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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that “life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” United Church of Christ congregations have been actively answering that question in many ways, including embracing the Civil Rights…

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World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended congratulations to H.E. Abune Basliyos upon enthronement as 6th Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. 

Help us find out how church life has shifted over the past five years

The government is seeking to drastically change mental health legislation for the first time in 40 years to strengthen the voice of patients

During a moving ceremony on 27 January, 28 students graduating from the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Institute at Bossey reflected on the profound and unique experience that will unite them as they embark on their journeys back to different parts of the world.

At the recent UPR, a significant number of UN Members State raised concerns about the systematic persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

Information to help undocumented immigrants and churches ministering to them to know their rights.

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[Anglican Communion News Service] On Jan. 26 the Most Rev. Vicente Msosa was installed as primate of the Igreja Anglicana de Moçambique e Angola (IAMA), or the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola. He succeeds interim presiding bishop the Rt. Rev. Carlos Matsinhe. IAMA is the newest province in the Anglican Communion. It was inaugurated on Sept. 24, 2021, and was formed from two dioceses that had been part of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. The service was held at Centro de Conferências de Belas in Luanda, the capital of Angola. The Rt. Rev. Augusto Domingos, dean of the province, presided, and the sermon was given by the Rt. Rev. Dinis Sengulane, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Lebombo. The secretary general of the Anglican Communion, the Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, attended the installation service and welcomed the new primate. Msosa was born Feb. 18,1981, in Niassa Province in Mozambique. After completing secondary school, he studied to be a teacher, and he became involved in evangelism during his teaching career. He later studied theology at the College of Transfiguration in Grahamstown, South Africa. He is now a Ph.D. candidate in mission, leadership and development at Gordon Cornwell Theological Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts. He was ordained deacon in 2013 and priest in 2014. In 2017 he was elected bishop of the Diocese of Niassa, making him at the age of 35  the youngest bishop in the Anglican Communion at the time. In 2021 he was translated to the Missionary Diocese of Zambézia, where he has served to date. He was elected primate of IAMA in November 2024 and will hold the office for five years, after which he may renew his position. Msosa said, “Our call in such a critical time to such a critical role is to help IAMA province to respond to mission, evangelism and intentional discipleship. We are joining you all as Anglican churches and provinces around the world in sharing this common goal to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom, to teach, baptize and nurture new believers. We are deeply committed and convicted with the ‘five marks of mission,’ which begin with the preaching of the Gospel and the call to personal conversion embracing the whole of life. We are deeply convicted in spirit that God is calling us as a new province in such a troubled time like this to shepherd the province to “fear the Lord our God, walk in all his ways, love God, serve him wholeheartedly, keep the commandments and his decrees.’ Each member contributes to his kingdom with what she/he has.” Poggo said, “It is a blessing and an honor to attend this historic service of IAMA’s first presiding bishop. I am thankful to interim presiding bishop the Rt. Rev. Carlos Matsinhe and for the ministry of the Rt. Rev. Augusto Domingos as dean, who both have shown great leadership and grace. I will continue to pray for Presiding Bishop Vicente and the parishes of IAMA as they journey together on this new and exciting path.” Speaking of the installation, Provincial Secretary of IAMA the Rev. Carlos Respeito said, “It is an honor to be part of this significant event in our province. It is hoped that the work initiated will continue and further efforts will contribute to the growth and development of our province. We face many challenges ahead, and Archbishop Vicente Msosa, with his youth and energy, supported by all bishops, will achieve substantial progress in the province and the Communion.”

[Anglican Communion News Service] On Jan. 24 – during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell participated in ecumenical services at the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome. The occasion also marked the farewell of the Most Rev. Ian Ernest, concluding his role as the director of the Anglican Centre in Rome. The farewell service took place during a Celebration of First Vespers on the Solemnity of the Conversion of St. Paul. The basilica’s abbot, the Rt. Rev. Donara Ogliari OSB, presided. After the service Cottrell said, “It was a joy to return to the Anglican Centre in Rome and a privilege to mark the end of Archbishop Ian’s remarkable time of service. Archbishop Ian has been an inspiring advocate for Christian unity, demonstrating a deep commitment to building bridges across denominations. Ending his tenure with an ecumenical service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was a fitting tribute. The Anglican Centre exemplifies a living commitment to the full, visible unity of the church, fostering conversation through worship, hospitality and education. By working collaboratively with all Christians, it continues to strengthen the bond between the Anglican Church and the Holy See.” Reflecting on his service as director for the Anglican Centre in Rome, Ernest said, “All of us have responsibilities — whether a doctor healing, a teacher guiding, or a parent nurturing. The task may feel heavy, but when we allow the grace of God to flow through us, he will guide us. Everything I’ve done in fostering the bond between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion has been made possible through his grace.” Speaking of what comes next Ernest said, “I wish to give myself some time of rest and some moments of reflection on my life and the various callings I have had from God. These moments rooted in prayer will surely help me to discern the way forward.”  The full text of Cottrell’s address is available here. An interview with Ernest, as he reflects on his ministry at the Anglican Centre in Rome before his retirement this month, is available here.

