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World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended condolences to the churches and people of Qaraqosh, Iraq, after a wedding celebration was struck with a fire that killed 94 people and injured 100 more.

After the deadliest earthquake to hit Morocco in decades took more than 1,000 lives, and the death toll continued to grow, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay called for prayer and solidarity from the WCC global fellowship and from all people of good will across the world.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) will welcome a “Bethlehem Reborn – Palestine – The Wonders of the Nativity” exhibit that will open in a live-streamed ceremony on 12 September, then be available to the public from 13 September-5 October daily. The multimedia touring exhibit highlights the rehabilitation of the Church of the Nativity in all its artistic beauty, historical significance, and spiritual messages. 

Human rights violations in Israel and Palestine have nearly tripled during the past year, according to reports from the most recent set of ecumenical accompaniers from the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, discussing peace initiatives across the globe—and the role of the WCC and South African leaders.

Iranian rector Ayatollah M. Seyyed Abolhassan Nawab and Ms Zahra Sedigh, from the Iranian Mission to the UN, visited the World Council of Churches (WCC) on 27 July, discussing education and formation, as well as the importance of strengthening the role of interreligious cooperation.  

An ecumenical global prayer on 28 July expressed solidarity, hope, and lament as the people and churches of Sudan continue to exist amid conflict and violence.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) joined Caritas Internationalis, ACT Alliance, World Evangelical Alliance, and Lutheran World Federation in signing a joint letter to USAID administrator Samantha Power expressing concern over the suspension of food aid in Ethiopia.

Church leaders in South Sudan emphasized peace and hope, as the world’s youngest nation marked the 12th Independence Day.

Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi, Mission of Palestine to Switzerland; Ambassador Dr Omar Awadallah,  assistant minister for United Nations and Specialized Organizations;  and Doa Nofal, second secretary at the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, visited the World Council of Churches (WCC) on 6 July to discuss the current situation in Palestine.

Resources—including reflections, prayers, and more—are now available to help churches and all people of good will to observe the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel from 16-23 September 2023.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay called for an end to the Israeli military’s assault in Jenin.  The WCC condemns the assault and calls for the cessation of all violence in the West Bank including that from Israeli settlers.

The World Council of Churches was among ecumenical organizations based in Africa and international partners that signed a 24 June joint statement on Sudan.

The WCC central committee expressed continuous concern about two significant territorial crises in the eastern Mediterranean: those within Palestine and Israel, and those within Cyprus. “These politically driven conflicts have resulted in illegal occupations that have spanned decades,” reads a minute released by the governing body.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed shock at the news of a brutal attack at a school in western Uganda by rebels linked to the Islamic State Group, on 16 June.

Amidst a global outpouring, tributes and condolences at a memorial service, Canon Dr Agnes Regina Murei Abuom was celebrated as bold Christian, peacemaker, and resolute ecumenist.

At an Anglican Church in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, rhymes, children’s songs, and noises in a school are constant reminder of Dr Agnes Regina Murei Abuom, the global ecumenist and peacemaker who died on 31 May at age 73.