World Council of Churches

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay conveyed heartfelt prayers, fraternal solidarity, and warmest wishes for the speedy and full recovery of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. 

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay has called for a mission grounded in justice, reconciliation, humility, and mutual partnership in a message to the General Assembly of Evangelische Mission Weltweit (EMW), the Association of Protestant Churches and Mission Germany, on 15 October.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended congratulations to Rev. Éric Hébert-Daly, recently appointed general secretary of The United Church of Canada (UCC). 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) hosted a panel at the annual Geneva Peace Forum on 15 October that explored the role of faith-based actors in peacebuilding. “What Faith Brings to the Dialogue Table” was co-organized with ACT Alliance, Arigatou International, and Caritas Internationalis.

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay delivered an address on 15 October during a gathering of the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany. He focused on “Decolonizing mission: from mission to mutuality.” 

At a World Council of Churches (WCC) joint conference in Chiang Mai, lawyers, campaigners, and church leaders showed how courts, regulators, and shareholders can challenge the money behind fossil fuel expansion.

A four-day symposium on freedom of belief and persecution in Africa, ended in Nairobi on 8 October, with participants calling for a critical reflection, responsible action, and renewed commitment to tackle the rising challenge on the continent.

An international conference held 5-8 October in Chantilly, France, explored an assessment and the prospects of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (2016–2026).

A webinar on 14 October, “Follow the Money: Multilateral Development Banks, Fossils Fuels and Climate Justice,” hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC), examined where money is going, what kinds of energy systems and development pathways it is helping to finance, and who bears the costs and risks.

An Online Learning Series on Interreligious Dialogue will continue with a new webinar on 26 October.

Leaders from three World Council of Churches (WCC) reference groups, following a recent conference in Chiang Mai, reflected on what it mean to witness together, and what they hope churches will do.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) will host a panel at the Geneva Peace Forum on 15 October to explore the role of faith-based actors in peacebuilding. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Ecumenical Education and Formation (EEF) concluded its meeting at the WCC Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, reviewing ongoing initiatives and discerning priorities for the future of ecumenical education and formation.

Dr Sureka Goringe is national director of UnitingWorld, the international aid and partnership agency of the Uniting Church in Australia. She took time to reflect on how the organization supports Thursdays in Black—and how the campaign is able to spark important conversations.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met with the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Denis Mukwege on 13 October to discuss calls for stronger international action to end violence and advance lasting peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

World Council of Churches central committee moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm spoke on 13 October during the annual Christian Unity Gathering of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, underway from 12-16 October. 

Dr David Barstow is a ruling elder at First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis, Oregon, (US) and a member of the Faith and Science Working Group of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing. Barstow earned a PhD in artificial intelligence at Stanford 50 years ago, so he has seen the field grow from an obscure academic discipline to a rapidly changing technology that will have dramatic effects on society and the planet.

A conference of World Council of Churches commissions and reference groups in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has closed with a message entitled “Call to Prophetic Action for Life, Justice, and Peace.”

World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm will be speaking during a special evening, “What Connects Us. Interests Need Common Ground.” We warmly invite you to join us for the discussion.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) shared warm greetings upon the celebration of the 60th Jubilee of Focolare’s arrival in Sweden, and then to all of Scandinavia.