A growing rift between Orthodox and Protestant churches is threatening to overshadow the World Council of Churches conference in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.

The council which represents the largest ecumenical Christian body in the world only meets every seven years and is marking the 50th anniversary of its founding. However its future is in jeopardy with Orthodox churches threatening to withdraw, upset by a perceived liberal agenda.

The WCC chose Africa as the host for the meeting as a celebration of the vitality of Christianity and like the Roman Catholic Church - which remains outside the WCC - it sees the continent as the most fertile ground for evangelisation.

The choice of Zimbabwe as its host nation seems a more apt symbol of the state of the WCC; the economic and social unrest which has gripped the country mirrors to some extent the turmoil within the organisation.

The WCC was set up in 1948 in the aftermath of the World War II. It had lofty ambitions - to unite different Christian denominations under one umbrella, working for the same interests of world peace and greater Christian co-operation.

Since its first meeting in Amsterdam, it has met over the years in Uppsala, Nairobi, Vancouver and Canberra and has expanded its membership to include 338 member churches on every continent.

Racked by division

But the WCC is in crisis. Like the Anglican Communion, which met for its ten-yearly Lambeth Conference in England this summer, it lacks focus and is racked by division. The same issues haunt the WCC; whether it should continue to be influenced by a western liberal agenda, which campaigns for women priests and more contentiously the ordination of homosexuals to the priesthood, or whether it should take a more conservative line.

The conservative lobby at Lambeth threatened a walk-out and won the day. Those within the WCC intend to state their case just as forcefully.

About 4,000 delegates meet in Harare until 14 December

The Orthodox family of churches are furious with the direction of the WCC. They perceive a liberal, Protestant-dominated organisation which ignores their concerns.

In fact according to some critics, the days of the WCC have long been numbered. While it still protests against sanctions and calls for an end to various conflicts, its high-profile political activism fighting against racism is over.

The Geneva-based secretariat has been working hard behind the scenes to prevent a pull-out, with only partial success. The Church of Georgia has already left and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has only gone to Harare to announce that it is leaving.

Meanwhile other churches have sent few delegates. One representative ominously compared the WCC's attempts at unity as "a realignment of deckchairs on the Titanic".