Brethren enjoy 'front and center' spot at World Council of Churches assembly.

By Walt Wiltschek

Church of the Brethren delegate Jeff Carter and advisor Stan Noffsinger have prime seating at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The assembly runs Feb. 14-23.

The Brethren delegation was seated in the front row, center stage in the plenary hall. Filibus Gwama, the delegate from Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) arrived on Friday, Feb. 17, and is seated with the US delegation.

All three participated Saturday in a workshop on the Historic Peace Churches' contribution to the Decade to Overcome Violence (see story below).

Annual Conference moderator Ron Beachley and his wife, Linda, arrived at the assembly over the weekend, and Global Mission Partnerships director Merv Keeney arrives this week.

Noffsinger--general secretary of the General Board--also was on a press conference panel involving the US Conference of the World Council of Churches. The group presented a statement of confession for the US involvement in recent activities of violence and injustice (see story below).

A visit to Brethren churches in Brazil is planned following the assembly.

--Walt Wiltschek is editor of "Messenger" magazine for the Church of the Brethren General Board. More information about the assembly is available at www.wcc-assembly.info.

Source: 2/20/2006 Newsline
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