World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches (WCC) led workshops at the Assembly of the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) in Brussels, Belgium, held from 29 August to 2 September. The sessions focused on the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action (2025–2034) — the WCC's ten-year commitment, launched in 2025. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) 2026 Ecumenical Formation Seminar will be held 7-11 September, offering staff in specialized ministries the opportunity to get to know the ecumenical movement and its organizational expressions. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has opened a new webpage dedicated to the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity, offering churches, ecumenical organizations, and communities a comprehensive collection of resources for walking, praying, and acting together.

In a statement, the Christian Schools in Jerusalem urged the renewal of permits for teachers and staff so that students can safety attend school.

As part of the commemorations of its 80th anniversary, the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Institute at Bossey held a webinar on 1 September bringing together alumni, former teaching staff and the institute’s current academic leadership to reflect on Bossey’s contribution to global ecumenism.

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended heartfelt congratulations to Rev. Dr Mauro de Souza, who was elected as president of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil, beginning in 2027. 

Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley, vice moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee, shares what she valued about her experience at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey—and why Bossey is still vital for formation today.

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew marked the beginning of the ecclesiastical year and the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment on 1 September with a message describing the ecological crisis as "a crisis of human freedom, of our religion and philosophy, of our ethos and our culture." He called on humanity to build a shared "body of common fundamental values" rooted in solidarity.

Luzia Wehrle served at the World Council of Churches (WCC) for four decades. She reflects on how she came to work at the WCC in 1969 at the age of 23; the visits of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement; and why she believes nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

Ecumenical scholars and researchers from throughout Europe gathered in the Netherlands around the theme “Churches in the Midst of Polarization.”

A webinar on 16 September, “Care of the Elderly: Challenges and Opportunities in an Ageing World,” will be hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC), Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (Anglican) St James’ Settlement on Elderly Care, and St John's Medical College, Bengaluru.

A human rights dialogue hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Lutheran World Federation, featuring Tanzanian faith-based actors, highlighted the concerns of Tanzanian churches and communities. Tanzania has been through three Universal Periodic Reviews. In 2026, an interfaith coalition offered formal input for the fourth Universal Periodic Review. 

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed profound sorrow over the catastrophic flash flood that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region on 26 August. 

The Joint Working Group between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Roman Catholic Church will convene 1-3 September at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. 

The 23rd Academic Consultation of Societas Oecumenica, under the theme “Churches in the Midst of Polarisation,” included a paper by Dr Masiiwa Gunda, WCC programme executive and Ecumenical Institute at Bossey adjunct professor.

World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Life, Justice, and Peace Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata spoke during an international consultation at the University of Münster, "Theological Anthropology in/between Contexts.” 

An ecumenical service in Abuja, Nigeria, on 26 August at All Saints Anglican Church drew church leaders from across the nation. World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay addressed those gathered, speaking on justice, peace, and unity, and the importance of Christian witness in Nigeria. 

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), in collaboration with the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany, and Brot für die Welt, has released video recordings of speeches from the symposium Our Common Future: Advocating for Digital Rights and AI Accountability, held in Berlin in mid-April 2026.

Global military spending reached 2.887 trillion US dollars in 2025, the highest level ever recorded and the 11th consecutive year of growth, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. As militarized economies deepen conflict and ecological harm worldwide, faith leaders, theologians, and practitioners from Panama, Argentina, South Africa, the Republic of Korea, and beyond will gather in Panama City from 26–28 August for the NIFEA Consultation on Economy of Peace, part of the churches' campaign for a New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA), to ask how churches can help reshape economic systems toward justice and peace.

In 2025, the Amity Printing Press and Amity Foundation, based in China, produced special Nicaea Creed commemorative Bibles, in honor of the 1700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. The foundation also celebrated its 40th anniversary of dedicating itself to supporting vulnerable communities, advancing education and health, promoting sustainable development, and fostering interfaith and intercultural dialogue. Below, Amity Printing Press and Amity Foundation reflect on their ongoing work and latest innovative technology to make the Bible available and accessible to even more people.