He called this process "a shared journey" in which the WCC wishes to assist administratively by ensuring coherence and effectiveness.
Robina Winbush, a member of the WCC central committee, agreed that the Council has no desire to be the "centre or controlling force" in emerging initiatives toward unity in Christ.
"This is not about institutional survival issues," she said, "but about re-envisioning what is possible. My prayer is that the future of institutions will also become plain along the way."
Rudolf von Sinner of the São Leopoldo school of theology in Brazil pointed out that the Greek term 'pistis' can mean both "faith" and "trust". It is through recognition of mutual faith in one God that Christians "can risk to trust each other", he asserted.
"This makes us vulnerable, but it is the only way to build meaningful relationships."
Beyond trust, he stressed the need for "concrete goals, from practical cooperation to strengthening relationships between congregations and participation in the struggle for a more just, more democratic and more peaceful world".
Several committee members reported on the recent Global Christian Forum in Limuru, Kenya, an example of Christians from an unusually wide range of traditions discovering common ground for dialogue and cooperation.
Several institutional recommendations were forwarded by the continuing committee to the February 2008 meeting of the WCC central committee. Amongst them, one proposed to arrange for an inter-organisational planning of an extended gathering at the time of the WCC's Tenth Assembly in 2013.
This would allow for the meeting of many Christian organisations in what each would consider "home space" rather than "guest space". In line with this goal, planning of WCC business sessions should be separate from the planning of common activities including worship.
