Click here to access the music sheets for the songs in the video.
The songs below were composed at a workshop organized by the World Council of Churches and Red Crearte in Mexico. Scores include lyrics in English and Spanish.
]]>The 10th Assembly was held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 30 October to 8 November 2013, under the theme, “God of life, lead us to justice and peace.” Plenary sessions explored the theme under rubrics of unity, mission, justice and peace.
The fourteen pieces in ER include the full reports of the WCC general secretary and moderator, the official “Message” of the assembly, a list of its public statements with links to full texts on the Internet, the assembly's unity statement and several of the notable presentations from the assembly's plenary sessions and final worship.
The pieces convey something of the spirit and tone of the gathering, along with analysis of the current work and prospects of the WCC and the larger ecumenical movement.
Said ER editor Theodore A. Gill, “The content of this issue is by no means exhaustive but is intended to provide insights into assembly-goers' attitudes toward the churches' progress toward unity, toward a common understanding of the church, toward openness to common mission and evangelism, toward an understanding of those many elements that make for peace with justice. Ecumenical Review, as ever, provides a space where diverse voices may be raised, and heard.”
Other committee reports, plenary presentations, homilies and videos from the assembly are available online. A full report and analysis of the assembly will be published on 1 April.
List of the authors and articles
Subscribe to The Ecumenical Review
]]>Texts versions of some of the messages during the plenary are available here.
]]>
After an intensive process, which involved the WCC’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), the WCC officers and the WCC executive and central committees in 2012 and 2013, the statements were presented to the WCC Assembly for adoption on 8 November.
At the assembly the delegates also expressed concern on “Christian presence and witness in the Middle East”, the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide of 1915, themes in the minutes presented in Busan.
The statement titled Politicization of Religion and Rights of Religious Minorities calls on the global ecumenical community to mediate with their respective governments “to develop policies of providing effective protection of persons and communities belonging to minority religions against threats or acts of violence from non-state actors.”
The statement also calls for “concerted and coordinated efforts on the part of religious, civil society and state actors in order to address violations of rights of religious minorities and their freedom of religion and belief”.
Through the statement on Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula, churches “call upon all stakeholders in the region to participate in a creative process for building peace on the Korean peninsula by halting all military exercises on the Korean peninsula, by ceasing foreign intervention, withdrawing foreign troops and reducing military expenditures”.
Another statement titled Human Rights of Stateless People, calls on the “churches to engage in dialogue with states to adopt policies which confer nationality to stateless people and provide proper documentation”. The text also encourages churches, civil society, human rights entities, United Nations agencies and regional organizations to collaborate effectively to reduce and eradicate statelessness.
On the Way of Just Peace was another significant statement, which affirms that “Peace constitutes a pattern of life that reflects human participation in God’s love and care for the world and all God’s creation”. With this affirmation, it recommends concrete actions and invokes commitment to share “God’s love for the world by seeking peace and protecting life”.
“Together we commit to protecting human dignity, doing justice in our families and communities, transforming conflicts without violence and banning all weapons of mass destruction,” read the statement.
Full text of the public issues statements
Official website of the WCC 10th Assembly
High resolution photos available via photos.oikoumene.org
]]>The Assembly, highest governing body of the WCC which meets every seven years, reviewed programmatic activities of the WCC, issued public statements and recorded minutes of concern, endorsing engagement and action by the churches around the world.
The Assembly also elected a new top governing body to lead the WCC into its new mandate.
“This assembly has provided a significant momentum for the ecumenical movement,” said the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit during a press meeting on 7 November in Busan.
Tveit said that the WCC 10th Assembly has an important dimension, being held in the Republic of Korea; this has brought churches closer to the realities of an unresolved conflict. He said that through the WCC 10th Assembly, churches have been able to express solidarity with Korean people across South and North, strengthening the WCC’s efforts for peace and reunification on the Korean peninsula.
Tveit stressed the importance of addressing the issues of migrants. “We see refugees trying to enter Europe for a variety of reasons – climate change as well as political reasons. This is a situation that must now be addressed at an international level,” he said.
Tveit affirmed that the WCC mandate presented at the assembly endorses that “we in Christian solidarity do not only support one another but reach out to anyone, who need our support and speaks out in front of the powers seeking peace and justice,” said Tveit.
"The WCC has an important role of being part of the wider ecumenical reflection on the definition and initiatives for mission and evangelism," said Tveit. "We carry a legacy of important discussions about mission; but we also represent a richness of traditions and churches' practices of mission in their daily lives," he added.
In his conclusion, Tveit identified "just peace" as an important component in the strategic direction for the work of the WCC. He stressed the significance of defining future priorities, as well as reflecting on the "unique value" of WCC programs.
The WCC assembly, which gathered some 3,000 participants from around the world from 30 October to 8 November, addressed the theme “God of life, lead us to justice and peace”.
The Assembly reviewed the work of the WCC, using the report Faith That Does Justice: The Journey of the WCC from Porto Alegre to Busan. Areas of ecumenical engagement and concerns outlined include eco-justice, peace-building and advocacy, incorporating theological understandings and promoting ecumenical formation of youth.
It is in the context of the “pilgrimage of justice and peace” that we hope to further the WCC programmes inspiring the churches to work together, said Rev. Sharon Watkins, moderator of the WCC’s programme guidelines committee.
While new directions in the financial strategy for the WCC’s work were developed, the WCC Assembly also received a financial report presented in Busan.
The Assembly took action by adopting statements and minutes on issues including peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula, politicization of religion and the rights of religious minorities, human rights of stateless people, and working towards just peace.
The delegates expressed concern on Christian presence and witness in the Middle East, the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, among other issues raised at the assembly.
The Assembly has elected a 150-person Central Committee which will serves as the decision-making body of the WCC until the next assembly in 7 to 8 years. The new committee counts 39% women, 61% men; 13% youth, 5% indigenous persons, 2%, persons with disabilities; ordained: 68%, and 32% of the members of the WCC Central Committee are lay persons.
The WCC Central Committee has elected Dr Agnes Abuom from the Anglican Church of Kenya as moderator, and as vice-moderators Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and Rev. Dr Mary Ann Swenson of the United Methodist Church, USA.
The Assembly has also appointed eight presidents to represent the WCC in their respective regions. The WCC presidents are Rev. Dr Mary-Anne Plaatjies van Huffel (Africa), Rev. Prof. Dr Sang Chang (Asia), Archbishop Anders Wejryd(Europe), Rev. Gloria Nohemy Ulloa Alvarado (Latin America and the Caribbean), Bishop Mark MacDonald (North America), Rev. Dr Mele’ana Puloka (Pacific), H.B. John X Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East (Eastern Orthodox Churches) and Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians (Oriental Orthodox Churches).
A prayer service giving thanks and sending participants in peace closed the WCC 10th Assembly. Fr Michael Lapsley, SSM (Society of the Sacred Mission), who preached the homily at the closing prayer, said, “I pray that all of us will leave here inspired by God’s Holy Spirit to be Christ’s co-workers in the struggles for justice and peace”.
WCC Assembly addresses contemporary public (WCC news release of 8 November 2013)
Official website of the WCC 10th Assembly
High resolution photos available via photos.oikoumene.org
]]>