of churches, and a talented group of
staff and members who can be God’s hands around the world.

Those gifts will be needed to address four major areas that
Tveit identified as priorities Friday: solidarity among the
world’s Christians, interreligious relationships, broader
ecumenical connections and justice issues.

Tveit said many Christians today are minorities in the
communities and countries where they live, or in areas that are
suffering from violence or extreme poverty, or both.

“We can raise the voice of others, and we can strengthen the
voice of others,” he said, noting the importance of accompaniment
and advocacy.

In regard to other religions, Tveit said dialogue and work with
Islam is particularly important in the current time. He cited the
positive relationships he has had in his native Norway as
moderator of the Church of Norway–Islamic Council of Norway
contact group. Churches, he noted, have “great potential” to
break down the various barriers that exist in the world.

He said the road forward begins with a simple premise: to “see
one another as fellow human beings. All faiths call us to that.”

That same view, he said, needs to extend to the many Christian
churches and faith groups who are not among the 349 member
churches of the WCC. Tveit said cooperation among the various
bodies is important for a common witness, as well as for areas
“where we can challenge one another”.

He added that he looks forward to continuing the WCC’s strong
ties with the Roman Catholic Church, which is not a WCC member
but has a long-standing working relationship. Tveit called that
partnership “one of the crucial relationships for this
organization”.

And on justice issues, he pointed to the effects of climate
change as one example. He noted the experiences of his region –
particularly Greenland, which has dealt with “dramatic melting”
of its snow and ice pack – as well as the Pacific, where some
islands are slowly being submerged.

“To hear the voices (of those) who live with these changes now,
not just what might happen in the future, is something very
different,” Tveit said. He emphasized in answers to later
questions that it is “a Christian duty to respond to the needs of
our neighbour”.

He touched on a host of other issues during the 40-minute press
conference, acknowledging that he has much to learn, reflect on
and pray about in the four-plus months until he officially takes
office. He said again that he’s looking forward to the work
ahead, despite its daunting scope.

“It’s a challenging task,” Tveit said. “It’s not an impossible
task. I think it also can be a very important task.”

Free high resolution photo of Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit (please
credit Peter Williams/WCC):
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/images/wcc-main/events/cc_2009/090825/B090826-023.JPG

Text of Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit's presentation before the WCC
central committee on his vision for the Council: 
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=7150

Biographical information on Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6908

More information on the 26 August - 2 September 2009 Central
Committee meeting:
http://www.oikoumene.org/cc2009

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

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,
witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical
fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings
together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches
representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110
countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic
Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from
the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.