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The WCC and Christian service

Diakonia as the church's ministry of sharing, healing and reconciliation is of the very nature of the church. It demands of individuals and churches a giving which comes not out of what they have, but what they are.

(WCC 6th assembly in Vancouver, Canada, 1983)

Diakonia, or "the responsible service of the Gospel by deeds and by words performed by Christians in response to the needs of people" is rooted in and modelled on Christ's service and teachings. The "Life and Work" movement, which wanted to bring the churches together in caring fort he needy, was one of the two streams of the ecumenical movement that led to the creation of the WCC. It is still a strong shared concern of the churches. Social action is also an area that shows clearly how the churches can fulfil their role much better by working together.

Read the article on Christian service, or "diakonia", from the Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement

How does the WCC contribute to Christian service?

Around the world, churches reach out to people in need. Within the WCC, churches come together to support each other's ministry and join forces to preserve the integrity of creation and the basis of life for all.

The WCC engagement in diaconal service already had begun during the Second World War in the form of ministry to refugees and prisoners of war, even though the WCC founding assembly was postponed until the end of the war. From services to European war refugees and, after the founding of the state of Israel, to displaced Palestinians, the WCC broadened its diaconal service to other forms of emergency relief and service worldwide.

Today, the WCC commitment to inter-church aid for emergency relief and development is realized mainly through its membership in the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT). However, there are also a number of projects run by the WCC itself that help churches to learn from one another and sustain each other's efforts in serving the world and especially the needy.

Some examples:

What does the WCC say about Christian service?

The first meeting of the WCC Central Committee in 1949 underscored that inter-church aid is a permanent obligation of the WCC that would not come to end with the completion of post-war reconstruction. There was agreement that this was a spiritual and not just a material task, and that the most effective diakonia is that which is rendered ecumenically, rather than bilaterally between churches of the same tradition.

Over the years, reflection within the WCC on the meaning of Christian service has seen the idea of social progress or social action being added to the prevailing concept of relief work. Discussions scrutinized the role played by Western Christian agencies or, as some would call them, the "new missionaries of the inter-church aid empire" in developing nations. The WCC sought to broaden traditional understandings of diakonia and the ecumenical sharing of resources to go beyond a focus on material transfer from rich to poor and to enable practical partnerships which involved people as well as funds.

Some examples: