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Ambulance car in front of the Banchen monastery in Ukraine

Monastery in Ukraine responds to the consequences of war

During the recent solidarity visit to Ukraine, a World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation was welcomed at the Banchen monastery in the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine, witnessing its active involvement supporting and sheltering victims of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

09 August 2022

Rev. Prof. Dr Heike Springhart: “We as churches are strong when we keep the horizon open”

Rev. Prof. Dr Heike Springhart is bishop of Landeskirche in Baden. Below, she offers reflections on her hopes for the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly and, more broadly, how ecumenical relationships can help us all sustain a sense of hope during these challenging times.

07 July 2022

From the desk of Dr Marc Witzenbacher, coordinator of the local office of the WCC 11th Assembly

Oberkirchenrat Dr Marc Witzenbacher serves as coordinator of the local office of the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe. In this interview, he shares how the city is preparing to welcome visitors from all over the world.

28 June 2022

Bishop Petra Bosse-Huber of the Evangelical Church in Germany: “only together can we meet the challenge of our times

Bishop Petra Bosse-Huber of the Evangelical Church in Germany, a member of the WCC central committee, reflects below on her hopes and prayers as the assembly draws ever-closer.

28 June 2022

Blog post

Borders and Migrants

On 20 May 2022, a group of us, 14 pilgrims from different parts of the world (Kenya, Brussels, Germany, Hong Kong, Philippines, Poland, Rome, Korea, Canada, Fiji, Australia, London, Scotland, and Geneva—a very diverse group) gathered in Palermo, Italy for a Pilgrim Team Visit on the theme of migration.

24 June 2022

Rev. Dr Seforosa Carroll

Boy looking out of the window of the train

As Europe feels the suffering of war, WCC Lutheran member churches share perspectives on war and peace

Sharing the concerns of World Council of Churches (WCC) Lutheran member churches around the world, a Lutheran confessional meeting took place during the recent central committee meeting at the Ecumenical Center in Geneva.

24 June 2022

Dr Elizabeth Joy’s message to the WCC: “We have created history”

Dr Elizabeth Joy was the first woman ever to be shortlisted as a nominee for the general secretary of the World Council of Churches. A director at Churches Together in England, she is from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. She grew up in both India and the United Kingdom. Below, during an interview held the day after the WCC elections, she reflects on her roots in the ecumenical movement, and on her message to the WCC.

23 June 2022

Video feature

Inspired and ready: videos look ahead to meaningful WCC pre-assemblies

Fabian Corralles has a vision of giving people with disabilities “their first opportunities to be much more important than they feel they are in their church and community.” He’s envisioning that scenario taking place at the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network pre-assembly being held before the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany.

14 June 2022

WCC Pilgrim Team visits Armenia, stands in solidarity with those in need

After the recent war and its impact on the whole of Armenia and particularly in the region of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh, some pilgrims from the fellowship of the World Council of Churches (WCC) visited Armenia from 27 May to June 1.

14 June 2022

Among Sami community in Norway, “Invisibility has been our survival strategy”

From 31 May to 3 June, representatives from the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace Reference Group, Working Group on Climate Change, and the Young People in the Ecumenical Movement of the World Council of Churches formed a Pilgrim Team Visit to indigenous Sami communities in the south of Norway.

13 June 2022

One century of ecumenical theology—now at your fingertips

As the World Council of Churches’ first substantial digital publication and its largest free collection, the Faith and Order Papers open a new frontier for scholars, ecumenists, and anyone interested in traversing the twists and turns of the path towards Christian unity.

07 June 2022

Woman fetches water in river under bridge.

Interfaith statement at Stockholm+50 urges commitment “to become protectors of this earth”

An interfaith statement developed at Stockholm+50, “Faith Values and Reach - Contribution to Environmental Policy,” was signed by representatives of various faith-based organizations and Indigenous cultures across the world, including the World Council of Churches, and directed to the governments, UN entities, civil society, and all stakeholders of the “Stockholm+50” processes.

03 June 2022

WCC-ACT delegation visits Russia, sees church response to refugees from Ukraine

Following a mid-March visit to Ukraine and the bordering countries of Hungary and Romania, a World Council of Churches (WCC) and ACT Alliance delegation visited the Russian-Ukrainian border area around Rostov-on-Don on 22-26 May.

02 June 2022

WCC visit to Italy harvests examples of the churches’ unconditional support to refugees and migrants

The Central Mediterranean route is the overseas crossing from North Africa to Italy. Those migrating on this route generally aim to reach Italian shores but leave from a variety of North African countries bordering the Mediterranean. Though in past years most migrants have departed from Libya, which is a destination for migrants as well as a transit country, there is also a proportionally small but growing number of departures from Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria.

27 May 2022

As WCC 11th Assembly approaches, anticipation and hope begin to bloom

With the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly less than four months away, anticipation for the historic gathering of faith and fellowship is growing.

19 May 2022

Jørgen Thomsen speaks at the Ecumenical diakona celebration

Soon-to-be-released publication on ecumenical diakonia is something to celebrate

As a document on ecumenical diakonia is set to be released in June, partners of the World Council of Churches (WCC) specialized ministries gathered to celebrate on 4 May at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute their years of work in creating a publication that shows how carefully crafted fruits are well worth the wait.

05 May 2022

Natallia Vasilevich: Christians in Belarus do not fear to be messengers of justice and peace

There’s a reason why Orthodox theologian and human rights lawyer Natallia Vasilevich prefers to speak of the role of Christians rather than the role of churches in Belarusian society.

28 April 2022