Kobia to pay first visit to WCC member churches in Bangladesh and Thailand
From 26 March to 2 April World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will visit WCC member churches in Bangladesh and Thailand for the first time since taking office. On 1 April, he will also be the keynote speaker at the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) general assembly.
In Bangladesh (26-28 March), Kobia will inaugurate the new "Human and Organizational Potential Enhancement (HOPE)" training centre in Dhaka, and meet with the country's president, Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed. At a seminar on ecumenism in the 21st century, he will address some 200 church leaders, clergy and theology students. He is also scheduled to preach at a sunrise Easter Sunday service in which all Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church are to participate.
In Thailand (29 March-2 April), Kobia will meet with the leadership of the Christian Council of Thailand (CCT) and other church representatives in Bangkok. After a meeting with Buddhist and Islamic leaders on Wednesday 30 March, Kobia will leave for Chiang Mai to attend the 12th general assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA). There, he will deliver the keynote address on "Listening to the voice of God: new trends in the ecumenical movement".
The 31 March-6 April CCA assembly will also be the opportunity for the launch of this year's annual focus of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) on Asia. With the theme "Building communities of peace for all", the DOV focus on Asia will highlight the work that churches, church-related organizations and networks are doing to prevent and overcome violence and to build peace with justice.
Kobia will be accompanied on this trip by his wife, Mrs Ruth Kobia, and by WCC Asia secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara.
Christian Conference of Asia website:
Decade to Overcome Violence website:
