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A group of 25 evangelism practitioners, scholars and church leaders from Orthodox, Pentecostal and Protestant perspectives gathered in Bangkok, Thailand from 26 November to 1 December to reflect on evangelism at a time when religious faith is often accused of - and guilty of - stirring up intolerance, suspicion and even violence.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) joined the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and Responsibility to Protect (UNOGPRtoP) and other partners to host a meeting on Fostering Inclusive Societies in South Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, 29-30 November.

While meeting in Amman, Jordan, from 17-23 November, the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee issued a statement on the detention of Bishop Carlos Morales and the situation in Mindanao, Philippines.

Durante su reunión en Ammán (Jordania), del 17 al 23 de noviembre, el comité ejecutivo del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) emitió una declaración sobre la detención del obispo Carlos Morales y sobre la situación en Mindanao (Filipinas).

Offering greetings on the occasion of Diwali, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit emphasized the bonds of common humanity and focused on the well-being of all.

For Prof. Dr. Mathew Chandrankunnel, the Asia Mission Conference is a big celebration of ecumenism, with churches from Asia and all over the world coming together expressing the call of Jesus. As director of the Ecumenical Christian Centre in Bangalore, India, he appreciates the initiative to bring member churches, faith organizations and partners together to revive mission.

As the Churches’ Week of Action on Food is to commence on 15 October, the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance now makes available material for seven prayer services, each intended to bring opportunities for prayer, reflection and action on food-justice around the world.

On 30 September, WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit offered an inaugural address during the 16th Synod Meeting of the Church of North India which focussed on the theme 'The Harvest is Plentiful but the Labourers are Few'.

The Church of South India (CSI), the largest united church in India, marked its 70th anniversary with celebrations which lasted more than three days in Chennai.

Rt Rev. Dr Samuel Amirtham, an internationally renowned theologian, bishop and ecumenical leader, passed away on 26 September at the age of 85. Amirtham was a multifaceted and charismatic teacher, pastor, leader, and revolutionary, inspiring and accompanying many lives, from remote villages to universities, to the corridors of power.

Some forty professionals working on ecumenical relations in different member churches in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East as well as North and South America, are currently gathered in Geneva, Switzerland. Their four-day meeting affords them an opportunity to learn about the various WCC programmes as well as from each other.

Unos cuarenta profesionales encargados de las relaciones ecuménicas en diferentes iglesias miembros de África, Asia, el Caribe, Europa, Oriente Medio y América del Norte y del Sur están reunidos en Ginebra (Suiza). Su reunión de cuatro días les brinda la oportunidad de aprender los unos de los otros y de conocer los distintos programas del CMI.

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), on 11-12 July, held an international consultation on “Towards Revitalising the Ecumenical Movement in Asia.” The gathering of 60 church and ecumenical leaders was organised by the CCA at its headquarters in Chiang Mai, Thailand as a prelude to its Diamond Jubilee celebration.

The Philippines has long been noticed for crimes committed against its people, but now human rights violations of the government of President Roderigo Duterte are coming under scrutiny at the Human Rights Council after submissions made by church-backed civil society groups.

“We’ve seen in the case of refugees, how the church takes a strong standpoint in welcoming those who have fled. But it isn’t always so easy in the congregations. There are many who feel fear, as we receive not only refugees but sometimes also people of other faiths. In this case, we can see a gap between what the church says, and what is actually lived.”

Worsening global inequality is borne out as more people face famine now than any other time in modern history. Fr Nithiya Sagayam, national coordinator of the Association of Franciscan Families of India, is gravely concerned that the global response to extreme poverty is too low in almost every country while, he says, “corporations continue to grow richer and richer.”

To galvanize the international community on the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines, the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, hosted a photo exhibit on 4-5 May.

Eighteen representatives from theological institutions in Asia met in Bangkok, Thailand, from 17-20 April at a consultation on “Ecumenical Theological Education and Contextual Theologies in Asia” convened by the Ecumenical Theological Education department of the WCC with the support of the Foundation for Theological Education in South East Asia, and in collaboration with theological associations and institutions in Asia.

Eighteen women theologians from Africa and Asia began a journey of reflection and action around the theme “Women’s Mentoring for Ecumenical Leadership” in a 20-22 April consultation in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting was convened by the WCC department on Ecumenical Theological Education and supported by the Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia.

Dieciocho teólogas africanas y asiáticas emprendieron un viaje de reflexión y acción en torno al tema de “La orientación de las mujeres en el liderazgo ecuménico”, en una consulta que tuvo lugar del 20 al 22 de abril en Bangkok (Tailandia). La reunión fue organizada por el departamento de Educación Teológica Ecuménica del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y contó con el apoyo de la Fundación para la Educación Teológica de Asia Sudoriental.