A unique experiment in the 50-year life of the World Council of Churches (WCC) was
launched yesterday with the opening of the "Padare" at the 8th assembly.
Padare, a local word meaning "meeting place", is a traditional Zimbabwean
gathering to deliberate on common issues.
Over the next four days, more than 550 exhibits, performances, presentations and
discussions on a vast array of issues and activities will be presented at the Padare by
WCC member churches and organisations related to them.
Some delegates to the assembly are already saying that the most interesting and important
developments of the assembly will be at the Padare rather than in the formal plenary
discussions by the 900 delegates at the assembly.
Dr Konrad Raiser, WCC general secretary, told Ecumenical News International yesterday that
council officials "have been overwhelmed by the response of churches" wanting to
participate in the Padare.
"This is turning out to be a wonderful opportunity for new networks to develop and
for people to discover each other — they will surely realise that the churches and
the ecumenical movement are alive and vital."
The goal of the Padare was, he said, "to make visible the richness and health of the
life of the churches".
Rather than simply reacting to actions and programmes of the WCC, Padare participants had
the opportunity to "come with their contributions to the whole life of the ecumenical
movement", he said. He added that he hoped "to draw from the Padare ideas for
the WCC agenda for the future".
The Padare’s wide range of subjects includes a number of issues which could be
sensitive for churches, including biotechnology, inter-faith co-operation, sanctions
against Iraq, capital punishment, debt forgiveness for poor countries, and the role of
women in the church.
Homosexuality, the subject of 11 Padare offerings, is likely to prove the most
controversial subject as many churches believe it should not be a subject of discussion at
Christian gatherings.
Raiser said he was not afraid of controversy growing out of the Padare.
"Of course there will be disagreements, with so many people discussing so many
important issues," he said. He noted that an advisory group had been established
"to maintain the open spirit of the Padare", adding, "This is not a place
for resolutions, but for the free exchange of ideas, and sometimes they will be
controversial."
Padare offerings have been organised into six streams: Justice and Peace, Unity and
Spirituality, Moving Together, Education and Learning, Mission and Witness, and
Solidarity.
The Justice and Peace stream includes such topics as alternatives to violence in solving
conflict, racism and race relations, the church’s role in transitional societies,
violence against women and their role in church and society, nuclear testing and the
threat of nuclear war, prospects for Middle East peace, issues of human rights and
indigenous peoples’ rights, and homosexuality and other gender issues.
The Unity stream includes workshops on prayer, discussions of "koinonia" (the
community of the church), steps toward unity being taken in various countries and regions,
various expressions of spirituality, the role of the diaconate around the world, the role
of ethnic and national identity in unity efforts, and the growing tensions between
churches and other religious movements around the world.
Topics in the Moving Together stream include the relationship between Evangelicals and the
ecumenical movement, reports of successful local ecumenical efforts, the relevance of
Christian communication, the student Christian movement, electronic networking, and WCC
relations with Pentecostals, African Instituted churches and the Roman Catholic Church.
In the Education and Learning stream, topics include theological literacy, the effects of
globalisation on religion, children and worship, models of interfaith dialogue, gender
awareness issues, and leadership development for women and youth in various contexts.
International debt forgiveness will be part of the Mission and Witness stream, as well as
disability issues, the church’s response to HIV/Aids, how to minister to street
children, international medical missions, alcohol and drug abuse, responsible investment
policies, health and spirituality, child prostitution, and urban ministry.
The Solidarity stream will include discussion of the effects of globalisation on urban
poor women, the negative impacts of tourism, the rights and exploitation of children,
uprooted people and refugees, environmental concerns and climate change, and youth
involvement in the struggle for justice in the world.
— Ecumenical News International
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