World Council of Churches General Secretary meets with Canadian Churches

As part of his March 2012 visit to World Council of Churches (WCC) member churches in Canada, General Secretary Olav Fykse Tveit spent a day in meetings with the Anglican Church in Canada (ACC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). The joint meeting was to recognize the full communion relationship between the two churches and marked the first time that the General Secretary had met with two member churches at the same time. Time was spent in reporting details of the working of the ELCIC and ACC full communion relationship, and in hearing of the work of the WCC. Discussions were held on how to strengthen partnerships in the midst of increasing challenges including declining resources.

Of interest, the General Secretary noted a Canadian connection – his Great-Uncle Rev. Amund Tveit, was his pen-pal in his youth and was the first to encourage him to ordained ministry. His second cousins Marie Tveit and Beth Cowan are ELCIC members in Camrose Alberta.