National Council of Churches logo represents the church 
as ecumenical ship, serving the world
1998 General Assembly, Nov. 9-13, Chicago


Proposed Agenda*

Monday, Nov. 9 (Executive Board)

1:00 p.m. -- NCC President Craig Anderson leads opening procedures
1:30 p.m. --
NCC General Secretary Joan Brown Campbell gives an overview of the week
1:45 p.m. --
Lois Dauway presents the Human Resources Committee Report

2:30 p.m. -- Mia Adjali and Dennis Frado introduce an opportunity for "Ecumenical Discernment" on "Sanctions as Foreign Policy: Ethical and Theological Considerations"

4:00 p.m. -- Reports from the Inclusiveness and Justice Standing Committee (Rebecca Cruz); Communication Commission (Eric C. Shafer); Membership and Ecclesial Relations Standing Committee (Bruce Robbins), and Public Witness Advisory Committee (Thom White Wolf Fassett)
5:10 p.m. -- President Craig Anderson offers a closing comment

Tuesday, Nov. 10 (Executive Board)

9:15 a.m. -- Reports of the Officers (Melvin G. Talbert), Transformation Review Committee, (Belle Miller McMaster) and Pappas Consulting Group

2:00 p.m. -- Administration and Finance Committee Report including action on NCC 1998 Budget (Margaret J. Thomas); Constitution and Bylaws Standing Committee Report (Anthony Barsamian)
3:00 p.m. -- Preview of the General Assembly (NCC General Secretary Joan B. Campbell)

3:15 to 5:15 p.m. -- Teach-In on the Pillars of Peace for the 21st Century. The original "Pillars of Peace," adopted by churches in 1942, were instrumental in the founding of the United Nations. A proposed new NCC policy on the United Nations is based on the new pillars (first of two readings, 10:45 a.m. session Thursday).

Wednesday, Nov. 11 (General Assembly)

9:00 a.m. -- Worship in the tradition of the Greek Orthodox Church
9:30 a.m. --
Welcome, Overview, Opening Procedures

10:00 a.m. -- Reception and seating of the NCC's 35th member communion, the American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and vote on eligibility for membership of The Alliance of Baptists, which began as the Southern Baptist Alliance, a movement within the Southern Baptist Convention, in 1987 and has since separated and renamed itself.

10:20 a.m. -- Constitution and Bylaws Report (Anthony Barsamian)

10:45 a.m. -- National Ministries Unit Report, led by its chair, Elenora Giddings Ivory
            {NOTE: this is one of the two major units of the National Council of Churches}

            A "Policy Statement on the Churches and Disabilities" (2nd Reading)
            {"2nd Reading" means that this policy statement will be VOTED at this time}

            "Public Education: An Ecumenical Calling"
                
    Guest Speaker: Dr. David Hornbeck
                      Superintendent of Schools, Philadelphia, PA

            Policy Statement on Public Education (1st Reading)
                {"1st Reading" means that comments will be heard and the document taken back for refinement}

            Racial Justice and Reconciliation
               
"Images of Race at the Movies"
                "Hope Out of Ashes"
               {These two programs were seen on NBC and ABC stations, as produced by the NCC}

Noon -- Community Concerns and Celebration, Introduction of New Business

12:15 p.m. -- Lunch Recess; Women's Caucus Luncheon (by reservation)

1:30 p.m. -- Gathering in Music, Introduction of New Business, Greetings from local ecumenical partners including the Rev. David A. Anderson, Executive Director, Illinois Conference of Churches; Report of the NCC General Secretary; Greetings from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops

2:45 p.m. -- "Pentecostalism Today"
                 
   A Presentation and Ecumenical Table Talk
                     Special Guest: Dr. David Daniels
                     Church of God in Christ

4:00 p.m. -- Gordon Sommers brings a report from the NCC 50th Anniversary Planning Committee
4:30 p.m. -- Recognition of New Member Communion Leaders, Acknowledgement of Retirements, Community Concerns and Celebrations

7:30 p.m. -- Festive Evening Worship and Celebration of the World Council of Churches Jubilee...being held for all NCC General Assembly participants and guests at the First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois

Thursday, Nov. 12 (General Assembly)

7:00 a.m. -- State/Local Ecumenical/Interfaith Breakfast (by reservation).  The 1998 Ecumenical/Interfaith Service Award recipients will be featured in a discussion of "best practices and models."

9:00 a.m. -- Worship in the tradition of the Swedenborgian Church

9:45 a.m. --  Margaret O. Thomas offers an Interfaith Relations Commission report, followed by the 1st reading {see definition above}of the Interfaith Relations Policy Statement

10:45 a.m. -- Church World Service and Witness Report – led by a recent chair, Belle Miller McMaster
          {NOTE: this is one of the two major units of the National Council of Churches}

               Jubilee 2000 Resolution (Debt Cancellation)
              Pillars of Peace (UN Policy Statement - 1st Reading -- see definition above)
              CWSW Study Paper, Resolution on Humanitarian Impact of Economic Sanctions

Noon -- Ecumenical Greetings brought by the Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord, National Ecumenical Officer of the United States, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches

12:15 p.m. -- Lunch Recess, "Africa Reflections" luncheon (by reservation)

2:00 p.m. -- A Comment by NCC President Craig Anderson, followed by reports from the NCC Officers, Executive Board, Pappas Consulting Group and Transformation Review Committee
3:50 p.m. -- John Boonstra presents the 1998 Ecumenical/Interfaith Service Recognition Awards
4:25 p.m. -- Gert van Maanen gives a look at the Ecumenical Development Cooperative Society

5:20 p.m. -- Greetings from International Ecumenical Partners
            David Kamau, Refugee Desk Coordinator, National Council of Churches of Kenya
            Nelson Kumodzi, Refugee Secretary, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo
            White Rakuba, Refugee Secretary, South African Council of Churches

Friday, Nov. 13 (General Assembly)

7:00 a.m. -- Interfaith Breakfast with Curtis Zunigha on issues of land and Native American spirituality (by reservation)

9:00 a.m. -- Worship in the tradition of the Church of the Brethren

9:30 a.m. -- Administration and Finance Committee Report, including 1999 Budget
10:15 a.m. -- Ecclesiology Study Implementation
                Report on Orthodox Consultation by Bishop Dimitrios
                Report on the Lutheran/Reformed Church Agreement by Cynthia Campbell
                            President, McCormick Theological Seminary

11:00 a.m. -- Andrew Young, NCC President-Elect, brings a report on behalf of the NCC  Delegations to: China, Indonesia, and Cuba

Noon -- Report of the Reference Committee, Opportunity to Register Dissent, Closing Prayer and Adjournment

* Times are Subject to Change


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