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Israeli president Isaac Herzog formally received World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay on 20 February, to discuss the current situation in Israel and Palestine, and the war in Gaza. 

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay and delegation met with Sheikh Azzam Khatib, director of Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem on 18 February, reiterating the WCC’s commitment to maintaining Jerusalem as a city of all three Abrahamic religions. 

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, West Bank, on 19 February, urging an end to the “seemingly endless cycle of violence and suffering.” 

During a time of war, struggle, and pain, the World Council of Churches (WCC) is accompanying the churches and the people in Palestine and Israel on their journey with prayer, action, and hope for a better future.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met with the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem on 17 February, and was received with gratitude “at this difficult and complicated time for all the peoples of this region, and especially for the Christian community of the Holy Land,” said His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in a welcome address. 

Member churches, religious leaders and local Christian groups in Palestine and Israel—as well as Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli president Isaac Herzog—will meet with World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay as he visits the area beginning 16 February. 

Twenty-four students and seven teachers from the Focolare Movement joined the World Council of Churches (WCC) for Ash Wednesday prayer services, and for an introduction to the ecumenical movement. 

In a contribution to the Church of Sweden’s publication “150 Years of International Engagement,” World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay celebrates the church’s vital legacy and reflects on its evolving character.

The World Council of Churches (WCC), on 12 February, submitted comments to the zero draft of the “Pact for the Future,” the envisaged outcome of the UN Summit for the Future.

“Love heals. It never hurts.” That’s just one of many messages—accompanied by beautiful images—shared by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Thursdays in Black campaign just in time for Valentine’s Day. 

On the 2024 International Day of Human Fraternity, observed 5 February, special events—including the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity—focused on bridging divides and promoting a culture of peace. 

Rev. Dr Walter Altmann, who served as moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee between the 9th and 10th assemblies celebrated 80 years of age on 4 February. 

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay returned to Geneva from Indonesia with expressions of gratitude to the churches and communities who hosted him. 

Speaking before religious leaders, pastors, and students in Indonesia, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay reflected on “The Kingdom of God and the Role of the Pastor Today.”

During a visit to Angola held 21-28 January, World Council of Churches (WCC) staff met with local church and community leaders to discuss how preventing obstetric fistula is a matter of human rights.

Six ecumenical accompaniers have returned to Palestine and Israel, resuming in-person operations for the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel. Ecumenical accompaniers, who were evacuated beginning of October 2023, had been continuing their support and accompaniment online.