WCC NEW: Renowned Asian ecumenical theologian Dr Preman Niles passes away

Renowned Asian ecumenical theologian and former associate general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia, Dr Preman Niles, passed away in London on 4 August. He was 87 years old A renowned Asian ecumenical theologian and former Associate General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) Photo:CCA 07 August 2023 He joined the staff of the the Christian Conference of Asia in 1978 as the executive secretary for Theological Concerns, and subsequently, he was appointed as its associate general secretary in 1983; he continued in this position until he was appointed as the director of the Programme on Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva in 1986. “In particular, the WCC family is grateful for the life, legacy and ecumenical journey of the late Dr Niles. He generously shared his skills of bridge builder, participating in important processes in the life and history of the WCC. We have lost an ecumenical champion for justice and creation,” said WCC acting general secretary (during the vacation) Marianne Ejdersten. The general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, expressed deep condolences on the demise of Niles and stated that he was the first executive secretary recruited by the Christian Conference of Asia to head the newly created commission which sought to address emerging theological concerns in Asia. Niles also inspired many budding Asian theologians and provided platforms for them to develop ways of doing theology contextually in Asia. “Preman Niles was a proponent for a new theological and missiological approach in understanding mission as an engagement with Asian plurality, and saw to it that the theology that ensued would not be an intra-ecclesial enterprise, but would be open to facilitate broader conversations that could invite the participation of others,” added Chunakara. A native of Sri Lanka, Niles completed his theological education at Oxford University and the Princeton Theological Seminary. He  was a senior lecturer and academic dean at the Theological College of Lanka. He was also the general secretary of the Council for World Mission, the successor mission body of the London Missionary Society, from 1991 to 2002. He is survived by three children: Damayanthi, Radhika, and Dharman. The funeral will take place in London, but the date has not been announced yet. 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