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To the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, relationships are at the heart of its membership in the World Council of Churches (WCC).

During the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly—and at other meetings of the WCC’s governing bodies—decisions are made via a consensus process. For the WCC, that means seeking a common mind about the wisest way forward while being open to fresh insights and the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

As we look back on the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, take a look behind the scenes—and see how the assembly came together.

Dr Corina Meuhlstedt, a well-known German radio journalist, described what it was like to tell the stories of the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly. “The positive atmosphere was my biggest takeaway form the assembly,” she said. “I felt that Christians of very different denominations, some who even live in countries in conflict, were able to overcome prejudice and hostility—at least for a certain time—by seeing Christ in the other.”

“Dawn will never come if the heralds of dawn keep silence,” said an anonymous 19th century woman on the relationship between women and the church. That quotation has greatly inspired the International Association of Women Ministers, which is celebrating 103 years of existence this year.

Whether in the plenary hall, restaurant, prayer tent, or in different meeting places, delegates and participants of the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11^th Assembly held from 31August to 8September in Karlsruhe, Germany would be greeted with a warm smile and the words “are you doing good?” by men and women in orange vests who formed the pastoral care and solidarity team. This was one of the ways that the assembly ensured a safe and welcoming environment.

Dalia Al Mokdad, a Muslim from Lebanon who works in communications with the Adyan Foundation, completed an inter-religious course at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in 2015.