7 September 2022, Karlsruhe, Germany: Assembly participants raise orange consensus cards in affirmation of what is being said during a business plenary session at the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, held in Karlsruhe, Germany from 31 August to 8 September, under the theme "Christ's Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity."

Photo:
Albin Hillert/WCC

Consensus decision-making

Consensus decision-making: a process of seeking the common mind of the meeting, discerning God’s will.

Consensus is a process of seeking the common mind of the meeting without resort to a formal vote, engaging in genuine dialogue that is respectful, mutually supportive and empowering whilst prayerfully seeking to discern God’s will.

Consensus decision-making in the World Council of Churches and the procedures for implementing it in the conduct of meetings are to be used in meetings of all WCC governing and consultative bodies.

Publication
Achieving Consensus Cover

Achieving Consensus

A Guide for Conducting Meetings

This guide is intended to introduce the reader to consensus decision-making in the World Council of Churches and to the procedures for implementing it in the conduct of meetings. Both the rule for the conduct of meetings (Rule XIX) and these guidelines are worded so as to apply to a meeting of the assembly of the Council, and they are to be used also in meetings of all its governing and consultative bodies. Finally, the flowchart of consensus procedures outlines the different steps involved in achieving consensus during the meetings.

27 September 2022