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WCC Assembly listens to indigenous voices

By staff writers
November 5, 2013

National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald has spoken about the "living relationship" that indigenous people have with the land.

He also shared his thoughts about the "sense of kinship" that people feel when they meet with others from around the world.

The indigenous leader from the Anglican Church of Canada was reflecting at the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, which is meeting through to 8 November 2013 in Busan, Republic of Korea.

Jasmine Bostock, also a member of the Episcopal Church's delegation from North America, spoke about how being at the WCC Assembly helps facilitate exchanges of knowledge about indigenous issues worldwide.

The Episcopal Church's Sarah Eagle Heart expressed her thoughts about the connectivity of prayer and worship via images shared on social media.

Indigenous Christian voices from around the world – including Asia, India, Africa, Polynesia, Australasia, Aotearoa, the Middle East and North America – have been heard around Busan.

Migrant, gender and environmental justice have also been stressed throughout the Assembly, which has provided the broadest context of global concern for accompanying discussions about Christian unity, the unity of humankind and the mission of the church.

"We crucify God in the global destruction of the Earth. God of life, lead us to environmental justice and peace," tweeted the Rev Sarah Griffith Lund (http://sarahgriffithlund.com).

What has marked out this particular WCC assembly has been the variety of forms of participation, both among those hosted in Busan, and among those following and interacting with the gathering around the world – tens of thousands, it is estimated.

Anglican Journal, the Anglican Church of Canada's editorially independent newspaper, has been 'storifying' elements of the WCC meeting, from which parts of this report have been sourced (http://storify.com/anglicanjournal/wcc).

* Official website of the WCC 10th Assembly: http://wcc2013.info/en

* More from Ekklesia on the WCC and its 10th Assembly: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/wcc

[Ekk/3]

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