In his parting comments, General Secretary Konrad Raiser called for a major shake-up and “reconfiguration” of the constellation of global and regional ecumenical organizations to “rally the partners again around a common set of values and attitudes, to sharpen the sense of a common mission.”

Raiser has been arguing that a more cooperative system of cooperation could reduce duplication of efforts and lead to more efficient operations but the issue is more than money. “Important as a consideration of the funding base may be for the different partner organizations, this is just one factor within a larger goal of sharpening the profile of a value-driven ecumenism.”

He told the committee that “the future of the ecumenical movement cannot be left in the hands of the churches alone” because the goal is “not to centralize the ecumenical movement and to bring everything under the control of the WCC.” Rather, the WCC would continue as a “fellowship of churches” with a mandate “to foster the coherence of the ecumenical movement without claiming a position of central control.”

At its 1998 General Assembly in Zimbabwe, the WCC backed creation of a global forum of Christian churches and ecumenical organizations that could include not only WCC members but also the Roman Catholic Church and major Pentecostal and Evangelical bodies. The WCC has called a top-level meeting in November in Lebanon to consider concrete ways to streamline the structures and support such an initiative.

First African leader for WCC

Implementation of that new ecumenical vision falls into the hands of the Rev. Sam Kobia of the Methodist Church in Kenya, the first African elected to head the WCC. In his acceptance speech, he echoed Raiser’s emphasis on “working together.” He predicted that the 21st century is one “when spirituality will take centre place” because people are searching for “meaning in life and for security” while many lead “meaningless and insecure lives.”

He shared the vision of an ecumenical movement that would include Roman Catholics, Pentecostals and Evangelicals as well as the rapidly growing African churches, many of them expressing interest. “And we want to encourage them so they can contribute their own spirituality and enrich the WCC and the global ecumenical movement.”

Kobia also expressed some relief that he was assuming his post at a time when the financial situation of the WCC seems to be improving, after seven years of decline that included staff cuts. “The financial situation of the council is completely under control,” said the Rev. Anders Gadegaard of the finance committee. Yet he cautioned that his was a “realistic kind of optimism” because there is “no room for optimism when you look at the income side.” The committee is projecting a decrease in income for 2004” that dictates “a need for cost-cutting measures to continue.”

Prudence led the Central Committee to cut in half the amount of funds available for the next General Assembly, scheduled for Brazil in February 2006. The meeting will also be two days shorter and have a third fewer delegates than the Zimbabwe meeting. The finance committee also pointed out that the next assembly will be held in a much less expensive venue than previous meetings.

Some Central Committee members worried that the pared-down assembly would mean that some churches would be under-represented—and fewer young people would be delegates.

Role of youth?

During a hearing on youth, participants said that young people are fully capable of changing he world and the role of churches is to give them the time and space to organize for action. “Young people know the world is inherently unfair and unjust,” said Tale Hungnes, leader of the largest political youth organization in Norway, Changemaker. “And they are eagerly seeking the tools to change the structures and address the root causes.”

Changemaker is directing its considerable energies to Third World debt, spearheading a campaign to persuade the government of Norway to be the first to address “dictator debt,” the burden created in many developing countries who suffered under periods of repression.

Matome Makgoba, president of the South African Council of Churches Youth Forum said that youth in his country face problems of unemployment, HIV/AIDS, drugs, crime and violence so he argued that “the church has to open time and space for young people to find their way through these dangers and to express themselves.” Facing the AIDS pandemic “youth must be prepared for leadership today. We cannot wait for tomorrow.”

A special commission established to deal with longstanding grievances among Orthodox members of the WCC over worship styles, theological and political pronouncements and the decision-making style of the council is producing “good results,” according to a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. It was also noted that all 20 Orthodox members now contribute financially to the council, a significant improvement over recent years.

In other action the Central Committee:

• called for acknowledgement in the new constitution for the European Union of the “central role of Christianity and the contributions of other religions” in European history and civilization.
• decided that the United States would be the focus next year of the WCC’s Decade to Overcome Violence, bringing together American churches in their peacemaking efforts.
• urged its member churches to engage persons with disabilities in every aspect of the church, to advocate the framing of a United Nations Convention on Disabilities, and develop a new culture of caring and affirming the lives of those considered by others to be disabled.
• announced that the next Conference on World Mission and Evangelism will be held in May 2005 in Athens under the theme “Come Holy Spirit, Heal and Reconcile: Called in Christ to be reconciling and healing communities.”
• called for the replacement of the United States-led coalition forces in Iraq with United Nations troops, repeating its condemnation of abuses by the regime of Saddam Hussein but arguing that the war itself was “immoral, ill-advised and in breach of the principles of the UN Charter.”
• Denounced violence in Zimbabwe and called for international support for the country’s churches as they work to “restore the rule of law and put an end to arbitrary arrests, torture and killings.”