Feature story
On a monthly basis, professional communicators from regional ecumenical organizations around the globe gather online to share experiences and deliberate on how to communicate around the vast amount of challenges facing the ecumenical movement. Initiated during the pandemic as a forum for coordinating urgent communication needs, the Regional Ecumenical Advisory Group on Communication, has expanded its scope to cover a broad spectrum of issues where communication plays a pivotal role in supporting strategic objectives.
“We realized early on that bringing communicators with different outlooks together on a regular basis would enhance our capabilities to provide such support. Perspectives from regional ecumenical organizations are indispensable,” explains Marianne Ejdersten, director of Communications at the World Council of Churches (WCC).
At the last meeting, held 3 April, Naveen Qayyum, communications officer at the Conference of European Churches, highlighted the upcoming election of the European Parliament, a solidarity visit to Ukraine, and the appointment of a new Conference of European Churches general secretary, as current communication priorities.
The Middle East Council of Churches continues its focus on relief work in the south of Lebanon, where people from various regions have been displaced with many living in shelter centres. The Middle East Council of Churches also recently welcomed WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay to Beirut in connection with its 50-year jubilee. His visit meant a lot to Christian communities across the Middle East and shed light on the extraordinarily difficult circumstances people continue to live under in this tense part of the world. It drew attention to the important work of churches in the region, according to Elia Nasrallah, media and communication officer at the Middle East Council of Churches.
Having wrapped up its general assembly recently in Abuja, Nigeria, the All Africa Conference of Churches is finalizing a comprehensive communication strategy to meet the challenges ahead. Communication officer Brian Muyunga, who also serves as executive secretary for youth, praises the advisory group and its global network of communicators for the monthly opportunities to learn from peers and share experiences and knowledge.
Further east, in Bangkok, Thailand, the Christian Conference of Asia, just gathered representatives of churches and faith-based organisations from across Asia for intensive discussions and conversations on how to broaden inclusion in communities towards addressing the HIV and AIDS pandemic in local and national situations—a task that will require communication support.
Although just a fraction of all the important activities taking place around the globe, these are good examples of opportunities to raise awareness of the ecumenical movement through well-coordinated communications.
On 10 April, the regional advisory group is invited to join the larger group of communicators engaged in the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022 for an online gathering.
