WCC NEWS: WCC central committee appoints youth advisors, commissions and working groups

The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee, in its business proceedings, appointed 17 youth advisors; elected leaders for its commissions; and revised bylaws for the new WCC Commission on Climate Change and Sustainable Development. 21 June 2023, Geneva, Switzerland: Group conversations underway as the World Council of Churches central committee gathers in Geneva on 21-27 June 2023, for its first full meeting following the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 27 June 2023 Youth advisors  The youth advisors, appointed to a 2023-2030 term, will endeavor to strengthen the voice of young people in the work of the central committee.  The number of proposed advisors—17—is meant to achieve the target of 25% youth participation in the central committee. Every proposed youth advisor was either a participant at the WCC 11th Assembly or was nominated by their church for the Young People in the Ecumenical Movement Commission.  Leaders elected The central committee also approved commission bylaws and elected commission leaders for each of the six WCC commissions. The governing body elected by consensus the following moderators: Commission on Faith and Order  Moderator: Prof. Dr Stephanie Dietrich, Church of Norway  Commission on World Mission and Evangelism  Moderator: Rev. Michael Blair, United Church of Canada  Commission on Education and Ecumenical Formation  Moderator: Rev. Dr Meehyun Chung, Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea Vice-moderator: Dr Teddy Chalwe Sakupapa, Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa  Commission of the Churches on International Affairs  Moderator: Dr Mathews George Chunakara,  general secretary of Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) Young People in the Ecumenical Movement Commission  Moderator: Karen Erina Puimera, Gereja Protestan di Indonesia Bagian Barat  Commission on Health and Healing  Moderator: Dr Stavros Kofinas, Ecumenical Patriarchate Joint Working Group between the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church  Co-moderator: H.E. Archbishop Dr Vicken Aykazian, Armenian Apostolic Church (Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin)  Joint Consultative Group between the WCC and Pentecostal Churches Co-moderator: Rev. Dr Jennifer Leath, African Methodist Episcopal Church  Commission on Climate Change and Sustainable Development The WCC central committee also adopted bylaws for a new Commission on Climate Change and Sustainable Development proposed by the WCC 11th Assembly.  The bylaws were developed with reference to other WCC commission bylaws, based on best practices.  The central committee also asked “the general secretary to inform the member churches about the creation of a new commission and request nominations.” Report of the Governance and Nominations Committee Approved Nominations for Commissions and Joint Consultative Bodies Photo gallery of the WCC Central committee meeting WCC Central committee meeting, June 2023 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland