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Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata: “Colombia is a deeply fragile but promising country”

Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia, led a delegation that visited Colombia on 8-11 August to express solidarity with the Colombian churches, government and people as they collaborate in the design, implementation, and advocacy for the construction of peace in the country. Below, he shares his impressions of the visit.

15 August 2023

Interview

Ecumenical theology at chapel, classroom, and office: Odair Pedroso Mateus reflects on serving the WCC

Rev. Dr Odair Pedroso Mateus began to teach at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in 2004 and joined the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 2007. Most recently he served as WCC interim deputy general secretary and Faith and Order director. Below, he reflects on his fondest memories, accomplishments, and hopes.

08 February 2023

Interview

Calling for Christian Unity requires “both a prophetic and pastoral approach”

Rev. Dr Curtiss Paul DeYoung, co-chief executive officer of the Minnesota Council of Churches, helped convene the team of authors for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity materials. Below, he reflects on the challenges and hopes the team brought to the table as they composed the text.

18 January 2023

Interview

In Chile, “Churches’ ministry of reconciliation is key”

Bishop Izani Bruch, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile, serves as the Evangelical chaplain of the Government House at the Palacio de La Moneda, in Santiago since April 2022. Below, she shares insights about the current situation of the country from the perspective of Christian responsibility.

29 November 2022

Interview

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

Video feature

Webinar explores “Two years after the death of George Floyd: Antiracism, #BLM and the United Nations”

A 25 May webinar explored the theme “Two years after George Floyd’s death: Antiracism, #BLM and the United Nations.” As people continue to challenge the systemic racism that has devalued the lives of Black and Brown people globally, many are asking the question: how much progress have we seen in the last two years? why do some of these tragic events spark a stronger call for change than others?

02 June 2022

Interview

Bishop Mary Ann Swenson at the WCC Central committee meeting, 2018

Prayer life of Bishop Mary Ann Swenson has deep roots

From an early age, Bishop Mary Ann Swenson has tapped into the power of prayer.

31 January 2022

Video feature

African farmer man's hand touches a green plant.

'Racism, Land and Food' seminar dissects how dispossession negates food sovereignty

As many communities worldwide battle to get food to the table, a World Council of Churches (WCC) webinar titled ‘Racism, Land and Food' highlighted the intersections of food, land, and racial injustices on food sovereignty over generations of dispossessed groups.

17 December 2021

Video feature

Woman holds a lit candle, with the text 'No desire to open my mouth' overlaid as subtitles

Women in Argentina walk in solidarity with women of Afghanistan

Women in Argentina have reached across more than 15,000 kilometers with a message of solidarity for women in Afghanistan. Their video puts a creative flair on the World Council of Churches Thursdays in Black campaign for a world free from rape and violence.

23 September 2021

Interview

In Argentina, “Serving a Wounded World” is a hopeful call to collaborate

Prof. Dr h.c. Humberto Martin Shikiya, vice president of the Regional Ecumenical Advisory and Service Center (CREAS) In Argentina, reflects on how “Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: A Christian Call to Reflection and Action During COVID-19 and Beyond” is being received as a hopeful call to collaborate ecumenically and interreligiously. The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue jointly published “Serving a Wounded World” to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the importance of interreligious solidarity in a world wounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

02 August 2021

Interview

Portrait photo of Rev. Fr Dr Alkiviadis Calivas

Rev. Fr Dr Alkiviadis Calivas: “the message of the Resurrection is always there”

As Rev. Fr Dr Alkiviadis Calivas celebrated Easter with his children and grandchildren near Boston, Massachusetts (USA) he reflected with joy on the differences between this year and last year, on the everlasting message of the Resurrection, and how we free ourselves from fear in order to find hope.

03 May 2021

Interview

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

Interview

Youth participants lead a moment of prayer, through a dramatic choreography inviting gestures in interaction between the youth and other participants. Hundreds of people gather from across the world for an ecumenical prayer service at the Nieuwe Kerk, a 15th-century church in Amsterdam, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches at the very spot in which the organization was founded.

Rev. Dr David Emmanuel Goatley: “Pray that the Spirit will breath on the conversations”

A new weekly podcast series, “Pilgrimages of Striving and Thriving,” aims to draw wisdom from Black churches in the US through engaging conversations with pastoral leaders. The tone of the series, produced by Lott Carey, encourages transparency on how spiritual gifts interact with unique settings for ministry.

Below, Rev. Dr David Emmanuel Goatley, who cohosts the podcast, reflects on the path that led to the series, the response to the conversations so far, and hopes for future inspiration.

27 January 2021

Interview

In Brazil, “kindness generates kindness” during Week of Prayer

Rev. Inácio Lemke is president of the National Council of Christian Churches of Brazil (CONIC). He is an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil. This interview is part of a series dedicated to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

17 June 2020