World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee closed its online meeting on 12 June after spending five days mapping the future, praying in unity, and drawing together in hope.

In a statement entitled “From the Proliferation of War to the Way of Just Peace: A Renewed Ecumenical Appeal,” the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee called churches to work for peace with every means at their disposal.

The World Council of Churches executive committee, in a statement, recognized that we are living in a time of profound ecological breakdown and deepening human suffering, tearing the interconnected design of all that God has created.

The executive committee of the World Council of Churches, in a minute, renewed its longstanding commitment for a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace for the people of Colombia.

In a statement, the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee lamented the shift in geopolitics that represents a serious rupture in relations and of the political context for inter-Korean cooperation for peace and for the peaceful reunification of the divided Korean people.

The WCC executive committee acknowledged the role of churches amid the health emergency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo following the outbreak of Ebola, particularly in conflict-affected areas.

In a statement, the World Council of Churches executive committee acknowledged the profound challenges affecting the Holy Land, where the Israeli occupation, entry restrictions, conflicts, wars and insecurity have curtailed access to Palestine.

The moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee, Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, met with Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund; as well as part of the Global Fund leadership team including: Dianne Stewart, deputy director and head of the Donor Relations, External Relations, and Communications Department; and Francesca Davoli, associate specialist for the Donor Relations, External Relations, and Communications Division.

A Global Prayer for Peace in Ukraine on 11 June drew together local churches on the ground in Ukraine, leadership from the World Council of Churches (WCC), and people of good will from across the world who united online in spirit across great distances.

A learning series—the first of six installments—entitled “Interreligious Relations in the Shadow of International Conflicts” explored how, in a world facing growing polarization, respectful encounter and genuine conversation are more important than ever. 

In the wake of a powerful earthquake that struck southern Mindanao in the Philippines on 8–9 June, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, on behalf of the global fellowship, expressed heartfelt solidarity with all who are suffering. 

A virtual “E-cumenical Youth Gathering” held online 10 June drew over 60 young people from across the world together in prayer, solidarity, and friendship. They shared highlights of their many traditions and contexts, and planned together what kind of community they would like to build.

Students and professors from the Debrecen Reformed Theological University in Hungary visited the World Council of Churches on 10 June. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is inviting churches, ecumenical partners, and faith-based organizations worldwide to support an open letter backing an OECD complaint submitted by Methodist churches in Colombia, Great Britain, Ireland, and partners concerning HSBC’s financial relationship with Glencore and the Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia.

Agnieszka Godfrejów-Tarnogórska is a spokesperson of the Lutheran Church in Poland, and president of the European Christian Internet Conference (ECIC) network. As the ECIC opened on 10 June in Rome, Godfrejów-Tarnogórska took time to reflect on the role of the ECIC for churches in Europe, and highlights from nearly a decade of organizing the conference. 

Communication professionals, theologians, church leaders, and digital practitioners from across Europe will gather in Rome from 10-12 June for the 30th edition of the European Christian Internet Conference (ECIC), a leading forum exploring the intersection of faith, communication, and technology. 

In a public statement, the Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations called for justice, protection, and human dignity in the Oromia region in Ethiopia. 

A parish from Basel of the Church of Sweden Switzerland visited the World Council of Churches (WCC), arriving at the Ecumenical Centre on 5 June then traveling to the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. 

Part of the leadership of the WCC central committee, Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the WCC central committee and Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley, vice moderator of the WCC central committee; visited the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), receiving an update from Safak Pavey, senior adviser; and Nicolas Brass, head of the Global Compact on Refugees Section on the current refugee situation. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) offered input into a global summit entitled “Fostering Love-Fueled Hope,” held in Rome to shape a blueprint for bringing love-fueled hope to children across the world.