ecumenism" "
During the 2003 session of the central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), held in Geneva from 26 August to 2 September, the Council’s new general secretary was elected. For the first time an African was chosen. He is Pastor Samuel Kobia, of the Methodist Church of Kenya. He will succeed Konrad Raiser, who has held the post for 11 years, in January 2004. “The questions to be tackled declared Kobia in his first public pronouncement can only be solved together”. He also pointed out that “in the African tradition decision-taking is especially based on the search for consensus”. Various aspects of current affairs were discussed by the Committee. As far as Iraq is concerned, it declared: “It is up to the Iraqi people to freely choose their own destiny” and the United Nations must play “a leading role in the humanitarian relief, disarmament and reconstruction of the country”. It also emphasised the need for “the establishment of a legitimate, sovereign, elected and widely representative government” and “the withdrawal of the occupation forces”. The Committee also reviewed the progress made by the first year of the EAPP programme (ecumenical accompanying programme in Palestine and Israel), launched by the WCC in 2002 to support Israelis and Palestinians dedicating to ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories in a nonviolent way; 58 Christians of various Churches are currently involved in the programme. “The central concept of ecumenism is strongly rooted, but the ecumenical structures must be re-examined to adjust them to changing circumstances”. Urged by this conviction, the outgoing general secretary Raiser has convened a meeting at the Armenian Apostolic Church in Antelias in Lebanon from 17 to 20 November. It is intended as a consultation on the “new shape of the ecumenical movement”. “The world is in continuous transformation explained Raiser and this stimulus must lead us to develop new forms for the ecumenical movements. We feel the need to identify the main calls for renewal that come from our churches”. After the consultation in November, a report will be drafted which will be presented to the next meeting of the WCC central Committee (scheduled for 2005) and subsequently to the WCC General Assembly in 2006″.
