World Council Of Churches

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The World Council of Churches (WCC or EWC) is a nongovernmental organization in social interest and personal character. She wants a "fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior according to the Scriptures and seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. "(WCC Constitution, Art. 1 - emphasis added). It was founded in 1948 in Amsterdam and based in Geneva ( Switzerland ).

It now has 349 ^{Admission Requirements}

Criteria theological

• In his life and testimony, the Church professes faith in the Triune God according to the Scriptures, and as this faith is reflected in the Nicene-Constantinople.

• There is a church in this ministry of proclaiming the Gospel and celebrating the sacraments according to the design of its doctrine.

• The church baptizes in the name of one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit "and recognizes the need to move towards recognition of baptism from other churches.

• The Church recognizes the presence and activity of Christ and the Holy Spirit outside its own borders and pray that all receive God's wisdom to realize that other member churches also believe in the Holy Trinity and the saving grace of God.

• The Church recognizes in the other WCC member churches of the elements of the true Church, even if it does not consider them as "churches in the true and full sense" (Declaration of Toronto).

Criteria organization

• The Church must prove the sustained autonomous life and organization.

• The Church must be able to make the decision to apply for formal and continuing to belong to the fellowship of the WCC without obtaining the authorization of another agency or another person.

• Typically, a church candidate must have at least fifty thousand members. In exceptional circumstances, the Central Committee may waive this requirement and accept a church that does not fulfill.

• A Church candidate with over 10 000 members but less than 50,000, which was not granted membership for exceptional reasons under Article I.3.b) 3), but meets all other eligibility criteria, may be admitted as a member of the following conditions: (a) shall not be entitled to participate in decision-making at the Assembly, (b) may participate with Other churches in selecting five representatives to the Central Committee, in accordance with Article IV.4.b) 3). In all other respects, this church is considered a member church belonging to the WCC.

• Churches must recognize the essential interdependence of member churches belonging to the WCC, particularly those of the same faith. They must do their utmost to maintain constructive ecumenical relations with other churches in the country or region. This will normally mean that the National Council of Churches or similar organization and the regional ecumenical organization or sub-regional.

Member churches

• List of Churches and WCC member Councils

Regional organizations

The WCC is also organized into regional councils which bring together the member churches and other non-members, including Catholic churches:

• Europe: Conference of European Churches
• Latin America: Latin American Council of Churches
• Middle East Council of Churches of the Middle East
• Pacific: Pacific Conference of Churches
• Asia Christian Conference of Asia
• Africa Conference of Churches All Africa
• Caribbean: Conference of Churches in the Caribbean

Observers

Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church there is an observer, but by 1964 was put in place a process of establishing a "Joint Working Group" between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches. This group, among others, published in 2005 a study on the nature and purpose of ecumenical dialogue .

Since 1968, Catholic theologians are seated as full members, the Commission on Faith and Order, the Department of Theological World Council of Churches.

The Catholic Church maintains regular relations with the World Council of Churches, including the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

For the definition of the word Catholic church, see the article " subsistit in ". The Catholic Church defines itself as a Eucharistic Church with Jesus Christ at its center (the churches of the Reformation have developed their particular conceptions of the real presence, some of which are not sub specie aeternitatis see detailed article " consubstantiation ).

General Secretaries

Successive Secretaries-General of the WCC are:

• Dutchman Willem Visser 't Hooft ( 1 948 - one thousand nine hundred sixty-six )
• The American Eugene Carson Blake (en) ( 1966 - 1972 )
• The Dominicans Philip A. Potter ( 1 972 - in 1984 )
• The Uruguayan Emilio Castro ( one thousand nine hundred eighty-five - one thousand nine hundred and ninety-two )
• The German Konrad Raiser (en) ( 1993 - 2003 )
• Kenyan Samuel Kobia (en) ( 2004 - 2009 )
• Norwegian Tveit (en) (January 2010 )

References

See also

• Ecumenism

External link

• Official site of the World Council of Churches

• Christianity portal

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