Elections at World Council of Churches 11th Assembly | North Thompson Ecumenical Shared Ministry

New Central Committee Elected on September 6th

September 6, 2022, Karlsruhe, Germany: Assembly delegates vote to approve a list of new Central Committee members during a business plenary session at the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, held in Karlsruhe, Germany from August 31 to September 8 under the theme “Christ’s Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity.” Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

~ adapted from a post dated September 6, 2022 on the World Council of Churches’ website

The World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly elected its 150-person central committee during a session at its proceedings in Karlsruhe, Germany on September 6th. The WCC central committee serves as the main decision-making body of the WCC between assemblies.

The new 150-person central committee is comprised of 41% women, 59% men, 13% youth, 13% Indigenous persons, 3% persons with disabilities, 29 percent laypeople and 71 percent ordained.

The nominations committee worked with a pool of names put forward by the WCC’s 352 member churches from more than 120 countries.

A 25-person executive committee, a moderator, and two vice-moderators will be elected by the central committee later this week.

The central committee is elected by the assembly from among its delegates and serves until the next assembly, meeting every two years.

It is responsible for carrying out the policies adopted by the assembly, reviewing and supervising WCC programmes, and managing the WCC budget.

A list of the members arranged by region can be downloaded here.

Members of the Central Committee from our Denominations

Anglican Church of Canada – Rt. Rev. Riscylla Shaw

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada – National Bishop Susan Johnson who was also elected to the executive committee

The United Church of Canada – Rev. Dr. Hyuk Cho

Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm
Elected as WCC Moderator on September 8th

Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria elected as the new moderator of the WCC central committee. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

~ from a post dated September 8, 2022 on the World Council of Churches’ website

The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee has elected Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria as its new moderator.

The central committee also elected two vice moderators, Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley, Jamaica Baptist Union; and H.E. Archbishop Dr. Vicken Aykazian, Armenian Apostolic Church, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Riley is acting general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union and a graduate of the Bossey Ecumenical Institute. Aykazian is known for his ecumenical work for both global and Armenian causes, including the recognition of Armenian genocide, the preservation of Armenian monuments, and statements of solidarity with Armenia and Artsakh.

Bedford-Strohm, as moderator, will serve as the chief governance officer of the WCC, and will have primary responsibility for assuring the coherence of the work of the central committee and of the executive committee, and for assuring that the ethos of consensus characterizes all aspects of the governance of WCC.

Bedford-Strohm expressed how honored he is to have been elected to the position. “The ecumenical movement is my passion,” he said. “It has been my life for a long time.”

He added that the many relationships with people across the world are a big source of joy. “That is my personal reason,” he said. “But I also have a reason for being happy about this election—the reason that is directed toward the future of the church.”

The church can never be provincial or national, he urged. “The church is always universal,” he said. “The church can only witness Jesus Christ when we make this visible: that we are one church in this global world.”

It’s a world that is struck by so many challenges, he said. “Where people are suffering, where people cry out for justice, the church must be an agent to give them a voice and to make visible how the church can be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.”

The moderator has primary responsibility for chairing sessions of the central committee and of the executive committee, sharing this role with the vice-moderators. Together, the moderator, vice moderators, and acting general secretary comprise the leadership of the central committee.

Executive Committee Elected on September 8th

For information about the work of the executive committee and a list of its members, see this post on the World Council of Church’s website. National Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada was elected to the executive committee.

On September 5th, Eight New Presidents Were Elected

For information about the roll of these presidents and brief biographies of each, see this post on the World Council of Church’s website. Rev. Dr Angelique Walker-Smith of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., will serve as president for North America.