World Council of Churches Bids Farewell to Outgoing Leader Kobia

GENEVA - The World Council of Churches (WCC) recently said farewell to its general secretary of six years, Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, hailing him as, "an unwavering witness for justice and peace in the world," during a special Sunday service held on Aug. 31st as a part of the WCC's Central Committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

Nearly 150 of the WCC's Central Committee members attended the event, which was held at Geneva's Ecumenical Centre and featured worship songs and responses sung in English, Swahili, Aramaic, and the South American language Guarani, among others.

Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson of the United Church of Christ in the USA, delivered the sermon entitled "Coming Home," in which she commended Kobia as possessing "leadership rooted in knowing who God is," and a gift for hearing "God's voice." Jackson closed the service with a benediction in the semitic language Amharic.

Following the service, the congregation moved to the WCC's Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, near Geneva, where Kobia and his wife Ruth were presented with gifts from the churches in each of the WCC's regions. The event closed with a time of public praise for Kobia, which included statements made by prominent members of the WCC such as, Rev. Dr. Walter Altmann, moderator of the Central Committee and incoming WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit.

"I feel honoured and very proud of being your successor," Tveit, who was elected on Aug. 27, told Kobia.

Kobia concluded with remarks of gratitude for having the "tremendous privilege" to serve the ecumenical movement, and that his stepping down from the WCC's general secretary position does not mark an end to his journey of service.

"We still have so much to do together," he said

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