One obvious contradiction was in the venue (location) selected for the meeting. Several declarations were made from the platform during those days against militarism and armaments, but the location for this particular conference was on a Greek military base! Military police were on guard 24 hours a day, while artillery was strategically located near the cafeteria. To "add insult to injury," military helicopters buzzed overhead frequently, even drowning out what was being said in the plenary sessions.

The Rev. Ruth Anne Bottoms, a Baptist minister in the United Kingdom who served as moderator, attempted to put a positive spin on the presence of the military by explaining that the Archbishop Christodulos, archbishop of all Greece, was being protected. She also hoped the presence of the WCC on this military base would help military leaders understand the futility of violence.

Another contradiction was easily observed when the Archbishop was extending a welcome to all those in attendance. A few yards from the entrance, a number of Orthodox clergy and laity demonstrated against the WCC with signs, flags, and vocal dissent. This group distributed printed flyers which said, "Heretics of the World Council of 'Churches.' Return to Orthodoxy which is the Only Truth!"

Another blatant contradiction was seen in regards to the theme of "Missions and Evangelism." Not once during the plenary sessions with nearly 700 individuals present was there a single reference given by any speaker on the platform to the need of pointing lost sinner to Jesus Christ.

At the final session, mikes were placed in strategic places around the meeting hall giving opportunity for individuals to share and reflect on the conference. It was then, and only then, that a man, identifying himself as an evangelical, complained that for the past seven days there was not even one reference to the Great Commission found in the New Testament. But just prior to this time for "Reflection," a major address had been given warning everyone that "global warming" was the greatest threat to all mankind!

A point of contention arose among the women present. It came because it was brought out that only one workshop, out of 68, dealt specifically with "women's issues." Janet Plenary, Executive Director for the Mennonite Church in Canada, expressed disappointment regarding the failure to focus on women at this conference.

At that single workshop, Rev. Dr. Hyacinth lone Boothe, a professor at the United Theological College of West Indies in Jamaica, said, "The compassionate and nurturing side of women should be reflected in their ministry. However, women must be themselves and not try to be men. Women need to be involved in EVERY area of ministry. This can be difficult when churches do not recognize or encourage this as they should. Women have the particular role of challenging the churches to be true to the liberating message in the gospel."

One fifth of the invited delegates came from Evangelical, Charismatic, and Pentecostal bodies. Heading the 42-member Roman Catholic Delegation, sent by the Holy See, was the Most Reverend Brian Farrell. Farrell resides at the Vatican and is secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Bishop Farrell, a seasoned ecumenist, viewed this event as "a real opportunity to bring together diverse Christians, to share our traditions and work towards a greater understanding of all our churches. It is also a wonderful opportunity to look together for direction in mission to a world which is in such rapid change."

The Bishop had been greatly blessed by the ecumenically-minded pronouncements made by newly-elected Pope Benedict XVI. "The pope is totally supportive regarding ecumenical relations. As a young theologian in Germany he engaged in discussions with Lutherans, and he also has been a prominent figure in dialogue with Orthodox theologians," so said Bishop Farrell.

He also commented that Catholics and Pentecostals are coming to better know each other in many parts of the world. In Latin America, Farrell acknowledged that Pentecostal churches are thriving, but he emphasized the number of Catholic charismatics are also on the increase. "The number of Catholic charismatics is a spontaneous movement of the Holy Spirit," he said.

He then diverted from the subject of church organizations to say, "Contact is all-important. In the end, someone has to reach out and put his hand on you and say 'receive the Holy Spirit.'"

WCC leaders underlined their cultivation of friendship, fellowship and hopeful union with Pentecostal and Evangelical churches. At a press conference, Dr. Yong Gi Hong, a Pentecostal scholar and senior mission executive of the 760,000 member Yoido Full Gospel Church in Korea, declared, "I think there will be a time when my church will join the World Council of Churches. There are already Pentecostal member churches." He added, "My church is a full member of the National Council in Korea." (The senior pastor of this same large church in Korea, Dr. David Yonggi Cho, was a featured speaker several years ago at an annual convention of the new evangelical National Association of Evangelicals.)

Another Pentecostal leader, the Rev. Dr. Opoku Onyinah, who is an Apostle as well as the rector of the Pentecostal University College in Ghana, gave his perspective on this WCC Conference. He told the press he was very favorably impressed with the meeting. He said, "It brought together many different Christian traditions and allowed us to compare views. If Pentecostals had been in charge of this meeting, we would have gone a little farther than Dr. Bottoms did. We would have called people forward so we could pray for their healing."

Dr. Wonsuk Ma of the Asian Pentecostal Society in the Philippines, spoke at a plenary session on The Role of Pneumatology in Pentecostal-Charismatic Mission." In this major address he praised Youth With A Mission (YWAM), an organization that is always prominent at the new evangelical Urbana Missionary Conferences. He also suggested that instead of the phrase, "the priesthood of all believers" it be changed to "the prophethood of all believers."

Dr. Ma rehearsed the ministry of the world's largest congregation in the world, the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Korea where Dr. David Yonggi Cho serves as senior pastor. Cho has a holistic world view and teaches that physical healing is as important as salvation. Cho declares that if the most powerful God cannot heal a person, He is not as useful as the ancestor spirits many have been relying on for such needs.

