Conference of European Churches - Office of Communications

Press release No. 08-51/e

Geneva, 2 October 2008

Central Committee of CEC to meet in Cyprus, 6-11 October

Upon invitation by the Church of Cyprus (Orthodox), the Central Committee of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) will meet for its annual session from 6-11 October 2008 in Paralimni-Protaras, Cyprus.

The 40-member Central Committee is the CEC governing body between Assemblies. The next CEC Assembly will be held in Lyon, France, in July 2009, on the theme “Called to One Hope in Christ”. It will mark the 50th anniversary of the foundation of CEC.

The Central Committee will assess the ongoing preparation for the Lyon Assembly, and will review the work of CEC and its Commissions. The 17th Assembly of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) will also be held in Paralimni-Protaras at the same time. Two joint sessions of the CCME Assembly and the CEC Central Committee will be held, as well as a shared workshop on the issue of trafficking in human beings. The merger of CCME and CEC is expected to be concluded by the end of the year.

"There is much for this Central Committee to undertake as we draw close to the next CEC Assembly in Lyon in July 2009”, stated the General Secretary of CEC, the Venerable Colin Williams. “I am especially glad that at this meeting we shall be able to spend time working with our sisters and brothers in the Assembly of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe as well as taking the final steps leading to a merger of our two organisations".

The opening prayer service of the Central Committee meeting will be held on Monday 6 October at 17h30 in the Cathedral of the Diocese of Constantia-Ammochostos in Paralimni. It will be presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Vasilios of Constantia-Ammochostos. On Wednesday 8 October members of the CEC Central Committee and participants in the CCME Assembly will be received by His Beatitude Chrysostomos II, Archbishop of Cyprus.

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The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 associated organisations. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.

For more information:
Luca Negro
CEC Secretary for Communications and Information
Mobile +41 78 870 81 17
Phone +41 22 791 64 85 or 791 63 25
Fax +41 22 791 62 27
e-mail: Luca.Negro@cec-kek.org