News
To be held at the WCC Ecumenical Institute Bossey, the meeting aims to elevate shared knowledge and collective impact by deepening collaboration between the WCC and specialized ministries; sharing experiences; honing practices; explaining developments; and advancing common understanding around specific issues.
The gathering is occurring with a backdrop of shifting governmental priorities, renewed geopolitical rivalries, evolving donor policies, and fragile humanitarian ecosystems.
Attendees will include representatives from specialized ministries and WCC personnel responsible for fundraising, planning, reporting, relationship building, programme development, and finance. Together, they will engage in plenary sessions, workshops, and networking events designed to reinforce mutual support and shared mission.
Rev. Nathan Day Wilson, WCC liaison with specialized ministries, said that this particular Working Together is not business-as-usual.
“For instance, we have two sessions with experts joining us to add to the impressive expertise among participants,” he said. “We are varying our methodology so that it is more interactive and de-emphasizes presentation while emphasizing conversation. And we are introducing more kinetic forms of engagement.”
It’s all about engagements, exchanges, discussions, and deliberation, added Wilson.
“Geopolitical priorities are shifting, with many governments divesting in development in order to invest in defense, or at least move money from aid to military; funding structures are changing, longstanding ways of working are being challenged, and increasingly multilateralism is being usurped by expressions of minilateralism,” he said. “These are the types of issues we will discuss with outside experts and each other.”
Wilson added: “My hope is that we will creatively and transparently find ways that together, we can navigate these uncertain times, and hopefully move beyond reactive measures to fundamentally reconsider how we collaborate, engage stakeholders, and define impact.”
Dionne Gravesande, principal Adviser for Ecumenical Relations and Theology for Christian Aid, said that Working Together is rooted in a shared conviction that the church must be both prophetic and practical in a time of global fragmentation.
"We see this gathering as a vital space to listen deeply, speak courageously, and imagine boldly beyond organisational silos, toward a future where our collective witness is more agile, inclusive, and justice-centred,” Gravesande said. “In a world where systems are shifting and solidarities are being tested, my hope for Working Together is to sharpen our theological clarity and strengthens our commitment to transformative partnership.”
