W.C.C. TO MEET

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31522, 9 November 1967, Page 6

W.C.C. TO MEET

About 2250 people from all parts of the world will attend the fourth assembly of the World Council of Churches in the old university town of Uppsala. 41 miles from Stockholm from July 4 to 20 next year. “Behold I make all things new,” will be the theme for the assembly, which will be the most widely representative gathering in the history of the ecumenical movement according to “Church and Community.” the monthly magazine of the National Council of Churches. Previous assemblies have been held in Amsterdam where the W.C.C. was officially constituted in 1949. Evanston, Illinois, in 1954, and New Delhi in 1961. Included in those attending will be almost 800 official delegates from the 223 member churches of the Orthodox. Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic confessions. The general-secretary of the N.C.C. (the Rev. D. M. Taylor) will represent the N.C.C. Included in the observers and advisers will be 15 representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and others from some of the conservative evangelical groups that are not members of the W.C.C. Six major topics will be studied. They include the church’s unity in a shrinking world, the church in mission, the churches’ role in social and economic development, the churches’ role in international affairs, the worship of God in a secular age. and towards a new style of living. Other topics to be discussed will include economic justice, development aid. current international issues, effective communication and closer co-operation with major non-memher churches.