Introduction The Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC held its inaugural meeting in Morges, Switzerland, in December of 1999. Of the four sub-committees set up there, two were seen to be treating matters which were closely related to one another: Sub-committee I: Organization of the WCC Sub-committee IV: Existing models and new proposals for a structural framework of the WCC These two groups met in tandem at St Ephrem Theological Seminary in Ma’arat Saydnaya, near Damascus, Syria, March 2000. The documents herein were prepared as background materials for the Damascus meeting. They are presented thematically, but the themes overlap and inform each other. For example, Sub-committee I, whose mandate includes issues of membership, representation and decision-making would be interested in Visser ‘t Hooft’s reflections as well as in the papers emerging out of the CUV process. Questions of membership are also involved in the debate on the inclusion of Baptism into the Basis of the WCC, and in the whole complex of issues surrounding Roman Catholic involvement. Likewise, Sub-committee IV would take special interest in the texts which deal with governance, the Forum proposal, councils of churches and Roman Catholic involvement, but will find the material on membership to be of relevance as well. WCC Mixed Staff Group on the Special Commission.

Damascus Dossier Contents The Genesis of the WCC: Membership and Representation Membership in the WCC Baptism and the WCC Basis Roman Catholic Involvement in the WCC Roman Catholic Involvement in the CCBI Councils of Churches The Canadian Council of Churches as Forum Report to the OCA Canadian Archdiocese on CCC as Forum Staff Group on CUV: Families of Churches Staff Group on CUV: WCC Governance A Survey of CUV Responses Proposals Regarding a Forum of Christian Churches and Ecumenical Organisations Policy Reference Committee I on the Forum Proposal Issues of Ecclesiology and Membership (Church of England report on Harare) Additional documents available on this site: Common Understanding and Vision (CUV) The "Basis" of the WCC with commentary by T.K. Thomas and Tom Stransky The Meaning of Membership (received by the WCC Central Committee, 1996) WCC Constitution WCC Rules