As the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting commenced in Davos beginning 15 January, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay urged the gathering to renew its commitment to multilateral cooperation for the longer-term good of all people.
The forum is convening under the theme “Rebuilding Trust.”
The World Council of Churches (WCC), in partnership with the Association of Theological Institutes and Faculties in the Middle East (ATIME) and the Middle East Council of Churches, held the first-ever Regional Ecumenical Theological Institute in Cairo under the theme “Respect for Creation is the Glorification of the Creator.”
“COP27 is a critical occasion for governments to together re-envision, develop, commit to and implement a roadmap towards a fossil fuel-free, post-growth, equitable and sustainable tomorrow,” said Bishop Arnold Temple of the Methodist Church in Sierra Leone, representing the interfaith liaison group, to the High-Level Ministerial Segment of the 27th Session of Conference of the Parties (COP27).
The World Council of Churches and its partners hosted a side event during COP27 that explored “Delivering the promise: How to ensure present and future adaptation needs are addressed.”
The sun was just setting over Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt when hundreds of protestors turned towards the main plenary hall of COP27 – the United Nations climate change conference – to raise their fists into the air, shouting ‘Pay up! Pay up! Pay up for loss and damage!’
A conference focusing on water for human rights and sustainable development will be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland and online on 3-4 November.
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.
On 8 June, at a meeting of the 2050Today initiative in Geneva, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca spoke about the WCC’s pioneering work on climate change as well as its current Green Village sustainable development project.
World Council of Churches (WCC) specialized ministries and roundtable partners are gathering on 3-4 May at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute for a “Working Together” meeting filled with a spirit of interconnected learning and preparation for the WCC 11th Assembly.
During a public lecture at the Ahlul Bayt International University in Iran, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca reflected on how we can improve human relations in the post-COVID-19 era.
As Norwegian Church Aid continued a digital visit with its global partners, leaders from the organization met with the World Council of Churches (WCC) to discuss creative responses to the world’s increasing needs, and the vital role of church leaders in those responses.
A 2 December webinar, “Building trust: religious leader's engagement in vaccine confidence,” highlighted the voices of global religious leaders who are listening with a keen ear in their communities—and leading by example.
An ecumenical prayer service on World AIDS Day, to be observed 1 December, will focus on the theme “Overcoming Inequalities With Justice and Love,” a special emphasis in the context of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which runs from 25 November until 10 December.
As the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee convened on 12 November—face-to-face for the first time in two years—the governing body began its deliberations with a sense of reimagining the future by tracing some positive trends and opportunities born out of the grief-filled COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting is taking place in a hybrid fashion at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute and on video conference.
Bishop Johan Tyrberg and a delegation from the Church of Sweden in Lund visited the World Council of Churches on 22-23 September, participating in a morning prayer for Christian unity, receiving a guided tour and discussing the theme of the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly, “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”
On 21 September, representatives of the Rassemblement des Eglises Chrétiennes de Genève (Ecumenical Assembly of Churches of Geneva) promoted a prayer service at the chapel of the Ecumenical Center to celebrate Season of Creation, a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together.
Faith communities, governments, international organizations, foundations, the private sector, and civil society organizations are essential in every response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, told an interfaith gathering.