The Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, was in Portland today and spoke before the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). A press released issued after his address stated:
"If it was the challenge to US churches in 1965 to reflect a global perspective rather than that of an ultra-patriotic 'culture club', this remains a principal challenge 40 years later," World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia told a gathering of US Christians on 26 July.
Speaking at the general assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Portland, Oregon, Kobia was recalling a 40-year-old, but still relevant insight from a former WCC general secretary from the US, Eugene Carson Blake.
Commenting on today's world-wide fears regarding US policies like the doctrine of pre-emptive war, and the current US administration's reluctance to support international initiatives against global warming, or the Millennium Development Goals, Kobia said that the role of the churches is to "speak truth to power", even if it is unwelcome in some quarters.
At the same time, he acknowledged the leading role of North American Christians in the modern ecumenical movement, and stressed the role of US churches in providing an alternative voice and taking a leading role in fighting hunger, poverty, HIV/AIDS, racial discrimination and violence.
In the context of the southwards shift of the global centre of gravity of the world-wide church, Kobia suggested that North American churches "need to adjust to a new position within the wider church of Jesus Christ".
And referring to a perceived spread of para-church organizations, mega-churches and a "so-called 'prosperity gospel', based on assumptions of free market economics", from North America to other continents, he warned against "the confusing of preaching Christ with the proclamation of American cultural values".
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a North American mainline Protestant denomination, is one of a total of 23 WCC member churches in the USA.
The Rev. Sharon Elizabeth Watkins was elected earlier in the day to serve as the first woman General Minister and President of the DOC. This is a milestone event in the history of mainline Christian churches. No woman has ever held the position before. Watkins has been the senior minister of Disciples Christian Church in Bartlesville, Okla.
You can keep track of other developments related to the DOC meeting by visiting Disciples World.
