WARC General Council: Huge Rise in Youth and Women Participation

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) have reported an increase in the participation of young people and women in the General Council. The statistics are very encouraging for all the council members because this has been a long-awaited dream of the WARC since 1989.

WARC holds the General Council every five years. 15 years ago, on the WARC's 21st General Council held in Seoul, Korea, the council proposed the target of 50 percent of delegates to be women and 15 percent to be youth. The category “youth” is usually defined in ecumenical circles as persons aged 30 years or younger.

In most of the churches, the major authority is made up of male dominated ministers. As the call for equal opportunities between the two genders has been raised by the women’s rights groups in recent decades, it has induced a number of changes in the position of women in the churches, for example, women are now appointed as ministers and priests.

Moreover, the younger generation has become less affiliated to the churches because of the huge cultural gap between the church and the contemporary world. Churches have become more aware of involving youth in the churches to secure the future of Christian inheritance.

The ratios of women and youth among delegates this time in Ghana mark the second set of improved figures in as many general councils. The statistics were taken among 445 delegates representing 163 churches of the Alliance’s 218 member churches and come from around 90 countries.

43 percent of delegates are women, up from 34 percent at the last general council in Debrecen, Hungary. 23 percent of delegates are young people, up from 8 percent in Debrecen. Certainly the targets set in Korea are getting closer and closer.

The statistics has also hinted that women ordinations in North America are more prevalent now. About a third of each region’s women delegates are ordained. Exceptions to this rule are the Caribbean - two-thirds of women delegates - and North America - over three-quarters of women delegates.

Reformed churches in Europe are ahead of the other regions when it comes to picking young people as representatives. One in five delegates from Europe is aged 30 years or younger. Three other regions each selected half that ratio of young people as delegates.

Invited to the 24th general council of WARC as a speaker, consultant, and committee member, Natalie Maxson, now 24, commented, “The culture of the Alliance is moving toward greater inclusiveness of young people.”

Maxson, a student in women’s studies and political science at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, presented her paper “Dangerous currents of globalisation” on one of the plenary sessions. As she listened to many other peers presenting their ideas on the forum, she said she was impressed by the strong message and was moved. She hopes those present will take to heart the issues the youth forum highlighted: the need to prioritise HIV/Aids prevention, economic justice, and the empowerment of young people to participate in church structures at all levels.

“I really do respect my elders and value my interactions with them,” Maxson said, who is being set up as a young leader, “but the same kind of respect is not being given for young people.”

In December, Maxson will take on duties such as programme executive of the World Council of Churches’ Youth Desk in Geneva, a position she says older people encouraged her to apply for.

"I’m preparing in my mind how to make programmes for young people, how to make their presence known, uplifting the voices of young people and giving them opportunities to grow and learn," she pledged her commission and vision.