Leaders of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (Warc) are calling on their members to reflect on issues such as peace, economic justice and creation as they prepare for the organisation's next world gathering, scheduled for 2004.

The gathering - known as the general council - will take place in Accra, Ghana, on the general theme "That All May Have Life in Fullness", an adaptation of the biblical verse John 10.10.

At a ten-day meeting being held here from July 26 to August 4, members of Warc's executive committee identified these issues among other sub-themes - healing, pluralism, gender justice and inclusiveness and participation - for the general council which is the organisation's top governing body.

Warc is a fellowship of more than 200 Congregational, Presbyterian, Reformed and United churches with 75 million members world-wide.

Although the issues identified for the general council are not uniquely Christian, Warc's approach will be different from that of other non-governmental organisations or the United Nations, Dr Setri Nyomi, Warc's general secretary, told ENI. Warc could bring a theological perspective to bear on social problems, he said.

"The concept of fullness of life for all is deeply theological, deeply biblical," said Dr Nyomi. "Part of our tradition as Reformed Christians involves being in the world. We are applying who we are [as Reformed Christians] to human conditions."

Through ongoing dialogue with member churches, the preparatory committee for the gathering hopes to arrive at an understanding of what it means to live life abundantly and of the obstacles that lie in the way.

General council delegates will be named by spring 2002 - earlier in advance of a council meeting than ever before, Anna Melisssa Jackson, the moderator of the preparatory committee, told ENI. The longer preparation period will allow for a greater "flow" of insights and information between member churches and the preparatory committee, which will use ideas from the congregations in the rest of its planning process, Jackson said.

Warc is planning to produce a congregational study guide and other materials on the themes of the general council. Doug Chial, a general council co-ordinator, told ENI that a Christian education outline should be ready this autumn to allow member churches to weave Warc materials into their education programme cycles for the next three years. [404 words]

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