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At the Central Committee meeting of the WCC, leadership of the Council’s consultative bodies was announced. These bodies will steer through the work of the WCC in accomplishing the call from its 10th Assembly to engage in a “pilgrimage of justice and peace”. The WCC assembly was held in the Republic of Korea in 2013.

As the General Synod of the Church of England voted allowing women to serve as bishops, an issue under discussion in the church since a long time, posing challenges for its internal and external relationships, the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed his hopes and prayers “that this decision proves to be a blessing for the mission of the Church of England”.

Members of Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal and Evangelical churches in Europe, Asia and Africa met recently to explore fresh approaches to Christian witness in contemporary Europe resulting in the proposal for an ecumenical handbook for teaching evangelism.

A reflection on the recent United Nations meeting on the Non-Proliferation Treaty, by Jonathan Frerichs, WCC programme executive for peace building and disarmament, and member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Five of the world’s major arms exporters are among a group of mostly European countries ratifying the world’s first Arms Trade Treaty today, 2 April, a year after the treaty was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been globally celebrated this year with prayers, reflections, ecumenical services and events focusing on Paul’s question in Corinthians 1 “Has Christ been divided?” a theme for this year’s prayer materials, prepared by the Canadian churches.

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC honoured the legacy of the 4th-century Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, saying that Constantine promoted the values of religious freedom, peace and fruitful collaboration between the church and the state.

In order to build on its work for the protection of climate refugees, the WCC joins an innovative campaign “Postcards from the Frontlines” aiming to achieve urgently needed recognition and protection for climate refugees around the world.

Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church has addressed the United Nations (UN) in New York at its High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace.

In a call to celebrate Time for Creation, Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, encouraged the churches to pay attention to the “human interventions impacting the ecological balance”.

Faith can be a powerful ally in addressing issues of social justice, said Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. He called faith a bearer of unique perspectives on eradicating poverty, balancing amidst globalization, combating fundamentalism, racism, and developing religious tolerance during conflicts.

The general secretary of the WCC has offered his greetings, solidarity and a message of peace to the Muslim leaders of the world as they end the month of Ramadan.