Feature story
including the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Bread for the World (BftW), and the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany (EMW), are opening registration for a landmark ecumenical conference under the theme:
“Berlin 1884–1885 and Anti-Black Racism: In Search of a Shared Anti-Racist Ecumenical Vision.”
Taking place from 17-21 May 2025 in Berlin, this gathering seeks to confront the historic and ongoing consequences of colonialism, racism, and the religious complicity in these systems. Through keynote addresses, deep theological reflection, pilgrimage encounters, and ecumenical dialogue, the conference aims to re-member the past, re-appraise the present, and re-imagine a decolonized future shaped by deep solidarity.
Why This Conference Matters Now
The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 formalized the partitioning of Africa among European powers, laying the groundwork for colonial exploitation and a legacy of anti-Black racism that continues to affect people of African descent worldwide. The WCC’s 2025 conference is not only a commemorative moment—it is a prophetic act. In an era of escalating xenophobia, resurgent ethno-nationalism, and social polarization, this conference invites churches, activists, scholars, and community leaders to forge new frameworks for justice, repair, and hope.
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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier walks with the late Dr. Agnes Abuom, former moderator of the WCC Central Committee, as the president arrives at the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, held in Karlsruhe, under the theme "Christ's Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity", Germany, 31 August 2022, Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC
Keynote Voices at the Heart of the Conversation
This conference gathers powerful voices from across the globe—each one a thought leader in the fight against racism, theological colonialism, and injustice.
The keynote speakers:
Prof. Hulisani Ramantswana (University of South Africa): A leading scholar in African Biblical Hermeneutics, Ramantswana will deliver a searing analysis in his keynote titled “Colonial Dynamics and the Impoverishment of Africa 140 Years after the Berlin Conference.” His work highlights the economic and theological consequences of colonization.
Prof. Joerg Rieger (Vanderbilt University): Renowned for his theology of resistance and justice, Rieger will explore the entanglement of race, class, and religion in a globalized economy in his keynote “Unite and Conquer in order to Divide and Conquer.”
Ms. Adele Halliday (The United Church of Canada): An anti-racism educator and WCC moderator of the WCC Reference Group on Overcoming Racism, Xenophobia, Casteism, and all other forms of Discrimination, Halliday brings a global perspective to anti-Black racism and racial trauma in her keynote “The State of Racism and Anti-Black Racism in the World Today.”
Ms. Yvonne Apiyo Brändle-Amolo (Swiss Parliamentarian): An award-winning activist, filmmaker, and elected official, Brändle-Amolo will deliver a call to action in “The Global Persistence of Anti-Black Racism and the Role of the Church.”
Together, these keynotes will anchor the conference’s three streams:
1. Berlin Conference and Anti-Black Racism,
2. Mission, Theology, and Racism, and
3. Decolonization and Reparative Justice.
Each stream will explore the historical roots of systemic discrimination, current global challenges, and theological frameworks for building justice-centered responses.
A Pilgrimage of Memory and Moral Reckoning
Participants will journey beyond the conference halls. On 18 May, a special pilgrimage encounter across historic sites in Berlin will ground participants in the lived realities and legacies of colonialism. These sites will become spaces of lament, memory, and theological reflection.
Throughout the conference, daily devotions, community worship, and a service at the Chapel of Reconciliation will provide spiritual nourishment and ecumenical unity.
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Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth Pictures
Your Invitation to Take Part
Open online access is now available for all interested participants, offering an opportunity to engage directly with leading voices on racism, decolonization, and ecumenical response. Whether you are a church leader, scholar, youth activist, or concerned global citizen, your presence can help shape the WCC’s Anti-Racist Ecumenical Action Plan for the decades ahead.
Registrations are now open:
All online participants can register here. You are kindly requested to make sure that those you wish to take part in the parallel "Streams" sessions indicate their interest during the registration process*
A Prophetic Witness in a Polarized World
In today’s increasingly fractured world—where racism, discrimination, and xenophobia are weaponized with near-fundamentalist intensity—the 2025 Berlin Conference comes as a vital intervention. It stands as a clear and unequivocal witness that the ecumenical movement does not retreat in the face of injustice. Instead, it boldly reclaims the church’s prophetic role.
As humanity confronts overlapping crises of identity, belonging, and dignity, the World Council of Churches is recognizing that now is the time to deconstruct systems of oppression. Now is the time to honour the past not only with respect, but with action. To envision a future where all God’s people live with equal worth and sacred value.
140 years ago, the Berlin Conference scrambled Africa.
In 2025, the ecumenical movement responds—with courage, clarity, and commitment—to unscramble it.
REGISTER here
Annotated agenda of the conference (updated regularly)
Learn more about the WCC work on overcoming Racism, Discrimination and Xenophobia
WCC offers new anti-racist and anti-bias material for churches and communities
