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WCC offers prayers for General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa

The World Council of Churches (WCC) sent a message with prayers and hope to the General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. “As you know the WCC is a fellowship of churches that seeks the unity of Christians in the world,” wrote WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay.

13 October 2023

Improving financial literacy among rural women in Uganda

Women’s wellness and mental health as part of the mission of the church – a wounded healer’s balm

I received a call from a friend of mine - we both work as medical doctors and had earlier realised that our husbands, who are ministers in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, had been friends for years —this is one of the reasons that drew us to each other. She had been attending the February meeting of the Methodist Women’s Prayer and Service Union (Manyano), Connexional Extended Executive Meeting. My friend said that the general president, Gretta Makhwenkwe, had appointed us to the Wellness Committee.

30 March 2023

Dr Nomonde Mqhayi-Mbambo

Prof. Dr Sarojini Nadar

Prof. Dr Sarojini Nadar: “I believe knowledge is power, and critical for justice work”

Prof. Dr Sarojini Nadar is director of the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, University of Western Cape, South Africa. Below, she reflects on outcomes from the inaugural “Ecumenical Women’s Initiative for Leadership and Learning” held in May.

28 July 2022

Group photo screenshot collage from online video conference meeting.

Male “champions for gender justice” from African countries share insights

At an online roundtable hosted by the All Africa Conference of Churches, male “champions for gender justice” shared their ideas and insights during their yearlong service as men who are helping to prevent gender-based violence.

01 June 2022

African man wearing a black medical face mask stands in front of a poster at a museum.

Rev. Frank Chikane: “You can’t do unity at the expense of justice”

When Rev. Frank Chikane was leading the South African Council of Churches in calling out injustices of the apartheid system, their work did not stop even after the council’s office building was bombed to the ground in 1980s. Moderating the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches (WCC) since 2016, Rev. Chikane has been engaged in addressing injustices in many parts of the world. WCC Communication asked Rev. Chikane to look back at his term at the commission and the ongoing calling of churches to address injustices in the world today.

13 January 2022

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, 2006, Photo: Paulino Menezes/WCC

Desmond Tutu turns 90 with an outpouring of love from the world

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, one of South Africa's most famous persons, has turned 90 with a Eucharist service celebration at Cape Town's St George's Cathedral, receiving an outpouring of love from around the world. Tutu made a rare public appearance on 7 October at the iconic Cape Town cathedral, the site of prayers and protests during the apartheid era, where he attended a special thanksgiving service.

12 October 2021

hands together praying

Prayer services for South Africa will call for unity, mark Nelson Mandela’s birthday

On 18 July, prayer services in South Africa will mark Nelson Mandela’s birthday and will also be an opportunity to pray for unity.

The Religious Forum Against COVID-19 has elected to observe the day in both a nationally broadcast prayer service as well as observing 67 minutes of prayer that evening.

16 July 2021

South Africa flag in red

South African Council of Churches calls for restoration, healing in wake of unrest

The South African Council of Churches, in a 15 July statement, called for supporting a campaign of restoration and addressing the root causes of the unrest that is happening simultaneously with a third wave of COVID-19.

15 July 2021

Vaccine dose in the hands of the medical worker

South African religious forum issues statement on COVID-19

The Religious Forum Against COVID-19 in South Africa issued a statement with faith leaders standing in solidarity in response to COVID-19, and with a broader objective of collaborating in making for a safer South African environment.

05 July 2021

Police shields 23 April 2018, Bogotá, Colombia

COVID-19 in conflict zones: “a crisis within another crisis”

Damaris, a Nigerian woman, described her experience of 2020: “We’ve gone through hell.”

Damaris and her sisters were kidnapped in March 2020 and threatened with death as their kidnappers demanded money. Her father had to sell everything and beg on the streets to meet their demands. “We are just a common people in Nigeria,” she said. “We don’t know what we did.”

27 November 2020

Women in the Minawao camp for Nigerian refugees, located in the north of Cameroon, May 2019.

“Conflict Zones and Covid-19” webinar will offer a clarion call to compassion

A webinar hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC) on 26 November will explore “Conflict Zones and Covid-19: A call to compassion.” Speakers from Cameroon, Nigeria, South Sudan, Lebanon, Belarus and Colombia will offer their insights on how conflict exacerbates the conditions for contracting and treating COVID-19 among civilians caught in the crossfire, especially women.

23 November 2020

IMG-20201015-WA0015

Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa: raise your voice against gender-based violence

In a message on 15 October, Rev. Dr David Tswaedi, executive director of the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa, lamented that the voices of survivors and victims of gender-based violence have been muted, due to stigma and the perceived power of the perpetrators.

22 October 2020

Nelson Mandela’s statue in front of the Union Buildings in Pretoria, seat of South Africa’s administration. Photo: Peter Kenny/WCC, 2017

South African church leaders say COVID-19 corruption kills, as they campaign against it

South African church leaders heard that corruption in their country kills when they organized for a campaign against the latest version of pillaging during the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.

23 September 2020

Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, general secretary of the South African Council of Churches. Photo: Peter Kenny/WCC

South African Council of Churches to hold countrywide silent prayers against corruption

On 15 September, the South African Council of Churches will stand in silent prayer in all nine provinces to declare that “Corruption is Not Our Heritage.”

15 September 2020

Rev. Dr Lydia Mwaniki, director for Women, Gender and Youth at the All Africa Conference of Churches. Photo: Pauline Waithera/AACC

Rev. Dr Lydia Mwaniki receives Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship from Archbishop of Canterbury

Rev. Dr Lydia Mwaniki, director for Women, Gender and Youth at the All Africa Conference of Churches, has received the Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship from the Archbishop of Canterbury.

03 September 2020

WCC moderator Dr Agnes Abuom, November 2018. Photo: Mikael Stjernberg/Christian Council of Sweden

Memorial service honors the late Rev. Prof. Dr Mary-Anne Plaatjies-van Huffel, ‘pioneer and visionary leader’

An online memorial service for Rev. Prof. Dr Mary-Anne Plaatjies-van Huffel drew family members, friends, colleagues and students who mourned the passing of the World Council of Churches (WCC) president for Africa. Plaatjies van Huffel, known as a transformative church leader in sub-Saharan Africa, passed away on 19 May.

29 May 2020

Photo: Peter Kenny/WCC

South African Council of Churches calls on De Klerk Foundation to retract statement about apartheid

The South African Council of Churches is calling on the De Klerk Foundation to retract and apologize in the wake of a 14 February statement issued by the foundation amplifying the position that apartheid was not a crime against humanity, but a Soviet propaganda ploy.

17 February 2020

Mr Masimba Kuchera, CCIA, and Bishop Victor Phalana of the Catholic Diocese of Klerksdorp commit to speak out against gender-based violence. Photo: Hymie Sokupha/WCC

South Africans draw hope despite recurring challenges

Gender-based violence and attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa have left communities wondering where to turn. In a visit of solidarity, a World Council of Churches (WCC) Pilgrim Team visited the nation from 7-12 December.

16 December 2019

Photo: WCC/SACC

WCC delegation meets with South African President Ramaphosa

On 9 December, a delegation led by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit met with the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa and cabinet ministers in Johannesburg, South Africa.

09 December 2019

Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

WCC delegation to meet President Ramaphosa to discuss gender-based violence and violence on foreign nationals in South Africa

Members of the media are invited to attend a press briefing on Monday, 9 December 2019, by a high-level delegation of the World Council of Churches, which will be in the country on a social-justice mission to South Africa from 7-12 December 2019.

06 December 2019