The World Council of Churches held its 11th General Assembly from August 31st to September 8th 2022, in the German city of Karlsruhe with the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” The Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia participated with a delegation consisting of twelve members—six clergy: Archbishops Gomidas Ohanian, Sebouh Sarkissian, Kegham Khatcherian, Nareg Alemezian, Bishop Masis Zobouyan and V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, and six laypersons: Prof. Teny Pirri-Simonian, Ms. Seta Khedeshian, Dr. Nora Bayrakdarian-Kabakian, Esq. Vanna Gidtsinian, Ms. Tamar Kanarian and Ms. Araz Kojayan. It is noteworthy that Ms. Carla Khijoyan continues her ecumenical service as head of WCC’s staff responsible for the Middle East.

 

Of the 352 member churches, around 4000 participants, delegates, advisors, young people, students, guests and observers partook in the different plenaries, ecumenical conversations, worships, workshops, confessional and regional meetings. They discussed and adopted the upcoming mandate of the Central Committee, as well as elected the new members of the Central and Executive Committees.

 

During the Assembly, our delegates represented the voice of our church, our diaspora and our nation with its various regions, as well as our Oriental Orthodox family in the plenaries and in the following committees: Public Issues (Dr. Bayrakdarian-Kabakian, rapporteur), Nominations (Ms. Kanarian), Programme Guidelines (Prof. Pirri-Simonian), Finance (Ms. Khedeshian), and Message (Fr. Hrant). Moreover, Fr. Hrant was selected to be the moderator of the Ecumenical Conversation on Freedom of Religion and Belief (FORB), which produced a report that will guide the WCC for the subsequent 8-year period.

 

It is significant that His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, who has served as moderator for two consecutive terms (1991-1998-2005) was unanimously nominated from the Oriental Orthodox Church Family and elected by the whole Assembly as one of the Presidents of the Central Committee.

 

Furthermore, Archbishop Nareg Alemezian, and V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate, were elected as members of the Central Committee.

 

It should be mentioned that with the efforts of Dr. Bayrakdarian-Kabakian, the Assembly adopted a resolution concerning the issue of Arstakh (Nagorno Karabakh) that appeals to the immediate release of all Armenian civilian hostages and POWs, raises the concern for holy sites and the Armenian cultural heritage in the region, urging UNESCO and the international community to take appropriate measures in protecting these sites, and calls for the start of a meaningful dialogue for a just and peaceful settlement of the conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

 

The WCC Assembly is the highest governing body of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and normally meets every eight years. The last GA was held in Busan, South Korea, in 2013, however; due to the Pandemic, the 11th Assembly was postponed for a year to finally be hosted in Karlsruhe at the joint invitation of the local churches.