The executive committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has announced its decision to extend the contract of Rev Dr Samuel Kobia, the current WCC general secretary, through to the time when a new general secretary takes office.

A new WCC general secretary is to be elected at the Council's central committee meeting to be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 26 August to 2 September 2009. At the February 2008 central committee meeting a search committee was formed after Kobia announced he would not seek a second term as general secretary.

"By accepting this, Rev Kobia will bring continuity to the office while we go through the transition process of finding a new general secretary," said Rev Dr Walter Altmann, the moderator of the WCC central committee.

During this week's executive committee meeting in Luebeck, Germany, the search committee reported on responses they received from member churches on the current job description of the general secretary and conversations held with WCC staff on the role of a new general secretary. Applications for the general secretary will be accepted as soon as a revised job description is released in October.