|PIC1|An international delegation from The Salvation Army is in Porto Alegre, Brazil, for the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, where it is engaging in numerous ‘ecumenical conversations’.

The conversations at the Assembly, which ends Feb. 23, will focus on a variety of topics relating to the life and witness of the Church today.

The Salvation Army 12-man delegation, mainly consisting of members from Latin America and the Caribbean, is hoping to contribute to the conference from a ‘Salvation Army missional perspective’.

It also hopes to “come away with a greater commitment to Church unity, economic justice, overcoming violence, and Church identity,” it said.

The Salvation Army said: “This is an opportunity for our delegates to have their vision of the worldwide Church enlarged and learn to appreciate in a greater way its unity and diversity.

|TOP|“As Salvationists, we will know the privilege God has given us, not just to learn from other Church traditions but to contribute to the body of Christ with the gifts and calling he has given this Army.”

The Salvation Army will also meet with many delegates at the Assembly through its exhibition focussing on programmes around the world that are currently serving and supporting women and children.

General secretary of the WCC said of the history-making event: “Assemblies are often turning points in the life of the World Council and this Assembly will surely leave its mark on ecumenical history.”

The World Council of Churches’ first assembly since 1998 brings together nearly 1,000 delegates from its constituency and about 500 guests from other Christian communities to focus on finding new common ground during times of “radical changes.”