By Jerry Van Marter
Harare, 3 December (ENI)--As the eighth assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) opened in Harare today, attendance seems to have reached 5000, though technical problems are making it impossible for assembly officials to calculate exact attendance.

Jean Stromberg, the WCC's assembly coordinator, told reporters at the assembly's first press conference today that the attendance was "an overwhelming and happy surprise". Stromberg told ENI she hoped to have accurate final figures "in a couple of days".

According to documents, about 960 delegates will represent the 332 member churches of the WCC. Early estimates indicate that about 35 per cent of them are women and 15 per cent are classified as "youth".

More than 4 000 people registered yesterday 2 December at the University of Zimbabwe campus, where the assembly is being held.

About 300 people have been accredited by the WCC and by the Zimbabwe government as media representatives. In today's press conference, journalists put questions to WCC officials about the WCC's relationship with its Orthodox church members, with the Roman Catholic Church, which is not a member, with indigenous African churches, some of which are members, and on the issue of homosexuality, which is not on the assembly's agenda but will be a subject of 12 out of the 500-plus workshops and displays at the assembly's "Padare" - a Zimbabwean word meaning meeting place which opens on 7 December.

More than 1000 women and about 30 men attended the pre-assembly festival to mark the conclusion of the Ecumenical Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women, and 400 young people attended the pre-assembly Youth Conference. [280 words]

Photographs of the assembly are available from Photo Oikoumene

Related sites:

WCC Assembly Web Site

Photo Oikoumene

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