1998 NCC News Archives
Final News Alert!
NCC General Assembly Meets Nov. 11-13, Chicago
National Council of Churches' Executive Board Nov. 9-10
For documentation and news online, follow the "1998 General
Assembly" link from: / (NCC Website)
VENUE (EXCEPT WEDNESDAY EVENING): Holiday Inn O'Hare International, 5440 North
River Road, Rosemont, Illinois (Reservations: 1-888-OHARE-HI)
WHO: The 270-member General Assembly meets annually. It is the primary legislative
body of the NCC, whose 34 Protestant and Orthodox member denominations have, in turn, 52
million congregants. Founded in 1950, the NCC is the nation's leading ecumenical
organization and the locus for a wide array of ministries, including humanitarian
assistance (through Church World Service), justice ministries, interfaith dialogue,
education and the pursuit of greater Christian unity. (The NCC's 50-member Executive Board
is a high-level "subset" of the Assembly.)
POTENTIAL STORIES:
- Monday, Nov. 9, at 2:30 p.m. -- Ecumenical Discernment: "Sanctions as Foreign
Policy: Ethical and Theological Considerations" led by Mia Adjali (United Methodist)
and Dennis Frado (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). NCC/Church World
Service and Witness study paper on sanctions also to be presented at 10:45 a.m. session
Thursday during the General Assembly.
- Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 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, 10 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.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11, 10:45 a.m. session -- Second (final) reading, proposed NCC
Policy Statement on the Churches and Disabilities.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11, 10:45 a.m. session -- Plenary on "Public Education: An
Ecumenical Calling." Guest Speaker David W. Hornbeck, Superintendent of Schools,
Philadelphia, who is expected to make a major announcement. First reading (of two),
proposed NCC Policy Statement on Public Education.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2:30 p.m. -- Greetings from the National Conference of Catholic
Bishops.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2:45 p.m. -- "A Presentation and Dialogue on Pentecostalism
Today," with special guest Dr. David Daniels, a minister in the Church of God in
Christ and Professor of Church History, McCormick Theological Seminary.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church, Evanston -- Celebration of
the World Council of Churches' 50th Anniversary. The WCC's Second Assembly took place in
Evanston in 1954. About 20 representatives of judicatories in Northern Illinois will
participate in the procession. Primary liturgist will be Bishop Vinton Anderson,
African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first WCC President from an historic Black
church. The Rev. Dr. Emilio Castro, former General Secretary of the WCC, will
preach.
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 a.m. -- State-Local Ecumenical/Interfaith Breakfast. Focused
on ecumenical/interfaith leadership and organization. The 1998 Ecumenical/Interfaith
Service Award recipients (see Thursday 3:50 p.m.) will be featured in a discussion of
"best practices" and models.
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 9:45 a.m. -- Proposed NCC Interfaith Relations Policy Statement
(first of two readings).
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 10:45 a.m. session -- Presentations and resolutions on global
concerns, including global debt (Jubilee 2000/Debt Cancellation resolution), proposed NCC
policy "Pillars of Peace for the 21st Century" (United Nations) (first of two
readings), and sanctions (Church World Service and Witness Study Paper on the Humanitarian
Impact of Economic Sanctions).
- Thursday, Nov. 12, Noon -- Greetings by the Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord, National Ecumenical
Officer of the United States, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
Churches. Dr. Guibord is expected to address the issue of violence against gay and
lesbian people.
- Thursday, Nov. 12, Lunch -- Africa Reflections luncheon featuring partners from South
Africa, Togo and Kenya. Mr. David Kamau, National Council of Churches of Kenya; Mr.
Nelson Kumodzi, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo, and the Rev. White Rakuba, South
African Council of Churches, also will bring greetings to the Assembly at 5:20 p.m.
Thursday.
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 3:50 p.m. -- Ecumenical Interfaith Service Recognition Awards.
- Friday, Nov. 13, 7 a.m. -- Interfaith Relations Breakfast featuring Curtis Zunigha, a
consultant on communications, public relations and governmental policy. He is a
lecturer and political activist whose career pursuits have centered on the world of the
American Indian.
- Friday, Nov. 13, 10:15 a.m. -- Ecclesiology Study Implementation. Report on
Orthodox Consultation (Bishop Dimitrios), Report on the Lutheran/Reformed Church Agreement
(the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Campbell, President, McCormick Theological Seminary).
- Friday, Nov. 13, 11 a.m. -- Report of NCC delegation to China, led by Ambassador Andrew
Young, NCC President Elect.
-end-
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