October 1, 2009 Strengthen relations

The newly elected general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has said that relations with the Roman Catholic Church and with Islam are two key issues for the Geneva-based church grouping.

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August 28, 2009 US Jewish group blasts WCC leader on Israel as 'hypocritical'

The American Jewish Committee has denounced the World Council of Churches' general secretary, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, for his declaration that Israel's "occupation" of Palestinian territories is "a sin against God".

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August 27, 2009 Congratulations for newly-elected global churches' leader

International Christian leaders have welcomed the election of Norwegian Lutheran theologian the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit as the next general secretary of the World Council of Churches.

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June 17, 2009 Kobia tells Dutch gathering Christians should welcome all faiths

The head of the World Council of Churches has warned of a backlash in Europe against migrants and refugees, after gains by anti-immigration parties in elections to the European Union parliament.

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May 28, 2009 World Council of Churches considers six names for top post

A committee seeking a new general secretary for the World Council of Churches has drawn up a short list of six people for the post, but in accordance with its procedures has not disclosed their names.

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May 7, 2009 Ecumenical ‘box of chocolates’ laid out for council

Kingston, JamaicaThe Anglican Communion may seek to resume its dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox Churches of the Middle East, which had been postponed in 2003, following tensions among Anglicans worldwide over the issue of...

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February 17, 2009 Christians "in Iraq since its birth," say they want role in rebuilding

A group of Christians meeting in Lebanon have declared that people of their faith have belonged to Iraq since the nation's birth and that they are not just a minority but an essential part of Iraqi society and deeply rooted in its history and civilization.

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February 13, 2009 Despite credit crunch, church microfinance agency ups lending

A church-backed microfinance institution has increased its field investments by one third, reaching out to poor people often excluded by the commercial banking sector. This comes at a time when financial markets have been battered by the global economic downturn.

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December 15, 2008 World Council of Churches calls for radical steps to counter climate change

Church leaders have advised government representatives meeting at a United Nations conference on Poland on climate change to use a "window of opportunity" of less than 10 years to take action to limit environmental damage.

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October 1, 2008 World Council of Churches marks 60th anniversary

The future of the World Council of Churches (WCC) lies in giving those less fortunate in the world a voice, a former Dutch church leader told a gathering in Amsterdam to commemorate the WCC’s 60th anniversary.

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