Geneva

(ENI)-Jan H. Kok, who as communication director of the World Council of Churches (WCC) played a key role in founding Ecumenical News International (ENI), died of cancer last month. He was 59.

As the WCC's publications manager, Mr. Kok was responsible for the production of WCC books and publications. From 1987 to 1999 he was also WCC director of communication.

Along with other organizations, Mr. Kok played a major role in plans to develop an ecumenical news service that subsequently saw the light of day in 1994 as ENI.

Mr. Kok insisted he was a publisher rather than a journalist. Yet he thoroughly understood journalism, according to Odessa Elliott, who, based at the grants programme of Trinity Church, New York, helped arrange a major grant to enable ENI to be launched.

Mr. Kok leaves his wife, Birgitta, two sons, Jakob and Frederik, in Geneva, and his mother and sister in the Netherlands.