WCC NEWS: Egypt visit to highlight WCC Middle East focus

[WCC Media]

World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media at wcc-coe.org


For immediate release - 12/06/2008 11:52:21

EGYPT VISIT TO HIGHLIGHT WCC MIDDLE EAST FOCUS


The necessity of peace in the Middle East will be highlighted
during a 16 to 21 June visit to Egypt by the World Council of
Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia.

During encounters with leaders of WCC member churches as well as
other religious and secular figures in Cairo and Alexandria, a
WCC delegation led by Kobia will learn about the situation of the
churches in Egypt and discuss WCC activities in the Middle East.


Impetus for the talks comes from the Amman Call (
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3748 ), a document about how
churches must commit to working for peace in the Middle East. The
document was signed by over 130 representatives of churches and
Christian organizations from six continents in June 2007. The
document includes a commitment of the churches to work for peace
in the region and to observe three guiding principles: the
ethical and theological imperative for a just peace; the
ecumenical imperative for unity in action; and the Gospel
imperative for costly solidarity. 

The visit will be an occasion to promote interreligious
dialogue, especially among institutions of religious education.
In this spirit, the delegation will meet Muslim leaders and pay a
visit to the Al-Azhar University in Cairo.

The promotion of a just peace in the Middle East has been a
focus of WCC work during the last several years. The visit to
Egypt comes 7 days after a worldwide "week of action" for peace
in Israel and Palestine ( http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3627
)initiated by the WCC. Previous visits had brought the WCC
general secretary to Lebanon, Syria and the Gulf (
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=5799 )region as well as to Israel
and Palestine ( http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3785 )since 2007. 

Members of the WCC delegation visiting Egypt: 

· Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, WCC general secretary 
· Mr Guirguis Saleh, Middle East Council of Churches general
secretary
· Ms Sophia Shokry, WCC commission on youth in the ecumenical
movement (ECHOS) member
· H.G. Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria, Church of Cyprus
· Mr Michael Spyrou, Church of Cyprus
· Ms Carla Khijoyan, WCC programme consultant for Ecumenical
Solidarity and Regional Relations WCC member churches in Egypt:
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/middle-east/egypt.html
( http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=4744 )

WCC work with churches in the Middle East:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3113

WCC programme on Interreligious Dialogue:
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/programmes/interreligiousdialogue.html


Additional information:Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507
6363media at wcc-coe.org

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 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches
representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110
countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic
Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from
the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.