News
“Responding appropriately now is a generational task,” reads a statement from the WCC governing body. “As churches and faith communities, we urge governments and the international community to take consistent and sustainable practical steps to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.”
The statement calls on WCC member churches and ecumenical partners to reflect and “prayerfully mobilise the contribution the church can make to build healing communities,” and to build “listening, caring, and sharing communities that are safe and sacred spaces” that promote the dignity, health, and wellbeing of all, giving particular attention to the most vulnerable.
The WCC statement also urges churches to engage in direct advocacy by meeting with government representatives to call for increased funding and action on health, climate, and social justice.
The text also calls for maintaining and reaffirming commitments to the churches’ historic and essential ministries of health and healing.
The WCC governing body also reiterated that churches are called to engage with the health community and develop ways to make Christian healthcare more affordable and accessible, especially in those areas where nobody else offers such care.
The statement notes that part of engaging churches in such care means helping them build resilience in countering the health impacts of climate change; and use new technologies responsibly, whether for communication, care, or advocacy.
The WCC central committee also called on countries to “prioritise health in national budgets to increase and sustain domestic health financing,” to “increase their contributions to multilateral health institutions,” and "to fund regional manufacturing hubs for vaccines, diagnostics, and essential medicines to support local manufacturing and supply chain resilience.”
The statement concludes: “May we embody Christ's love for the most vulnerable and work towards a future of healing, justice, and peace for all.”
The WCC central committee is convening 18-24 June in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Statement on the Call for Churches to Act on Threats to Public Health
WCC Central Committee, June 2025
WCC general secretary reflects on daring to hope amid struggle (WCC news release, 18 June 2025)
Welcomed by African churches, WCC central committee opens (WCC news release, 19 June 2025)
