Ninth WCC Assembly Expected to 'Leave Mark on Ecumenical History'
The World Council of Churches is preparing to transform the world beginning with the believers at its ninth Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil early next year. With the theme, ''God, In Your Grace, Transform the World,'' the 2006 Assembly is expect
The World Council of Churches is preparing to transform the world beginning with the believers at its ninth Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil early next year.
With the theme, "God, In Your Grace, Transform the World," the 2006 Assembly is expected to be one of the most representative gatherings of Christians ever held.
While transformation is called for among the evil of poverty, exploitation of labor, fatal diseases and corruption existent in the world, WCC points to the churches to experience the change ahead of their surroundings.
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"Praying 'God, in your grace, transform the world' means being open to transformation for believers, churches and the ecumenical movement itself," said a statement released today by the WCC.
"How prepared are we to have self-serving or limited understandings of God, the church or the ecumenical movement transformed?"
Up to 3,000 church leaders and ecumenical representatives from nearly every Christian tradition around the world gather for the first WCC assembly of the 21st century on Feb. 14-23 to go beyond "restorative justice" to "transformative justice."
"We should think of God's justice as transformative justice," the WCC stated. "Justice that goes further than punishing the offender and putting wrongs right towards creating that which is completely new."
Such transformative justice and radical changes comes with the input of a younger crowd as well. Thus, WCC is opening its doors for the youth to create an impacting wave on the gathering to make this "the youngest Assembly in its history."
"Only young people can bring the kind of fresh energy to the Assembly that we need to develop new perspectives and vision for the ecumenical movement," said Natalie Maxson, WCC's program executive for youth. "Some will come with fresh eyes and can point out the shortcomings of our churches and the ecumenical movement. Others will be well-seasoned leaders with unique expertise on human rights, inter-religious dialogue, economic justice, HIV/AIDS and other issues facing youth in their contexts."
As WCC assemblies – held every seven years – are perceived as the turning points in the life of the world council, the 2006 gathering is expected to leave its mark on ecumenical history.
"The world does need to be transformed," the WCC stated, but "none of that can happen without us being changed too."
