Search results

One hundred twenty-seven young people from over 50 countries in all eight regions served as stewards at the World  Council of Churches (WCC) 11^th Assembly providing essential assistance in all activities and areas as well as contributing energy and perspective to  our life together as an ecumenical fellowship. Two of the stewards assisting the WCC Communication team share their experience as a letter and diary to future stewards at the 12^th assembly.

The importance of water for Christians around the world cannot be overemphasized.  From Genesis 1:1, where we read that “a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” to its sacramental role in baptism and the Eucharist, water is integral to the faith.

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.

The biblical ideal of welcoming the stranger is embedded in the ecumenical work of European churches. Despite restrained resources, they are at the forefront in supporting refugees.

To the lively, lilting accompaniment of an orchestral band, visitors to the prayer tent in Karlsruhe, Germany sang an adaptation of Psalm 133 by Hungarian poet and playwright Zoltán Sumonyi, “How good it is when God’s people play together”. The assembled faithful sang enthusiastically, “nothing compares to the sound when God’s people play together as they really were one. Here is the blessing, do believe: God composes life and music so the kingdom may come.”

Is a successful dialogue between churches and politicians possible and what should it be based on? Can the European Green Deal inspire similar actions in other regions? What Christian values can contribute to the universal aspiration for a sustainable future?

Los datos están claros:  la última década ha sido la más cálida de todas las registradas. De los veinte años más cálidos, diecinueve han tenido lugar desde el año 2000. Y los hechos indican que la causa es el aumento de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero producidas por la actividad humana. Los científicos de todo el mundo han advertido de que, de seguir el ritmo actual, ya para 2023 el planeta habrá aumentado su temperatura en 1,5º C. Eso es dentro de menos de una década; aún vivirá la mayoría de quienes están vivos hoy.

Allí donde se congregan dos o más cristianos, con toda probabilidad, los encontrará en adoración o disfrutando de la comunión alrededor de la comida compartida. Reúna a unos miles de cristianos en un solo lugar e, indudablemente, los encontrará participando en un estudio bíblico.  

El pasado 5 de septiembre, personas de todo el mundo se congregaron en la Iglesia de San Esteban en Karlsruhe, Alemania, para orar por la unificación pacífica de la Península de Corea.

“Cuando era niño, mi primer atisbo de una barrera fue la visión de unos pececillos que nadaban de lado a lado dentro de una pecera. Era el único hogar que conocían, y cuando les acercaba mi mano huían despavoridos”, recuerda Rondy Said, un pastor de Ramallah que dirige las actividades para los jóvenes de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Jordania y Tierra Santa (ELCJHL, por su sigla en inglés), durante un taller sobre el diálogo entre cristianos y judíos en el contexto israelo-palestino que tuvo lugar el 1 de septiembre.

Las contribuciones a la sociedad y la comunidad realizadas por las mujeres indígenas en Asia con frecuencia pasan desapercibidas y no son reconocidas debido a la continua marginación y discriminación en la región y más allá. Los participantes de un taller celebrado el 2 de septiembre en la 11ª Asamblea del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) fueron informados de que, aunque la igualdad de género cobra lentamente impulso a escala mundial, las mujeres indígenas siguen luchando por sus derechos: en primer lugar como mujeres y en segundo lugar como indígenas.

In an evening filled with music and storytelling, performers led an audience of attendees from around the world on a journey through history. The 4 September Host Church Evening event at the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) 11^th Assembly centered on the theme, “No one shall be lost: building bridges – living reconciliation.”

From the clashing of an Asian gong to soft strumming of a Hawaiian ukulele, from reggae to jazz, from a contemporary praise song in Mandarin to a gospel response in Arabic and a liturgical chant in Syriac, from a Scottish prophetic refrain to a sprightly Colombian recessional march, the beauty and diversity of world Christianity were celebrated in the Tuesday morning prayer at the 11^th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Karlsruhe, Germany. The theme for the service was “Christ’s love moves us to be faithful”.

By rights, it should have been Africa. The World Council of Churches’ (WCC) First Assembly had been held in Europe (Amsterdam), the second in North America (Evanston, USA), the third in Asia (New Delhi). Hopes were raised that Africa would be the next continent to host the council. But questions arose concerning acts of violence and military conflicts in Africa throughout the 1960s, from the Biafran region in Nigeria to Zanzibar and Eritrea, from Algeria to Mozambique and Rhodesia. And so the Fourth Assembly returned to the “safety” of Europe, to Uppsala in Sweden. In one of history’s ironies, Soviet tanks would roll into Prague one month after the assembly’s close.