December 10, 2008

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has invited member churches and ecumenical partners to nominate candidates for the position of general secretary of the organization. The deadline for applications is 28 February 2009.

The general secretary – man or woman – is the organization's chief executive officer and serves as a spokesperson for the council. He or she is charged with the responsibility to interpret and promote the strategic vision of the WCC.

An active lay or ordained member of one of the member churches of the WCC, the general secretary is expected to be a gifted, skilled and experienced Christian theologian and leader with deep spiritual discernment grounded in scripture and prayer.

A full description of the position's role, responsibilities and requirements has been sent to the council's member churches and posted online on the organization's website.

A new WCC general secretary is to be elected at the council's Central Committee meeting to be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 26 August to 2 September 2009. At the February 2008 Central Committee meeting a search committee was formed after the current general secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, announced he would not seek a second term in office.

Nominations of potential candidates by churches and candidates' applications must be addressed to the moderator of the search committee, Dr Agnes Abuom. The search committee will screen applications and short-list candidates at the beginning of April, while interviews are expected to take place in late June.

For more details, please visit: http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6515.

World Council of Churches