and the first African to hold this position. Events and presidents Assemblies The World Council of Churches has held 10 Assemblies to date, starting with the founding assembly in 1948: Amsterdam, Netherlands, 22 August – 4 September 1948 Evanston, Illinois, United States, 15–31 August 1954 New Delhi, India, 19 November – 5 December 1961 Uppsala, Sweden, 4–20 July 1968 Nairobi, Kenya, 23 November – 10 December 1975 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 24 July – 10 August 1983 Canberra, ACT, Australia, 7–21 February 1991 Harare, Zimbabwe, 3–14 December 1998 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 14–23 February 2006 Busan, South Korea, 30 October – 8 November 2013 Karlsruhe, Germany, 31 August – 8 September 2022 Presidents Presidents elected at the 11th Assembly are: Africa: Rev. Dr. Rufus Okikiola Ositelu, (Church of the Lord (Aladura)) Asia: Rev. Dr Henriette Hutabarat-Lebang (Gereja Toraja) Europe: Rev. Dr. Susan Durber (United Reformed Church) Latin America and Caribbean: Rev. Philip Silvin Wright (Anglican Diocese of Belize, Church in the Province of the West Indies) North America: Rev. Angelique Walker-Smith (National Baptist Convention USA) Pacific: Rev. François Pihaatae (Maòhi Protestant Church) Eastern Orthodox: H.E. Metropolitan Dr. Vasilios of Constantia – Ammochostos, Church of Cyprus Oriental Orthodox: H.H. Catholicos Aram I (Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia) Former presidents of the World Council of Churches include: The Rev. Gloria Nohemy Ulloa Alvarado (Presbyterian Church in Colombia) Chang Sang (Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea) T. C. Chao, Chinese theologian John X of Antioch (Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) Karekin II (Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church) Rev. Dr. S.A.E. Nababan, Indonesian theologian Rev. Martin Niemöller, the famous Protestant anti-Nazi theologian Mele'ana Puloka (Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga) Mary-Anne Plaatjies van Huffel (Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa) Archbishop Anders Wejryd (Church of Sweden) General secretaries Since the World Council of Churches was officially founded in 1948, the following men have served as general secretary: Commissions and teams There are two complementary approaches to ecumenism: dialogue and action. The Faith and Order Movement and Life and Work Movement represent these approaches. These approaches are reflected in the work of the WCC in its commissions, these being: Echos- Commission on Youth (ages 18–30) Commission of the Churches on Diakonia and Development Commission on Education and Ecumenical Formation Commission of the Churches on International Affairs Commission on Justice, Peace and Creation Commission on World Mission and Evangelism