The World Council of Churches, in an intervention before the UN Human Rights Council, called upon the UN to ensure that counter-terrorism laws and practices, including efforts to combat terrorism financing, do not unjustly curtail the legitimate activities of civil society organizations, impede civic space, or hinder humanitarian endeavors in the Philippines.
In a world facing the urgency of climate change, a recent World Council of Churches (WCC) Seminar on Spirituality, Climate Adaptation, and Resilience-building underscored the pivotal role of spirituality in addressing ecological challenges.
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay congratulated former WCC general secretary Most Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, former WCC general secretary and presiding bishop of the Church of Norway, on receiving an award from King Harald of Norway.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) congratulated Danish Bishop Henrik Stubkjær, who was newly elected as the next Lutheran World Federation president.
World Council of Churches (WCC) progamme director for Public Witness and Diakonia Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata spoke at the European Christian Environmental Network Assembly, currently convening in Roskilde, Denmark.
As the World Council of Churches celebrates its 75th anniversary, a series of feature stories from different regions of the world will portray ecumenism at the local level—within churches, communities, and individuals who embody the spirit of ecumenism in unique ways. The feature story below offers a glimpse of some facets of ecumenism present in the Philippines.
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay served as a keynote speaker at the Ninth Conference for Research in Diakonia and Christian Social Practice, hosted by the International Society for the Research and Study of Diakonia and Christian Social Practice and VID Specialized University. The theme of the conference was “Contested Spaces of Diaconia – Seeking Justice, Safety and Well-Being.”
The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, in a statement, expressed its strong opposition to a proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) which aims to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay visits Sri Lanka on 24-25 April, meeting with the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, heads of churches, theologians, and government officials to discuss their deep contribution to the ecumenical movement.
During the General Debate of the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, National Council of Churches in the Philippines expressed its deep concern over continuing human rights violations in the Philippines.
Church leaders in the Philippines gathered in an ecumenical memorial service in Manila on 21 September, the 50th anniversary of the imposition of martial law, to solemnly recall people of faith who were tortured and killed during the brutal regime of president Ferdinand Marcos.
A video session of the launch of Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit’s book, “Visions of Christian Unity,” has been newly released by the World Council of Churches (WCC).
Ushered into the venue of the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, one finds a sanctuary, a safe space under the canopy of yellow leaves. Under the shade of trees with leaves slowly going through the withering process is the springing of hope for a better world engaged in conversations and dialogues that promote life at its fullness.
Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, presiding bishop of the Church of Norway, and former general secretary of the World Council of Churches, has published "Visions of Christian Unity”, a volume that sketches an ecumenical movement that reveals a horizon of hope and illumines many of our most pressing global challenges.
World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed great concern in the wake of a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the northern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines on 27 July.
From 31 May to 3 June, representatives from the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace Reference Group, Working Group on Climate Change, and the Young People in the Ecumenical Movement of the World Council of Churches formed a Pilgrim Team Visit to indigenous Sami communities in the south of Norway.
Three World Council of Churches (WCC) Pilgrim Team Visits, one to Italy, a second to Armenia and a third to Norway, are continuing the WCC’s accompaniment for communities in their quest for justice and peace under the theme of “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity,” through the lenses of post-war trauma healing, gender justice, and migration.
Leaders from Nordic churches—including the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark—met with World Council of Churches (WCC) leadership and staff on 28 April, discussing preparations for the WCC 11th Assembly as well as directions for the next decade.