Biggest Christian Assembly World Has Seen

Chronicle (Levin), 15 April 1948, Page 3

Biggest Christian Assembly World Has Seen

CHRISTCHURCH, April 14. Tlie Amsterdam assoinbly of tlie World Council of Ckurckes, Avliicli. ia to meet in August and September, will be . tke .most representative gatliering of Christians the- world has ever seen, reads a statement issued by Arehbishop West Watson. Official delegates will be present from about 15U churches from oer 50 nations in both the east and west and observers and visitors will be present from. an evon wider eircle including Roman Cat-holie and also those Eastern Churches only some of which have yet become members of the council. Six churches in New Zealand which belong to the World Council — Angliean, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Church of Christ, and Congregational — will be represented by a team of official delegates, alternate visitors and youth representatives. The National Council of Churches and National Missionary Council are sending consultants. "The fnnctions of the Amsterdam assembly are to eonsider together the will of God for His world and ehurch in view of the chaos which is so typical of our age, to devise an effective and permanent instrumont to put into united action the hew sense of unity that Christians everywhere are awaro of, to speak to the nations and churehes that clear word of God of whieh the world is in such dire need," says the statement. "The eyes of the entire Christian wOrld will be upon Amsterdam .during that fateful fortnight at the end of August, for which we have been preparing for ten years since the World Council was provisionally formed in 1938. It is potentially one of the significant moments in the history of tlie ehurch and it is our prayer that it may issue in a new era in the whole life and service of the church throughout the world. ' *(g ________________