Rev. Ma emphasized the "signs and wonders ministry as well as the empowerment theology which includes miracles and healings." He proceeded to tell the WCC that Pentecostals were "the new kid on the block." He added, "We Pentecostals have much to learn from you. Thus, come Holy Spirit and empower us for your mission!"

The plenary session on Mission and Violence was begun by a demonstration presented by WCC stewards. (These are young people from the various World Council churches who serve as volunteers at such WCC events.) The demonstration proceeded to call for the removal of all guns, tanks and war planes. They also identified DDT spray and the Coca-Cola Company as major contributors to violence. A video shown condemned Israel and even demanded that Israel be completely moved from Palestine. The message boldly given was "When Israel moves out, all violence will cease!"

Ms. Viola Raheb, a Lutheran theologian and Christian educator, not only demanded Israel be compelled to leave Palestine but she then proceeded to tell why there was so much violence in the world. She said, "Violence is because Old Testament passages legitimize violence. We must turn away from the Old Testament with such passages as the fall of Jericho, and stay instead in the New Testament with its emphasis on love."

At a press conference following her speech, a reporter asked Ms. Raheb if she was suggesting there was an obvious dichotomy or division between the Old and New Testaments which created doubt as to the Bible's inspiration and authority.

Her immediate response was, "There is a major theological problem when God told Israel to destroy cities like Jericho. It teaches people to be agents of violence." Then in an apparent afterthought she said, "Beside this, there is no one in our time who ever preaches from such passages."

Ms. Raheb vividly demonstrated the heresy of the higher criticism of God's Word. She also completely ignored Hebrews 11:30 which says, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days."

One morning during the conference everyone went down to the shore of the Aegean sea to welcome a boat carrying a large wooden cross. The cross, made of olive wood, came from Bethlehem. It was a gift from the churches of Jerusalem. It was announced that the cross had been fashioned from olive trees uprooted around the city of Bethlehem and came from Palestinian land which had been confiscated by Israel.

A paper handed out by WCC leaders emphasized the olive tree is not only important in Jewish and Christian traditions, but there was something else. The WCC news release said, "Classical mythology holds that Athena became the patron goddess of the city of Athens through the gift of an olive tree which remains the emblem of Athens to this day." As the cross was carried ashore, the group sang, "Come Holy Spirit, heal and reconcile."

The final worship service placed an emphasis on the way people have used their hands. Some hands were used to give healing, to bring comfort and reconciliation to people they know or even do not know. A flask of "blessed" olive oil, which came from one of the most-loved shrines of the Greek people, was carried in. This oil had come from the Church of the Mother of God located on the Island of Tinos. The claim was made that this church has contributed to many miracles. "Many healings have come to the innumerable pilgrims to Tinos. So let us now anoint each other's hands and also draw the sign of the life-giving cross on the back of the hand of the sister or brother near you" were the instructions the moderator gave to all in attendance.

Observations by this reporter:

1. It is obvious WCC leaders use the same vocabulary as Bible-believers. However, and this is very important, they also have a different dictionary. Words like, "evangelism," "mission," reconciliation," "salvation," and "grace" are interpreted by these liberal clergy to mean a social gospel that changes society.

2. Of the nearly 700 invited as "official delegates" most, if not all, were leaders of churches, denominations and mission boards. The WCC announced several times that they had selected trained "counselors" to counsel these leaders. Rooms were set aside for these "specialists" to help everyone who had a psychological need. Since Dr. Bottoms, the moderator, more than once urged the participants to secure help, one might wonder how these religious leaders had been able to function without first having received official counseling from WCC psychologists and psychiatrists.

3. Representatives among the delegates were present from the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, World Vision, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Seventh Day Adventist Churches and United Bible Societies. Should Fundamentalist churches or individuals support any organization identified with such a religious hodgepodge? The answer is never because God's Word forbids such an alliance.

4. Pentecostals and Evangelicals fail to understand they are being "used" by the WCC as this liberal church body promotes its own goals. The World Pentecostal Alliance actually has millions more members than the WCC. But when confronted, both the Pentecostal and Evangelical leaders defended to this reporter their participation in the WCC by using a weak excuse that they hope to bring the WCC to a more "conservative" position. This is an effort in futility because the WCC leadership never surrenders control.

5. The Roman Catholic Church gives an impression of wanting complete unity with the WCC. However, this will never be a reality unless and until the Pope is permitted to be the man at the very top and in charge.

6. The Orthodox Church of Greece, host for this conference, again used such an event to denounce "proselytism." Their leader in Athens described groups which attempt to reach Orthodox members with the Gospel as "aggressive recruiters with narrowly individualistic piety and possessing cultural alienation." No welcome is given to anyone seeking to reach those within the "Church," and in fact attempts are made to have civil authorities withhold permission for missionaries to enter their countries. There is an obvious contempt toward Fundamentalism.

7. While "mission" was seated in the "first chair" in this ecumenical orchestra, "missions" as we Fundamentalists define it - reaching the lost with the Gospel which transforms lives by making them a new creature (II Cor. 5:17), followed by teaching them to observe all things (Matt. 28:20) - is given no place at all.

8. Let each of us ask our Lord to use us as His vessels, not only to DECLARE the Gospel, but also to be set for the DEFENSE of the Gospel (Rom. 1:16; Phil. 1:17).

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