World Council of Churches

After more than two years of visioning and planning, the long-held dream of creating a dynamic, connected network for the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Institute at Bossey alumni and ecumenical partners became a reality.

An Armenian Heritage Conference, to be held in Bern, Switzerland, from 27-28 May, will address the consequences of the conflict in Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh with regard to the protection of Armenian religious and cultural heritage, the human rights of its people, and the future security of the Armenian nation. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and partner faith-based organizations convened on 29 April for a the side event entitled “A holistic, transformative approach to climate finance: Connecting the dots between climate finance, debt and tax reform” during the United Nations Economic and Social Council Financing for Development Forum. The event highlighted the interconnections between climate action, debt relief, and tax justice as essential components of climate finance mobilization.

The Theology and Spiritual Life Working Group of the Young People in the Ecumenical Movement Commission shared their insights on the celebration of a common Easter. They expressed that the idea of finding a common date for Easter is about giving visible expression to the unity in which they already believe – that the resurrection of Christ is for all, and that people, across traditions and continents, are part of one body. 

Participants of the annual meeting between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and church-related agencies working in humanitarian aid, development, and international advocacy spent time on 29 April reflecting that geopolitical priorities are shifting, with many governments divesting in development to invest in defense—or at least moving money from aid to military.

A training programme to equip churches to address the impact of climate change and global warming on health took place in Chad and the Philippines, two of the most impacted countries in Africa and Asia, from 28-30 April.

On 26 April, representatives from the United Church of Zambia and the Council of Churches in Zambia gathered with the community at Trinity United Church of Zambia to celebrate the life of Rev. Violet Sampa-Bredt, 10 years after her passing. 

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed shock and outrage over the horrific massacre committed in Salha, Omdurman, on 27 April. Reports received from the area describe mass executions of unarmed civilians, arbitrary arrests under the so-called "Strange Faces Law," and the appalling treatment of human remains, with bodies piled among car tires.

Accreditation is now open for the Armenian Heritage Conference, to be held in Bern, Switzerland, 27 – 28 May 2025. 

Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, mourned the lives lost and expressed solidarity for those responding to injuries received when a man drove a car into the crowd at a Filipino festival in Vancouver, Canada, on 26 April.

As the annual meeting between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and specialized ministries opened at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, near Geneva, Switzerland, Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay emphasized the shared vision for a better world and the urgency of closer collaboration.

Marking the 200th anniversary of the Protestant Church in Ferney Voltaire, Dr Stephen Brown, editor of the World Council of Churches journal The Ecumenical Review, delivered a lecture at the church in the small French town on the Swiss border to Geneva.

A pope guided by “the conviction that the church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open.” That was how Pope Francis was remembered at his funeral in St Peter’s Square by Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the Roman Catholic Church’s college of cardinals, who led the Requiem Mass. 

Rev. Anatoliy Raychynets, head of external relations of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church and deputy general secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society, is a chaplain sharing prayers and messages with Ukrainian men and women serving on the frontlines of the war. 

Yusef Daher, coordinator of the Jerusalem Liaison Office of the World Council of Churches in Jerusalem, earned the Menno Simons Sermon Award for 2025. 

A new group of 12 ecumenical accompaniers was deployed on 17 April to serve in South Hebron Hills, Jordan Valley, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Annual Review 2024 is available online. The Annual Review records many of the WCC’s activities undertaken in 2024 and continuing into 2025. 

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep concern and sorrow over the tragic loss of civilian lives resulting from a recent drone strike in the town of Gedeb, Amhara region, Ethiopia. 

Church leaders and Christians in Africa are mourning the death of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, 21 April.

Easter Monday is a popular holiday in Rome, a day Italians head out to the countryside or the beaches with picnic baskets weighed down with pasta bakes, piles of seasonal vegetables, prosecco, and Easter cake.