The councils as agents of mission, service and dialogue; their involvement in issues of today; their funding and independence; their ecclesiological significance, relation to their member churches, and role within the ecumenical movement. Included here are texts of the major presentations and responses at the world consultation of NCCs in 1986, ecclesiological reflections on councils, a vivid account of the issues and dynamics of the meeting itself, and recently revised reference material on councils around the world.