Search results

In the wake of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, the Omnia Institute for Contextual Leadership, based in Chicago, lifted up points of hope that peace will win in the end. In a 25 April message, Shanta Premawardhana, president of the institute, wrote that every person of every faith of every nation deserves to wake up in peace. “Every child deserves to feel safe, welcomed, and alive to the promise that each day brings,” Premawardhana wrote. “I'm sure you know that this is why we build Interfaith Peacemaker Teams in Sri Lanka.”

With deep shock and sorrow on this Easter Sunday the World Council of Churches (WCC) expresses its solidarity with the churches and people of Sri Lanka following the news of the bombings of churches and hotels which have claimed a reported 200 lives and injured many more.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) condemned the massacre earlier this month of 14 farmers by police officers in Canlaon City, as well as Manjuyod and Santa Catalina towns in Negros Oriental in the Philippines. The WCC also renewed its call for the government of the Philippines to end the culture of impunity and to ensure full investigation and accountability for all such killings.

El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) condenó el asesinato de 14 campesinos a manos de agentes de policía en las ciudades de Canlaón, Manjuyod y Santa Catalina en la región de Negro Oriental, en Filipinas, que tuvo lugar a principios de este mes. El CMI también reiteró su petición al gobierno de Filipinas de poner fin a la cultura de impunidad y garantizar una investigación completa y la rendición de cuentas por estos asesinatos.

Pilgrims coming from Germany, Italy and Norway ended their journeys for climate justice on 7 December upon arrival at the St Stephen’s Church in Katowice, Poland, where the United Nations (UN) climate conference is underway. They were warmly welcomed by the delegations of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) that are attending the 24th Conference of Parties of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24).

“The seeds of peace come from the ground.” That is the vision that Rev. Dr Shanta Premawardhana, former director of Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation at the World Council of Churches and now president of OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership, tries to follow with his organization.

Each year students from all over the world arrive at Bossey near Geneva for a three-month language training course to pave their way for ecumenical studies that follow on straight after. “The title captures the goal of the course,” says Father Lawrence Iwuamadi, the Nigerian priest who studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and is academic dean of the Ecumenical Institute.

“Congratulations for being a student at Bossey!” Fr Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, director of the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey and deputy general secretary, welcomed the students for the new academic year 2018-2019. Thirty-one students from diverse countries and traditions will start their classes at the ecumenical institute on Tuesday.

Whether as individual believers or as a community, it is our collective task to advocate for Christian unity, says Melanio L. Aoanan from the Philippines. A clear vision for religious and ecumenical theological education is needed that is relevant in the 21st century.

Ya sea individualmente, como creyentes, o como comunidad, es nuestra tarea colectiva defender la unidad de los cristianos, dice Melanio L. Aoanan. El educador filipino reclama una perspectiva clara de la educación ecuménica que sea relevante en el siglo XXI.

Dr Erlinda N. Senturias, from the Philippines, gives thanks that WCC has created safe spaces for the churches to talk about HIV and AIDS. She asks that the ecumenical movement continue to be a beacon of support for this ongoing journey of health and healing.

La Dra. Erlinda N. Senturias, de Filipinas, agradece que el CMI haya creado espacios seguros para que las iglesias hablen del VIH y el sida. Pide que el movimiento ecuménico siga siendo un faro de apoyo en el camino de salud y sanación que está recorriendo.

Youth in Asia Training for Religious Amity (YATRA) began at the Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre, Hong Kong on 7 July. Drawing young women and men from across the World Council of Churches (WCC) fellowship in Asia as well as theological institutions, the focus of this year’s YATRA is ‘Passionately Christian and Compassionately Interreligious’.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) joined the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church (UMC) as well as United Methodist bishops in the Philippines in appealing to the government of the Philippines for assistance and cooperation in extracting three United Methodist mission personnel from the country.

Noting “the worsening human rights situation and increasing violence and impunity” in the Philippines, WCC’s central committee has expressed its alarm and outrage, pointing particularly to the role of the government there.

Frente “al empeoramiento de la situación de los derechos humanos y la creciente violencia e impunidad” en Filipinas, el Comité Central del CMI expresó su alarma e indignación señalando en particular el rol del gobierno del país.

Christian unity was the overarching theme of a visit from a World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation with the China Christian Council (CCC) and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) in Shanghai on 9 January.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and a WCC delegation are visiting member churches in China from 7-16 January.

In a brief interview, Tveit describes the joy of uniting with the China Christian Council to begin celebration of the WCC’s 70th anniversary.

El secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), el Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, y una delegación del CMI estarán visitando a iglesias miembros en China del 7 al 16 de enero.

En una breve entrevista, el Rev. Tveit habla de la alegría que supone unirse al Consejo Cristiano de China para empezar a celebrar el 70° aniversario del CMI.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and a WCC delegation will visit member churches in China 7-16 January. The historic visit will begin the celebration of the WCC’s 70th anniversary. The WCC delegation, in addition to Tveit, includes WCC Asia president Dr Sang Chang and Rev. Dr Peniel Rajkumar, WCC programme executive for Interreligious Dialogue.