Churches urged to stand against violence, poverty

Art Babych
Special to ChristianWeek

OTTAWA, ON-The newly elected general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) ended his first official visit to the Canadian churches by calling on them to take a stand against all forms of violence, including indifference to poverty.

"Indifference to poverty is the moral equivalent of mass destruction," said Samuel Kobia in a sermon at an ecumenical service October 3 in Southminster United Church in Ottawa.

Kobia, 57, said the task of the church in Canada is to become "a community that will insist that at whatever cost we bear, it will say no to violence."

The WCC general secretary also said that Christians should cooperate with Jews and Muslims to help bring an end to violence throughout the world.

"Memories of war and genocide echo in every corner of the world," he said. "Generations have been mutilated and abased."

As well, Kobia urged protection of the environment, decrying "the destruction of nature through policies based on greed."

Churches should encourage governments to "embrace" responsibility for the environment, he said, adding that the Kyoto Protocol, "is the best we have in dealing with climate change. We must speak that truth to the powers that be today."

The service, attended by about 200 people, celebrated the ministries of the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) and the WCC, and was held on Worldwide Communion Sunday. It also marked the 60th anniversary of the CCC.

Among those taking part in the event were Richard Schneider, president of the CCC; Karen Hamilton, general secretary of the CCC; and Andrew Johnson, chair of the Christian Council of the Capital Area.

While in Ottawa, Kobia also gave the opening remarks at the Forum on Ecumenical Dialogues hosted by the Commission on Faith and Witness of the Canadian Council of Churches.

Kobia’s visit to the churches of Canada from September 30 to October 4 started in Winnipeg, where he met with aboriginal leaders and gave a public lecture on "Ecumenism in the 21st century" at the University of Winnipeg.

In Toronto, he visited church houses and spoke to church leaders at dinner. He also gave a public lecture sponsored by Toronto School of Theology and the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism at Emmanuel College, Toronto School of Theology.

Ordained as a Methodist minister in Kenya, Kobia became general secretary of the WCC at the beginning of the year, succeeding Konrad Raiser.

The WCC was founded in 1948 and is currently a fellowship of 342 churches in more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions.