Final Day of the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, Korea
On the final day of the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly, the delegates heard, discussed, debated, changed and finally accepted all the last reports of the various committees, helping to set the agenda for the WCC for the next 8 years.
The Assembly was formally closed in a final Plenary session, with Rev. Dr Walter Altmann, the Moderator of the Central Committee; and general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit; offering their thanks and closing remarks. A touching moment of the Assembly was the closing remarks by Rev. Dr. KIM Sam Whan, Chairperson of the Korean Host Committee, who in a highly emotional speech, repeatedly thanked the participants for coming to Korea and showing their support for the Christian community in Korea, who have gone through much struggles and many hardships for their faith.
Following the final Plenary session, a Sending Prayer Service was held in the worship hall. Father Michael Lapsley, Society of Sacred Mission of the Anglican Church and Director of the Institute for Healing of Memories in Cape Town, South Africa; delivered the final sermon. In his remarks, he offered a message to the faithful of the Armenian Church: “His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, reminded us of the deep intergenerational pain caused both by the Armenian Genocide and the failure of those responsible to fully acknowledge it. Your Holiness, and All Armenians – may I today say from this place, we have heard what you said – your people did indeed suffer a great wrong. May the Great healer accompany you, so those wounds may truly heal to enable all Armenians to also help others on their own journeys of healing.”
At the conclusion of the Sending Prayer, the newly elected Central Committee met for the second time during the Assembly. One of the eight newly elected Presidents, Archbishop Anders Wejryd, Church of Sweden; chaired the meeting. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, elected to serve as Moderator of the Nominations Committee, opened the meeting by presenting the work of the nominations committee, first presenting the nominations for moderator, and the two vice-moderators of the Central Committee. The Central Committee elected Dr. Agnes Abuom, Anglican Church of Kenya to serve as Moderator of the WCC and H.E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr. Gennadios of Sassima, of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Eastern Orthodox) along with Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, United Methodist Church of North America to serve as the Vice-Moderators.
Following those elections, Archbishop Vicken submitted the slate of candidates for members of the Executive Committee of the Central Committee. After discussions, the Central Committee elected a group of 23 Executive Committee members who will serve a four year term. Elected to the Executive Committee was H.E. Archbishop Dr. Nareg Alemezian, of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia. The first full meeting of the Central Committee of the WCC will be held in July of 2014.
At the start of the Assembly, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, was elected to serve as one of the eight Presidents of the WCC. Additionally, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian and Ms. Paula Der Matoian were elected to represent the Armenian Church, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, on the WCC Central Committee.
The WCC assembly is the highest governing body of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and meets every seven years to eight years. The assembly has the mandate to review programmes, to issue public statements and determine the overall policies of the WCC, as well as to elect presidents and a Central Committee that oversees the council's work until the next assembly.
