Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order

The Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches (WCC) is taking place from 24 to 28 October 2025 around the theme “Where now for visible unity?” at Wadi El Natrun – a historic centre of Coptic monasticism located southwest of Alexandria, Egypt.

World Conferences on Faith and Order have been held at key moments in the history of the ecumenical movement, the first in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1927, and the most recent in Santiago de Compostela in 1993.

They have been events that have gathered up the work on Faith and Order in the preceding period and set the agenda for the future, not only for the work on Faith and Order but also for the wider ecumenical fellowship and the WCC.

The conference is the centrepiece of the WCC’s activities to mark the 1700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, a key moment in the history of Christian faith and for the ecumenical journey today.

Bringing together church leaders and theologians of different traditions as well as involving a new generation of ecumenists, the Sixth World Conference will approach the theme “Where now for visible unity?” from the interconnected vantage points of faith, mission, and unity.

It will reaffirm the WCC’s commitment to assist the churches as they call one another to visible unity and to advance the unity of humanity and of all creation.

In conjunction with the Sixth World Conference, a Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) is offering space for a new generation of younger and emerging ecumenical theologians and educators from a broad spectrum of Christian traditions to engage with the work of Faith and Order.

The Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order will take place in Wadi El Natrun over five days from 24–28 October 2025. Apart from Sunday, 26 October, the days follow the same rhythm, beginning and concluding with prayer and organized around plenaries, sections, workshops, and business sessions. A special programme on Sunday will introduce the participants to the monastic life of the Wadi El Natrun region.

Spiritual life will play a central role at the Sixth World Conference. Each day will begin and conclude with prayers, which take place in the prayer tent. These daily spiritual practices – scripture reading, singing, praying  reflect the universal Christian church’s diversity, including both confessional and interconfessional expressions.

Programme timetable for the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order 

Daily Schedule for the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order 

Full details of the programme and timetable can be found in the Conference Handbook for the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order

(all times on Egypt Standard Time – UTC+3)

Livestream channel: www.youtube.com/WCCworld

YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI22eVXX9FYkgFiHkDcxykUZ8MWtzvfew 

Friday 24 October

09:00 – 10:30                      Opening plenary
11:00 – 12:30                       Where Now for Visible Unity?
16:30 – 17:30                       Faith in the Middle East

Saturday 25 October

09:00 – 10:30                      The Triune God and the Identity of the Church
11:00 – 12:30                       Unpacking Apostolic Faith: Living the Nicene Creed in Context

Monday 27 October

09:00 – 10:30                      The Church in and for the World
11:00 – 12:30                       Mission: Common Witness and Apostolic Discipleship

Tuesday 28 October

09:00 – 10:30                      Unity: Living and Visible?
11:00 – 12:30                       Living Visible Unity
16:00 – 17:30                       Ecumenical Future
17:45 – 18:45                       Closing plenary 

The Conference Handbook for the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order contains essential information about the conference, including a detailed schedule and timetable. It has been published in English, Arabic, and Spanish.

The accompanying Resource Book for the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order offers information about the Sixth World Conference, and on the content of the plenary sessions and workshops, as well as Theological Perspectives on the Sixth World Conference and a Documentary History of Faith and Order.

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Media briefings: 
Online media briefings will be held daily at 2 pm local time (1 pm Central European Summer Time then 12 pm Central European Time) on 23, 24, 25, 27 and 28 October. Zoom link will be sent in advance via email. 

Scheduled live streams & videos: Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order | World Council of Churches

Photos: Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order – 2025

Interview requests and other inquiries: [email protected] 

Onsite press centre: Open daily 8:15 to 20:00 in Hope Hall 

Media contacts:
Ms Marianne Ejdersten, WCC Communication Director
Email: [email protected]  
Phone: +41 79 507 6363

Mr Claus Grue, WCC Media Coordinator 
Email: [email protected] 
Phone: +46 70 611 0977

WCC Communications:  +41 22 791 61 11

At the invitation of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order will take place at Wadi El Natrun, near Alexandria, Egypt. It will meet at the Logos Papal Center of the Coptic Orthodox Church, close to the ancient and highly significant St Bishoy Monastery, one of the most important monastic centres in Egypt.

Established by the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Logos Papal Center embodies Alexandria’s legacy of cultural diversity and scholarly and theological exchange and is a living testament to the enduring influence of Alexandrian theology. It is an important venue for theological studies, religious education, and cultural activities.

Learn more about the venue of the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, LOGOS Papal Center.

For detailed information, please refer below to the Conference Handbook for the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, available in English, Arabic and Spanish.