Displaying 1 - 20 of 194

WCC denounces Russian campaign to terrorize people of Ukraine

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay denounced the continuing Russian campaign to terrorize the people of Ukraine, “exemplified by yesterday’s missile attacks on several Ukrainian cities which resulted in at least 30 deaths and more than 160 wounded,” he said.

WCC postpones roundtable on Ukraine

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is postponing a planned initial roundtable dialogue meeting on Ukraine, announced WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay.

A journey through advocacy, women's leadership, and the Korea peace appeal

The call for peace in Korea has resonated for decades, echoing across international borders and faith communities. Patti Talbot, who has served The United Church of Canada for nearly 30 years, sheds light on the enduring relevance of ecumenical advocacy efforts for peace in the Korean Peninsula. She shared insights into the importance of these efforts and their potential to change the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

WCC among “movers and doers” at UN Climate Ambition Summit

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is among the movers and doers” at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York on 20 September. WCC moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm commented on the summit, the first-ever of its kind designed to accelerate action by governments, business, finance, local authorities, and civil society.

Churches march in New York City to declare no faith in fossil fuels

Representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC) joined tens of thousands of demonstrators in New York City for the "March to End Fossil Fuels." This powerful protest took place just before the United Nations General Assembly, where world leaders gathered for crucial climate discussions.

During prayer in Bucha, Ukraine, “we hear the cries of despair”

During the World Council of Churches (WCC) leadership delegation visit to Ukraine in May, an ecumenical prayer service was held in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, on 12 May. The service, led by the WCC leadership, WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC moderator Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, with participation of members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), took place at St Andrew Orthodox Church in Bucha.

WCC moderator speaks on ethical considerations in light of the war of aggression against Ukraine

World Council of Churches central committee moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm delivered a lecture at the Kitzingen deanery, a regional church district near Würzburg, for the parishes of the deanery as well as for the public. The lecture, entitled Just Peace through Military Force? Peace Ethical Considerations in Light of the War of Aggression against Ukraine,” was offered on 29 April

500 churches and religious sites destroyed in Ukraine during the war

At least 494 religious buildings in Ukraine have been destroyed, damaged, or looted as a result of the Russian invasion—and seizure of religious buildings for use as Russian military bases increases the scale of destruction of religious sites in Ukraine, reports the Institute for Religious Freedom.

The Geneva Policy Outlook explores ecumenical peacebuilding as a new form of diplomacy

Can ecumenical peacebuilding guide the way towards shared interests in the Russia-Ukraine war, which exemplifies the clash of fundamentally different value systems, ethical frameworks, and historical narratives? Peter Prove, director of the WCCs Commission of the Churches on International Affairs reflects on the issue in the inaugural edition of Geneva Policy Outlook, a new online publication.

WCC acting general secretary visits Moscow

World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca visited Moscow this week, meeting with H.H. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia, and representatives from the largest WCC member church.

Ukraine: Responding to humanitarian need

When the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, churches had already been responding to humanitarian need in the country for eight years, since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.  The work being undertaken by churches in meeting the needs of those displaced by the war is not new, but the scale is staggering as 14 million people have been displaced in the six months since the invasion began.