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Through plenary discussions, working groups, contextual encounters, and collective discernment, the group emphasized stronger connection, collaboration, co-creation, and mutual learning among commissions, regions, member churches, and ecumenical partners. It reaffirmed justice, reconciliation, and unity as interconnected dimensions of the fellowship’s common calling, grounded in the theology of companionship.
Rev. Michael Blair, general secretary of the United Church of Canada, spoke on how the gathering will enhance preparations for the WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism 2028 Conference on World Mission, guided by the theme drawn from Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.”
The gathering of the reference group, Blair said, provided a meaningful opportunity to discern how God's Spirit is moving to bring about life thorough the ministries of the people of God. “The partnership between the WCC, the Canadian Council of Churches, and the Vancouver School of Theology; the collaboration among the commissions, particularly Faith and Order, Climate Justice, Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, education, and health and healing; engagement with Indigenous spirituality and the stories of reconciliation; the welcome and companionship of local churches and the visit to First United, where a faith community offers dignity, compassion, and healing amidst profound social brokenness, all bore witness to the Spirit's transforming presence,” said Blair. “Together, these experiences offered a compelling testimony to the Spirit's work among us, nurturing justice, reconciliation, and unity, and reminding us that the mission of God continues to unfold not through human strength alone, but through the life-giving power of the Spirit.”
Rev. Karin van den Broeke, co-moderator of the WCC Pilgrimage Reference Group, recalled that Vancouver was where the WCC 6th Assembly was held, and where the conciliar process of justice, peace and integrity of creation started.
“This time we deepened our understanding of 'walking together' and of ‘companionship,' both being at the heart of the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity,” she said. “We experienced how, in church and at the university, gratefulness was expressed to the Indigenous peoples that took care of the un-ceded land we were meeting at, for thousands of years.”
Those gathered heard about the process of truth and reconciliation Canada went through with Indigenous peoples. “And although we realized that there is still a strong legacy of injustice, there are signs of hope,” said van den Broeke. “We met with Indigenous people, proud of their culture, open to share on their culture.”
She noted that the companionship was really inspiring.
“Another thing that really touched me was the new liturgical colour that is used in many Canadian churches: the colour orange as a special colour for the Season of Creation,” she said. “Something to reflect on, as World Council of Churches: Could we offer this idea to the fellowship by inviting the Canadian churches to share on this?”
In their reflections on several encounters, van den Broeke added, the group realized how transformative real encounters are. “Companionship needs the willingness to see and to reflect,” she said. “We experienced how this is transformative.”
Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, former vice moderator of the WCC central committee, said her heart was still full of memories and hope as she returned from the recent gathering. “We learned how Canada participates in truth and reconciliation efforts to live more fully into intercultural relationships with Indigenous member communities and newer immigrant residents,” she said. “Meeting on the historic land of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Taleil-Waututh people, we worshipped in congregations and visited ministries where we saw a region living the pilgrimage.”
She described learning ways to collaborate with commissions and representatives of different regions in the WCC to deepen and strengthen the pilgrimage. “We walked together in companionship, learned stories of paddles and symbols and paddling together in the water,” she said. “We prayed together, listened and learned, especially the need to walk humbly, quietly. We are fellow travelers moving toward true transformation and Jesus shows up on the road.”
The meeting was closed by Swenson, who read a sending forth prayer: the closing prayer of the WCC 6th Assembly in Vancouver, 1983.
Photo gallery: WCC Pilgrimage Reference Group meeting in Vancouver
Let’s paddle together: companionship in a local context (WCC blog, 21 September 2026)
WCC Pilgrimage Reference Group to gather in Vancouver (WCC news release, 15 September 2026)
Learn more about the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity
