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Article: The assembly theme as a missionary call. (World Council of Churches, eighth assembly in Harare)("Turn to God - Rejoice in Hope": Unfolding the Eighth Assembly Theme)
- Article from:
- The Ecumenical Review
- Article date:
- April 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 World Council of Churches. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Compared with the themes of the previous WCC assemblies, that of the eighth assembly in Harare is unique. The Amsterdam assembly in 1948 met under a "heading" that reflected the specific situation and mood of the period of reconstruction after the second world war. The themes of the following assemblies from Evanston (1954) to Vancouver (1983) were christological affirmations, whilst the theme of the most recent assembly, in Canberra (1991), was a prayer. This time the assembly will be marked by a call, by a surprising combination of two imperatives.
I have to admit that I do not like imperatives as a conference theme, because I do not like taking orders very ...