The life and ministry of Dr. Sylvia Ross Talbot, a church leader whose ecumenical dedication included service as the WCC’s vice-moderator in the 1980s and president of Church Women United, was celebrated last weekend in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
A World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation will visit New York City and Washington, D.C. 18-21 July with the goal of strengthening collaboration and partnerships.
In a historic vote, Rev. Dr Karen Georgia Thompson, a Black woman born in Jamaica, was elected as general minister and president by the United Church of Christ's 34th General Synod on 3 July.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) joins the Methodist family and people across the world who are mourning the death of Rev. Edgar Avitia Legarda, a passionate ecumenical bridge builder.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the death of Eden Grace, a member of the Religious Society of Friends and former member of the WCC central committee.
During an ecumenical morning prayer held 15 May, the World Council of Churches (WCC) staff and partners observed the UN International Day of Living Together in Peace, holding in prayer many nations across the world facing challenges to living together in harmony.
A global call for prayers and support for the Democratic Republic of Congo has amplified as floods and landslides left hundreds of people dead in South Kivu, a province in the east of the country.
The National Jewish-Christian Dialogue, co-sponsored by the National Council of Churches (USA) and the National Council of Synagogues, met 19-20 April in New York City. The dialogue continued its in-depth discussion of reparations and national healing, following previous remote sessions on the broad topic of reparations and specific efforts to consider reparations by the cities of Evanston, Illinois, and Providence, Rhode Island.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) global fellowship shared sadness at the loss of Janet Somerville and joy for her life as an inspiration for love and justice. A past general secretary of The Canadian Council of Churches (1997-2002), she breathed her last on 16 April.
In a letter to the Presbyterian Church (USA), World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended condolences in the wake of a shooting at the Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky—just blocks away from the church offices.
“Our two churches have more than 200 years of shared history in Europe and the United States. This full-communion agreement is one more sign of the beloved community that we so need in these times. Our partnership in addressing the challenges of climate change, supporting refugees, and racial justice binds us even more deeply to worldwide ecumenical efforts,” said Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church.
A “Water Justice Manifesto”—signed by 500 organizations including the World Council of Churches—was presented at the UN Water Conference on 23 March, from the General Assembly Plenary hall podium, at the high-level segment, by the People’s Water Forum members.
As Pope Francis travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo, then with Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, and Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields, moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland, to South Sudan on 3- 5 February, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay said he welcomes and supports the visits.
Aa the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity opened on 18 January, the World Council of Churches staff and partners gathered in a spirit of unity to “Do good; seek justice,” the theme of this year’s special week.
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay denounced a bomb attack that killed 17 members of the parish of the 8th Community of Pentecostal Churches of Congo on 15 January. Thirty-nine people were wounded.
An interfaith breakfast held in conjunction with the 77th session of the UN General Assembly brought into focus the urgent need for policymakers to better address key gaps to end inequalities in HIV services for children.
In South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the peace and reconciliation work of pastors, priests and lay Christians remains critical for the people, as the global church and ecumenical groups amplify their concerns over the complex but separate conflicts in the two African countries.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) expressed great joy over the election Rev. Dr Carmen Lansdowne as the 44th moderator of the United Church of Canada.
In a 21 June statement, religious leaders in eastern Africa released a statement on the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They reaffirmed their commitment to peace, security and democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the eastern African community at large.
On the anniversary of Juneteenth, remembering the enslavement of African peoples in the United States and their emancipation announced in 1865, leaders from the World Council of Churches (WCC) urged an end to hate speech and to the sin of racism.