Ecumenical Commission Affirms Desire for Greater Coherence in Unity

A newly appointed commission with representatives of the World Council of Churches and Christian World Communions have met for the first time, affirming the complementary witness of ecumenical partners.

The creation of a Joint Consultative Commission between the WCC and Christian World Communions was recommended by the WCC's 9th Assembly, held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in February 2006. The global confessional families represented on the commission include Anglicans, Disciples, Eastern Orthodox, Friends (Quakers), Lutherans, Mennonites, Methodists, Oriental Orthodox, Reformed and Roman Catholic.

The commission's purpose is to discuss and recommend ways to further strengthen the participation of Christian World Communions in the life and work of the WCC. This step towards fostering greater coherence of the one ecumenical movement represents decades of work to create a relationship of trust and partnership between conciliar and confessional ecumenical actors.