The world's largest association of Reformed churches can now break bread together as the World Communion of Reformed Churches following the merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council.

The new union, celebrated June 18 during a global assembly at Calvin College, represents 80 million Christians from 108 countries, in nearly 230 denominations worldwide including the UCC, a member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

The merger was applauded by the Rev. Lydia Veliko, UCC minister for ecumenical relations, who expressed thanks that churches have taken a significant step in making a commitment to giving a voice to reconciliation.

"Of particular interest to the UCC will be to explore how this new fellowship, as it manifests a desire for a broader unity, can make a more profound and inclusive witness to the deep needs of the world – for justice and peace, for an abundant life for all, and to the grace of God in a world badly in need of healing," says Veliko.

"We live in a world that is fragmented and filled with conflict," says WARC President the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, a former stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA). "I cannot think of a better time to have what we accomplished today."
 
The convention has attracted about 1,000 people from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Middle East and Pacific.

After more than 90 minutes of debate, a constituting document was amended to require half a church's delegates to the WCRC's general council meeting' to be women. The drafting committee's recommendation was one-third women.

Smaller churches, with fewer than 100,000 members, also saw the size of their delegations increased; larger delegations had already been mandated to include at least one delegate 30 or younger.

The Rev. Peter Borgdorff, president of REC, said a U.S. immigration worker denied visas to 73 delegates and students from Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Mexico and other regions of the world despite previous assurances there would be no red tape. Borgdorff said it was unclear why they were denied access to the United States and vowed to find out why.

"The decision making seemed very arbitrary," Borgdorff said.

"As a citizen of this country, I am outraged that United States consulates have refused access to an international ecumenical gathering because they feared terrorism and illegal immigration," said The Rev. Sue Davies, a United Church of Christ minister and WARC Executive Committee member for the past six years.

Issues that remain to be tackled before the conference ends June 26 include women's rights, economic oppression and environmental degradation. Special attention will be devoted to the Accra Confession that rejects "profits before people."

The conference will stress the rights of Indigenous peoples and the church's historic mistreatment of them. Tribal chiefs welcomed delegates June 18 with a drumming ceremony. "So many treaties have been broken, so many promises not fulfilled," said Mike Peters, a tribal member of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa.

Others representing the UCC at the Uniting General Council are the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, general minister and president, and the Rev. Yvonne Delk who delivered the sermon at Sunday's (June 20) celebration service.