Cultural components play an important role in understanding the ethical issues and the daily life of Christians in different parts of the world. Therefore, when confronted with divergences of opinions on certain ethical contemporary issues, it is necessary to develop criteria of discernment and to see to what extent those are due to real theological reasons or to cultural and social factors. We recommend that among various studies done by WCC programmes it is necessary to select those that deal with Orthodox and Protestant relations, and to explore new areas for further development. To be fully effective, the Gospel of the Incarnated Christ has to be witnessed and incarnated to concrete people and contexts. The descent of the Holy Spirit in the day of Pentecost made the Apostles speak about the Good News in all the languages of the people present at that event, showing that all the languages and cultures are equally able to convey and to make meaningful the Gospel.
Ethnicity is therefore a reality.
By the values of the Gospel, the culture itself will be transformed and transfigured through an inner process. In cases where the process of inculturation went so far that one can no longer distinguish between culture and Gospel, State, Nation and Church, transformation is needed. Many who represent their Churches in the WCC will bring to it challenging social and cultural issues for resolution. Often times, the member Churches should resolve issues internally and not transpose them to the WCC, a non ecclesial policy making body. Some illustrations of these issues are the ordination of women, homosexuality and language about God.