Media accreditation opens for WCC Central Committee 2016

Word Council of Churches- May 2016

GENEVA: The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) will meet 22 to 28 June for its second gathering since it was elected at the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea in 2013. At the invitation of the Church of Norway, the meeting will take place in Trondheim, an important Christian pilgrimage site, which is home to the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world.

The Central Committee, which meets every two years, serves as the chief governing body of the WCC until the next assembly. It is responsible for carrying out the policies adopted by the assembly, reviewing and supervising WCC programmes and the budget.

The group of 150 representatives from WCC member churches will review WCC programme planning for 2018-2021 and participate in a series of plenaries and committee meetings. During the weekend they will be visiting congregations in the Trondheim area. The Central Committee will also be welcomed to Trondheim by leaders of Norwegian churches and local government.

The theme of the meeting is “Pilgrimage: Discerning the Landscapes Together,” reflecting the final message of the 10th Assembly which said, “We intend to move together. Challenged by our experiences in Busan, we challenge all people of good will to engage their God-given gifts in transforming actions. This assembly calls you to join us in pilgrimage.”

In addition to review of the programme plans of the WCC, there will be a series of plenary sessions on unity through solidarity with churches, Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, Middle East, Religion and Violence and Child Rights. The Central Committee will focus on expanding and deepening the churches’ understanding of their common pilgrimage, and how committee members can best communicate the concept of pilgrimage when they return to the churches they represent.

Media are invited to register for accreditation in advance of the Central Committee. To register, please complete the accreditation form and return it to WCC Communication Department via email: media@wcc-coe.org. Deadline 17 May 2016.

There will be daily press conferences or press briefings at 1:15-1:45 PM CET. They will take place at the Scandic Nidelven Hotel in Conference Room 11. They are also web streamed on the web www.oikoumene.org
Special invitation from the Royal Family of Norway to media to attend their 25th Anniversary Celebration in the Cathedral of Nidaros.

On 23 June 1991, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway were consecrated in the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

The Royal family will celebrate the anniversary in the cathedral on the exact date – 23 June. The Norwegian parliament, the government, members of the royal families from all over Europe are invited. If interested, it is possible to apply for accreditationto this event. For more information visit http://www.royalcourt.no/
For more information concerning the Central Committee:

Global media, please contact Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of communication, via email: mej@wcc-coe.org or telephone:+41.79.507.6363.

Norwegian media, please contact Ingeborg Dybvig, Director of communication in the Church of Norway, via email: id933@kirken.no or telephone: +47.230.812.05 or +47.474.816.06