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Reflection on the parable of the workers in the vineyard

The following reflection is on Matthew 20:1-16.

27 September 2023

Rev. Dr Mauro Batista de Souza

Ecumenical Accompaniers complete their service in Holy Land with “different perspectives of justice”

A group of Ecumenical Accompaniers completed their service in Palestine and Israel, handing their ministry over to the next wave, and celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at the same time.

02 February 2023

Road in Tulkarem, West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories

“My hope is in you”—youth in the Holy Land carry the future

It’s not easy to be a youth leader in the Holy Land. “Our youth have a need to recognize God’s calling in their lives,” explained Nadine Bitar, general secretary of Christian Youth in Palestine, a group that supports youth leaders in the homeland of Jesus.

17 August 2022

Tapestry artist Janine Marja Schneider sews regret, hope, and love into “Waterfall of Solidarity and Resistance”

As Brazilian artist Janine Marja Schneider pieces together the “Waterfall of Solidarity and Resistance” tapestry, she brings mixed emotions to her endeavors. On one hand, she’s inspired to bring the stories of women from around the world to life on the colorful blocks that cascade downward like liquid. On the other hand, with every stitch, she more deeply absorbs what brings these women together: it’s what they’ve survived.

04 August 2022

WCC delegation meets Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II

WCC delegation visits Syria, expresses solidarity with those who “remain steadfast in their land”

World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca visited Syria, alongside the Middle East Council of Churches secretary general Dr Michel Abs, the general secretary of ACT Alliance Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, and WCC senior advisor on peace building Michel Nseir.

21 July 2022

A global ecumenical delegation in the cradle of Christianity

From the gateway to the eastern Mediterranean and its pearl, Beirut, an ecumenical delegation came to the Middle East in order to visit spiritual leaders who historically constituted the pillars of ecumenical work.

15 July 2022

Dr Michel Abs

Photo essay

Sunday service “a manifestation of visible unity” as Orthodox churches gather in Cyprus

As church bells resounded over Paralimni, Cyprus on Sunday, the congregation gathering at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint George welcomed into their midst representatives of a wide range of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches around the world.

15 May 2022

Photo essay

People in a group walking and conversing.

Hospitality at heart, in bringing Orthodox family together

With the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11^th Assembly less than four months away, the Church of Cyprus serves as host as the WCC brings Orthodox churches together for an Inter-Orthodox Pre-Assembly Consultation on 9-16 May.

12 May 2022

People taking selfies with WCC acting general secretary

WCC acting general secretary affirms importance of spiritual encounters between people of different faiths

During his visit to Iran, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca visited the city of Qom, considered by Shia Muslims to be the second-most sacred city in Iran. The city is famous for the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh.

08 March 2022

Two men sitting at a table looking at each other.

WCC acting general secretary offers lecture in Iran on “Serving Our Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: An Urgent Call for Us”

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.

04 March 2022

Some 30 people on a field planting olive trees.

Planting trees and working for peace in Palestine

One hundred and thirty Jewish volunteers planted 400 olive trees last week in Palestinian villages, continuing their work even following at least one violent attack.

26 January 2022

In Lebanon, “without peace there is no justice”

When Dr Michel Abs, secretary general of the Middle East Council of Churches, speaks about living conditions in Lebanon, his compassion for his people—and his passion for peace—brim over. In a video interview with the World Council of Churches, he honestly shared his deepest concerns about the current socio-economic crisis in his nation, and how churches are helping.

21 July 2021

St Gregory Cathedral of the Holy See of Cilicia in Lebanon.

Very Rev. Fr Hrant Tahanian reflects on how Divine Liturgy in Lebanon brings hope for the world

On Sunday 27 June, WCC central committee member the Very Rev. Fr Hrant Tahanian from the Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia) attended Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Holy See of Cilicia, in Lebanon.

06 July 2021

Two volunteers prepare meals for homeless people in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Hoping against hope

The same week Brazil reached half a million deaths by COVID-19, my parents got the first dose of the vaccine. On my way to work, I pass through a vaccination post full of people, and through a cemetery full of grief. The past year and few months were a mix of fear, indignation and anger for me. But also a time where I saw generosity and hope bloom.

30 June 2021

Larissa Aguiar Garcia

Photo of an icon displaying an Easter themed biblical story

On Orthodox Easter, “resurrection is God’s exclusive gift to all people”

The world’s Orthodox Christians drew together in prayer, in small groups, in cathedrals and churches, or at home with loved ones, ringing a traditional Orthodox Easter greeting in an especially challenging year: “Christ is risen! Indeed, Christ is risen!”

03 May 2021

An exercise in hoping

I’m writing this text exactly one year after Brazil declared quarantine, on 16 March. Last year we went into quarantine thinking it would only be two weeks at home, and maybe a few months of wearing masks and sanitizing our hands. I’m the first to confess that I’ve underestimated the virus. However, we all know that is not how it went. Month after month went by - the internet joked about how could it possibly be August already, when last week was March?

29 March 2021

Larissa Aguiar Garcia

Rev. Romi Bencke, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Brazil

In Brazil, Rev. Romi Bencke is not afraid to ask: “What are the walls that divide us?”

Rev. Romi Bencke, general secretary of the National Council of Christian Churches of Brazil, believes that being an ecumenical leader means having the courage to ask the most difficult questions even in a polarized society.

09 March 2021

Photo essay

Collage of some of the Week of Prayer pictures shared by Christians in different places

In pictures: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Prayers for unity took on a different look and feel this year, but they weren’t stopped by widespread restrictions on face-to-face gatherings. From prayer cards to personal reflections, online gatherings to new connections, the images worldwide convey the spiritual richness of an ecumenical family that came together in prayer.

01 February 2021