The Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, Secretary of the General Convention, announced that The Episcopal Church has been invited to send delegates to the 2021 Assembly of the World Council of Churches, scheduled for September 8 – 16, 2021 in Karlsruhe, Germany.

The theme for the 2021 Assembly is: “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”

The Assembly is the “supreme legislative body” of the WCC and meets every eight years. The formal purpose of the Assembly is to review programs and determine the overall policies of the WCC, as well as to elect presidents and appoint a Central Committee which serves as the chief governing body of the WCC until the next assembly.

The planning committee has described the 11th Assembly as “a place of listening to each other, building trusted relationships, discerning together the way forward, encouraging each other to work together for change, and celebrating Christ’s gift of love with gratitude and joy.”

The WCC website notes that “Alongside the committee work and business sessions for the delegates, assemblies are also times of celebration and sharing for the many thousands of other visitors at the event. A central element of assemblies for all participants is the worship life, where the community gathers for prayer and meditation, drawing on the diverse spiritual experience of the churches around the world.”

For more information on the Assembly, see: https://tinyurl.com/y2fgua7l

Nominations to serve are being accepted through October 31 and may be submitted online here.

Nominees may be clergy or lay and must be at least 18 years of age by September, 2021.

There is no cost to a delegate to attend. Executive Council will select the delegates from the nominations submitted.

For questions or more information, please contact: Molly James, mjames@episcopalchurch.org.