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WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES Central Committee Minutes of the Forty-Fourth Meeting Geneva, Switzerland 21-28 August 1992 LIBRARY OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES BSBLlOTHlQUE DU CONSE1L GECUMENIQUE This book must be returned not later than Ce livre doit etre rendu au plus tard a la date inscrite ci-apres 2 3 DEC 1901 Central Committee of the World Council of Churches Minutes of the Forty-Fourth Meeting Geneva, Switzerland 21-28 August 1992 WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES Library 150, route de Ferney CH -1211 Geneva 2 Switzerland WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES 150, route de Ferney 1211 Geneva 2 1992 ISBN 2-8254-1103-5 © 1992 by the World Council of Churches 150, route de Ferney, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Printed in Switzerland LIST OF CONTENTS Foreword. v OPENING ACTIONS: I Opening Worship. 1 II Call to Order.'. 1 III Roll Call and seating of Substitutes. 1 IV Agenda and Timetable. 2 V Minutes of previous Meeting. 2 VI Appointment of Committees . 2 VII Public Issues. 3 VIII Stewards . 3 APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP . 3 PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MODERATOR. 4 REPORTS OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY AND THE MODERATOR: I General Secretary’s Report and discussion. 5 II Moderator’s Report and discussion .12 III Response by Central Committee.25 «r DELIBERATIVE SESSIONS: I Towards the Eighth Assembly .27 II Christian Faith and the World Economy Today.31 III Report on UNCED. 36 IV Racism and the Church .39 V Europe 1992 .. 43 VI Relationships and Cooperation with REOs.49 11 PUBLIC ISSUES: I Bougainville.54 II The European Community - Resolution.55 III South Africa - Resolution.58 IV Somalia - Resolution ..60 V Sudan - Minute .62 VI Statement on the Former Yugoslavia.64 REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES: Committee on the General Secretariat.68 Committee on Unit I: Unity and Renewal .80 Committee on Unit II: Mission, Education and Witness.86 Committee on Unit III: Justice, Peace and Creation.93 Committee on Unit IV: Sharing and Service.100 Finance Committee.107 ELECTION OF NEW GENERAL SECRETARY.114 FAREWELL TO THE REV. DR EMILIO CASTRO.116 ROTATION OF MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ... 118 STAFFING AND NOMINATIONS REPORT.122 PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE RULES.125 DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS.129 CLOSING ACTIONS I Expressions of Thanks.130 II Closing Worship .131 Ill APPENDICES: I Attendance: List of Participants .132 II Membership of Unit Committees, the Committee on the General Secretariat, the Committee on Public Issues, and the Finance Committee.143 III Procedures for Election of the General Secretary.147 IV Staffing Procedures: Grades 7-10 .149 V Guiding Principles for Relationships and Cooperation between REOs and the WCC.155 VI Uniatism: An ecumenical Response towards the Healing of Memories.158 VII WCC Communication Policy.161 VIII A Revised Budget 1993 . 166 B Preliminary Budget 1994 . 168 C Seventh Assembly Account .170 IX Income Development Strategy .171 X List of Documents available on request 180 - V FOREWORD The forty-fourth meeting of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches was held at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, 21-28 August 1992. The Opening Worship took place in the Cathedral St Pierre in Geneva on the evening of 21 August. Participants included Mme Nicole Fatio, President of the Eglise Nationale Protestante de Geneve, Pasteur Bernard Buunk, of the Parish of Saint-Pierre-Fusterie, and members of Central Committee. The sermon was preached by the General Secretary, Rev. Dr Emilio Castro, who took as his theme "Living Stones". The organist was Mr Pierre Segond. A group of young African students from Zaire led some of the singing. Three mornings began with Bible Studies led by Dr Mary Tanner, Moderator of the Faith and Order Commission, based on the Courtroom scene of Micah chapter 6. Worship on other mornings and Closing Worship on the afternoon of 28 August were arranged by a group of staff under the leadership of Rev. Terry MacArthur. The group of young people who acted as stewards during the meeting were invited to introduce themselves during the Opening Session on 21 August. They had spent time together prior to the meeting in order to share experiences and to build community among themselves. Warm thanks were expressed to them for bringing their energies and commitment to help with the many tasks involved, often behind the scenes, to enable the smooth running of this session of Central Committe. Two opportunities were provided for Regional Meetings. Some confessional and national groups also met informally. Representatives of NCCs and REOs met at the Ecumenical Centre prior to Central Committee in preparation for the NCCs consultation to be held early in 1993. On the evening of Thursday 27 August, tribute was paid to Dr Emilio Castro on the occasion of his last Central Committee meeting before his retirement at the end of December 1992. Following a formal presentation in the Conference Hall, the evening continued informally with a buffet supper followed by presentations of gifts, songs and dancing by regional groups. Archbishop Aram Keshishian shared the chairing of business sessions with Pastor Nelida Ritchie and Ephorus Dr Soritua Nababan. Deliberative sessions were chaired by the Presidents or members of Central Committee. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from World Council of Churches https://archive.org/details/fortyfourthmeetiOOunse