World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches (WCC) extended ecumenical greetings to Pope Leo XIV and an assurance of continuing engagement with the Roman Catholic Church in the era of its new pontiff.

A “Life and Work” centenary conference will be held 18-20 May in Athens to seek a fresh commitment to seeking unity of the church and of all humanity.

Leaders of specialized ministries that collaborate with the World Council of Chruches (WCC) gathered online on 7 May with the WCC general secretary and members of his staff. The bi-annual meeting is an important step in shaping the vision and priorities of the WCC.

As drone bombs strike Port Sudan, Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo, primate of the Episcopal (Anglican) Church of Sudan, expressed concern at the attacks, fearing this would further escalate the two-year war in the northeastern African country.

As food supplies run out in Gaza, hunger is taking lives—and endangering many more. Since 2 March, when Israeli armed forces closed all entry points for humanitarian aid into Gaza, no food, no drinking water, no medicine, or any other essential supplies have entered the territory.

In a joint statement, the World Council of Churches, All Africa Conference of Churches, Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa, and ACT Alliance expressed deep concern and strong condemnation of the violent escalation of hostilities in Sudan, specifically the recent attacks on the city of Port Sudan by the Rapid Support Forces.

Video commemorates “walking, working, and praying with Pope Francis”

140 years after the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, one of the most consequential geopolitical gatherings in modern history, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and ecumenical partners

An interview with Dr Humberto Shikiya, World Council of Churches senior advisor for peace-building in Colombia.

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, in light of the recent escalation of violence following India’s military strikes on Pakistan, urged both nations to exercise restraint and to prioritize peace over further escalation.

Rev. Dr Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, pastor of Toraja Church in Indonesia, is general chairperson of Indonesia Bible Society and World Council of Churches president from Asia. 

A delegation of alumni from the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel visited Washington, DC, to amplify the voices of those affected by escalating human rights violations in Jerusalem and across Palestine.

During a panel discussion held during Kirchentag in Hannover, Germany, Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Life, Justice, and Peace, shared  the WCC’s journey and commitment to economic and ecological justice—from its early prophetic foundations to the forthcoming launch of the Ecumenical Decade for Climate Action (2025–2035).

During an ecumenical prayer service for the conclave, organized by the World Council of Churches and the Taize community on 6 May, those gathered reflected on the upcoming conclave, or the assembly of Roman Catholic cardinals who elect a new pope.

Bishop Dr Sani Ibrahim Azar is from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

An ecumenical prayer written by Br Matthew of the Taize community is being offered globally to mark the election the new bishop of Rome. 

In a landmark gathering addressing the spiritual dimensions of the ecological crisis, Christian leaders from Eastern and Western traditions convened in Assisi, Italy, to develop a shared liturgical Feast of Creation. The three-day conference from 5-7 May marks a significant step toward establishing what Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm described as "a wonderful expression of the trinitarian essence that unites us as churches" and a powerful spiritual response to the urgent climate challenges facing our planet.

On 13 May, the World Council of Churches, in collaboration with HealthAI, Globethics, and the Christian Medical College of India, will host a webinar, "Already/Not Yet: The Integration of AI and Healthcare—A Critical Dialogue at the Intersection of Technology, Faith, and Healing.”

In a conversation held on 2 May that drew repeated applause from the large audience at Kirchentag in Hanover, Germany, Bishop Marianne Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC, and Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee, reflected together on how churches, with courage and unity, can stand up for justice.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed profound sorrow and concern over an aerial attack on the Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) hospital in Old Fangak, South Sudan, on 3 May.