I. THEME PLENARY
The theme plenary set the agenda for the ensuing plenaries and
ecumenical conversations, each of which is rooted in the assembly theme.
Through the contributions of key personalities from the church and from
society, the theme plenary offered reflections on how to interpret the
current world situation, the role of the churches and the life of the
WCC fellowship, in light of the prayer "God of life, lead us to justice
and peace."
Moderator: H.E. Archbishop Dr Vicken Aykazian is Turkish-born, and currently leads
the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). He is the
president of the National Council of Churches in the USA. Archbishop Vicken was formerly Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church in Switzerland.
Speakers: Mr Michel Sidibé is the Executive Director of UNAIDS, the Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and Under-Secretary-General of the
United Nations. Dr Wedad Abbas Tawfik is a professor at the Institute of Coptic Studies in
Cairo and a member of the WCC's Plenary Commission on Faith
and Order since 2006. Bishop Duleep Kamil de Chikera was the
Anglican Bishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka from 2001-2010. Mrs Mélisande Schifter, M.Th. is of German and Thai
descent and a young theologian of the Evangelical Church in Baden,
Germany, with experience in East Africa, China and the USA. She
currently serves the WCC in the programme on Ecumenical Theological
Education
II. MISSION PLENARY
The mission plenary aspires to highlight the common challenges and opportunities
for mission, in light of the new global developments. It offers an
action-oriented reflection based on the new WCC mission statement,
Together towards Life: Mission and Evangelism in Changing Landscapes, so
as to enhance ecumenical cooperation on future mission work, addressing
churches and ecumenical partners to commit anew to the call for common
witness.
Moderator: Prof. Kirsteen Kim is professor of
Theology and World Christianity at Leeds Trinity University. She is a
member of the British and Irish Association for Mission Studies and the
editor of Mission Studies. She is a member of the Lausanne Theology
Working Group and since 2006 she has been serving as Vice-moderator the
Commission for World Mission and Evangelism
Speakers:
Rev. Prof. Dr Stephen Bevans, a priest in the Catholic missionary
congregation of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), ia professor of Mission and Culture at the
Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and also a member of the core
faculty of the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI). Rev.
Cecilia Castillo Nanjarí is the coordinator of the Ministry of Women and
Gender Justice (PMJG) of the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI). From 2000 to 2007, she was part of
the Joint Consultative Group between the WCC and Pentecostals. Bishop
Dr Geevarghese Mor Coorilos, from the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of
Antioch and All the East, is the Metropolitan of Niranam in India. He is
the moderator of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME).
President of St. Paul's Mission, the Mission and Evangelism program of
the Syrian Orthodox Church in India, he is also the chairperson of the
Student Christian Movement of India and of India Center for Social
Change. Teatro Ekyumenikal is the cultural theatre group of the
National Council of Churches in the Philippines. It endeavors to promote
ecumenism and peace based on justice through the use of drama, songs,
dances, and liturgical art forms. The group is composed of young people
from the affiliated churches and organizations of the NCCP. It was
founded in February 2010
III. ASIA PLENARY
Moderator: Rev. Dr Soritua Nababan, WCC president from Asia, served as
Bishop (Ephorus) of the Protestant Christian Batak Church (HKBP) from
1987 to 1998. He has also served as president of the Christian
Conference of Asia from 1990 to 1995 and as vice-chairman and then
moderator of the WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism from
1968-1985.
Cultural performance: Teatro Ekyumenikal is the liturgical and
cultural theatre group of the National Council of Churches in the
Philippines. It endeavours to promote ecumenism and peace based on
justice through the use of drama, songs, dances, and liturgical art
forms. The group is composed of young people from the affiliated
churches and organizations of the NCCP.
Conversation participants: Rev.
Dr Henriettve Hutabarat Lebang is an ordained pastor of the Toraja
Church in Indonesia and presently serves as the general secretary of the
Christian Conference of Asia, being the first woman to hold this post
in 55 years. Ms
YangYa-Chi studied sociology and got her master degree in Modern
Society and Global Transformations at the University of Cambridge. Her
research focused on Christianity in Asia. She is now
working for Amnesty International Taiwan as a campaign coordinator.
Theological reflections: Rev.
Connie Semy Mella is an ordained elder from the Philippines Central
Conference of The United Methodist Church and a member of the United Nations Advocacy
Network of the General Board of Church and Society. ev. Daniel
Na is Archpriest of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He was bestowed as
Vicar General of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea and presently serves
as Dean of St. Paul Orthodox Church in Incheon, Korea. He has served as
the Asia region representative for SYNDESMOS, the World Fellowship of
Orthodox Youth.
Story of hope: Dr Deepanna Choudhrie studied
and trained as a radiologist at Christian Medical College, Vellore,
India. Since 1989 she has been serving in Padhar Hospital, a 200-bed
mission hospital in rural central India, among the Gond tribe. She
received international media attention for her care of abandoned
conjoint twin girls Stuti and Aradhana, who were operated in Padhar
Hospital in 2012.:
Posts
