ATHENS, Greece (ENI) — A global church gathering on reconciliation is meeting at an army holiday resort in Greece, a country Amnesty International has criticized for its harsh treatment of conscientious objectors. But a prominent Christian campaigner for non-violence is happy about the choice.

ATHENS, Greece (ENI)— An increasingly globalized world, marked by religious diversity and tensions between faiths, is demanding that Christians reconsider the way they relate to other believers, a scholar said on May 12 during a world meeting of Christian leaders here.

Christians from all continents and the largest confessional families gathered Wednesday for the third day of one of the largest gatherings of church representatives and mission organizations in the 21st century.

The world's churches were today invited to adopt non-violence and peace building as distinctive ‘identity markers' of the Christian community, alive and active in the world.

AGIOS ANDREAS, Greece (AP) -- Mainstream Christian churches must adapt to the powerful forces of the new century -- including the rise in African and Asian congregations and tensions with the Muslim world -- or risk losing their relevance and ability to help shape world affairs, religious leaders told a global conference on spiritual trends Tuesday.

ATHENS (ENI)— Religious groups that offer "miraculous healing" and denominations that emphasize a "charity approach" are alienating disabled people from churches, an advocate for the disabled said on May 10 during a meeting of global Christian leaders.

As the sun rose over the Aegean Sea, some 700 Christians gathered to discern the healing presence of the Holy Spirit.

That beginning of the 2005 Conference on World Mission and Evangelism, meeting May 9-16 in Athens, showed "the need for healing throughout the world," according to the Rev. Larry Pickens, chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious...

"First, I wish to extend my profound thanks - and those of the World Council of Churches - to the Church of Greece, as well as the churches of Greece, for their invitation to hold the first mission conference of the new millennium in Athens where the apostle Paul proclaimed the gospel boldly, while still showing respect for the culture of Athens and the traditions held precious by the Greeks."

AGIOS ANDREAS, Greece - Christian churches must set aside differences and adopt less confrontational approaches toward other faiths in an age of mobile populations and strains between the West and the Islamic world, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church told a global religious conference Tuesday.

Yesterday, the afternoon schedule of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Conference on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) kicked-off in Athens, Greece. Time proved to be packed with group discussions based on the plenary theme in the morning - "Come, Holy Spirit, heal and reconcile".