[Episcopal News Service] Less than four years after launching a capital campaign for renovations, the 2,000+-member congregation at St. John’s Cathedral in downtown Denver, Colorado, is witnessing the payoff. “The building itself and the campus, the building grounds, have their own ministry to the neighborhood and the city … like the stone walls that provide a lot of shade for people who need to get out of the hot sun and rest in the summer months,” the Very Rev. Richard Lawson, dean of St. John’s, told Episcopal News Service. “We needed to take care of a long list of deferred maintenance. …This capital campaign was urgent, not optional.” After careful planning and collaboration among professionals, the vestry, St. John’s staff and the cathedral’s arts & architecture committee, several “urgent” projects were identified to be addressed: Replacing the old HVAC system in the staff offices and the library with a new electric system. Restoring the stained-glass windows. Renovating the sacristy. Installing a new baptismal font. Repairing the tower bells that have been inoperable for more than 20 years. Renovating the kitchen for feeding ministries and special events. Repairing the All Souls’ Walk Columbarium. “These renovation projects have made congregants feel invested in this space, and they feel good about it” Kate Dykstra, a parishioner of St. John’s who served as vice chair of the capital campaign, told ENS. “This is a growing and beloved parish, so this work is so important to ensure that this space will be standing for the next hundred years and more.” Shortly after the campaign was launched in 2021, one anonymous donor gave St. John’s $4.5 million, and another one gave $500,000. That “phase one” money was used to install the new HVAC system on the first floor and replace all the pews with chairs. Lawson said the switch from pews to chairs allows the congregation to rearrange the nave in different ways and to use the nave as an emergency space for the Denver community. During “phase two” of the capital campaign, St. John’s raised $7 million from more than 260 households in the congregation. One of the first projects addressed during this phase was installing a new baptismal font to replace the old one that had collapsed several years ago. Another was restoring the cathedral’s historic stained-glassed windows, which were produced more than a century ago by Charles J. Connick, an American stained-glass artist. St. John’s houses one of the nation’s largest collections of Connick windows, which had been held together by worn-down lead, masonry and millwork prior to being repaired. The cathedral spent $3 million and several months working with a New Jersey-based stained-glass studio on the repairs. Today, the stained-windows are fully restored. “It was hard to see issues with the windows to the naked eye, but there were cracks and corrosion, and the bonds between the pieces of glass were disintegrating,” Greg Movesian, a St. John’s parishioner who co-chaired the capital campaign, told ENS. The tower bells, kitchen, sacristy and All Souls’ Walk Columbarium renovations are expected to be completed later this year. Rebecca Richardson, a St. John’s parishioner who co-chaired the capital campaign with Movesian, said she’s most concerned about repairing the columbarium, which is now half full as the final resting place of about 2,000 people. The columbarium’s foundation has suffered extensive damage since it opened in 1966 due to weathering and water damage. The foundation will be repaired with a new drainage system, and the pavers will be leveled. All the plaques will also be replaced. “We’ve got to approach doing the structural work in a kind and sensitive way because people have their loved ones resting there,” Richardson said. “There’s understandably a lot more emotion and sensitivity with this project.” The capital campaign also will benefit the wider community in Denver, a “sanctuary city” for immigrants. Through an initiative called “Support for Underestimated, Underserved and Marginalized People,” St. John’s set aside $250,000 of the money raised over the last couple of years for five select local nonprofits that focus on racial justice, gun violence prevention and economic justice and opportunity: Casa de Pas assists immigrants released by ICE into the community without resources, information or transportation Colorado Ceasefire focuses on gun violence prevention and education. The nonprofit will distribute free gun safety locks with St. John’s support. Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Center helps people released from prison secure employment and housing and provides access to support services. The nonprofit also reunites families and registers people in prison to vote. Expunge Colorado helps convicted people released from prison find jobs and housing more easily by sealing their records. The nonprofit was part of a coalition that was instrumental in getting the state’s legislature to pass the Clean Slate Law in 2022. Village Exchange Center serves immigrants through various programs and services, including a food pantry, youth programs, vaccination clinics and more. St. John’s will support the Aurora-based nonprofit through  a community relief program focusing on economic resiliency and self-sufficiency and by helping to establish a new site in Denver that expands on the services already available. “These organizations very much align with St. John’s mission as a church,” Movesian said. “We didn’t want all the money that we raised to be just for ourselves and our own needs. We are very committed as a parish to supporting nonprofit agencies in the community who help people in need, whether that’s focusing on hunger, homelessness, mental health or immigrant refugees who are struggling.” Giving grants to area nonprofits isn’t new to St. John’s, which donates 5% of its plate and pledge income annually to agencies that apply for financial support. In 2024, according to Movesian, the cathedral distributed $130,000 to 20 different nonprofits. Lawson said all the accomplishments made through the capital campaign reflect St. John’s numeric and spiritual growth, which he attributes to the gospel being preached “passionately and imaginatively, and Christ’s sacraments are offered with tenderness.” “There’s a […]