World mission conference one year away

Widest‑ever range of churches to reflect on healing and reconciliation

by Juan Michel
Media relations officer
World Council of Churches

GENEVA — The 2005 Conference on World Mission and Evangelism, which is expected to host participants from the widest range of churches in the history of mission conferences, is just one year away.

      The May 9-16 event will be held at the Agios Andreas recreational center outside Athens, Greece. About 500 official delegates are expected to attend as well as many observers and other participants.

      Hosted by the Church of Greece, the conference will begin with the call of

     “Come Holy Spirit, heal and reconcile” and finish with a Sunday sending service at the Areopagos, where St Paul preached to the Athenians, calling people of different faiths to seek God (Acts 17:27).

      His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all Greece welcomed the conference — which is the first of its kind to take place in an Orthodox‑majority country — in a speech to present‑day Athenians last March.

      A unique cultural and historical city, Athens will provide a special setting in which participants will be called to focus on mission as healing and reconciliation and the role of the Holy Spirit.

      With 25% of the participants coming from evangelical, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic backgrounds, dialogue will focus on the growing mission involvement by those traditions. The conference will also look at the fact that the direction of mission today is now to a large extent from South to North.

      Since the conference coincides with the mid‑point of the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence (2001‑2010), participants will be asked to reflect on some of the Decade’s themes, specifically the use, abuse and misuse of power, and the understanding of religious identity and plurality.

      “In our globalized and fragmented world, filled with much division and conflict, the gospel message of healing and reconciliation is vital,” says Rev. Ruth Bottoms, a Baptist pastor from the UK who is moderator of both the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism and the conference’s planning committee.

      Reference and preparatory materials in English, German, French and Spanish are now available on the conference website — www.mission2005.org — and congregations and individuals are invited to contribute resources and share ideas.

      A special web conferencing feature will allow people around the world to follow the conference closely and participate in discussions on conference themes.