As the World Council of Churches (WCC) celebrated its 75 anniversary, the voices of young people rang out with hope, joy—and some pointed messages for their ecumenical family.
These words described the dreams of the kind of woman a young woman aspires to be, illustrated by moving images of women’s involvement in the history of the ecumenical movement. This performance poem was just part of an inspiring meeting of the women of the ecumenical movement that were present at the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee meeting on 22 June.
“There’s one thing I always say to young people when you start off in the stewards programme– be very careful, because the ecumenical bug gets you as this is a mind blowing exposure and you start to think about the church in a very different way – and this is not a bad thing", remarked World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay in his welcoming address to the young people from all over the world who were welcomed at the Ecumenical Centre on 16 June as stewards, in preparation for the upcoming central committee which is taking place 21-27 June in Geneva.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) will host at the Ecumenical Center a Global Summit on Gender Equality in Nationality Laws—organized by the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, UNHCR, UNICEF, and UN Women—on 13 June.
Thirteen-year-old Ellyanne Chlystun-Githae Wanjiku, from Kenya, gave a clarion call during a 9 May webinar on climate responsible banking: “The children are not afraid to follow the money,” she said—and that means learning about responsible banking and influencing policy.
The fifth edition of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Eco-School on Water, Food, and Climate Justice, will be held 24-31 July in Crete, Greece. Convening in-person in the Orthodox Academy of Crete, Greece, the event is open to young people under 30 years of age from the Europe and North America region only.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) offered insights and participated in dialogue at the Youth Pre-assembly for National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), held 17-19 April in Hyderabad.
Organized by the India Peace Centre, the Youth Pre-assembly was held under the theme “The Hour has Come: The hour of Youth Building a World of Peace and Sustainability.”
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.
Meaningful participation by women in a conflict resolution and peace-building promotes a more sustainable peace, a panel discussion with women peace-makers concluded, after the screening of a documentary on the 2015 “Women Cross the DMZ” initiative.
In 1990 at the age of 22, I was diagnosed with HIV. Shortly thereafter, I also discovered that I was pregnant. My whole adult life has been about learning to live well with this virus.
From sports to rocket science, from art to family relationships, young people at a webinar on 16 March spoke out on why they want and need safe, accessible technology to realize their dreams.
The speakers, ages 7-17, were young women and men who clearly articulated their aspirations, and also communicated what the adults in their lives need to provide not just in the future—but right now.
Below, Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches (WCC) director of Public Witness and Diakonia, reflects on the relevance of ecumenical diakonia and public witness today.
On International Women’s Day, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Unity and Mission, and Ecumenical Formation Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba spoke at an event organised by the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations.
Can we increase our knowledge of how algorithms work? Can faith-based groups help close the digital divide? A webinar on 9 March, offered a way forward in an area that sometimes seems ruled by untouchable artificial intelligence.
At the St Andrew’s Presbyterian of Church East Africa in Nairobi, Judy Kihumba is the voice between the hearing and the deaf worlds in one of Kenya’s oldest churches.
On International Women’s Day, World Council of Churches moderator of the central committee Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm shared a special video message on his Facebook page about an important woman in the Bible.
Brother Alois, prior of the Taizé Community, along with a group of 60 young people from the community, visited the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva on 6 March for a time of prayer and sharing.
As a part of a the Korea Peace Appeal campaign supporting the Korean churches in their advocacy efforts, and to recognize and celebrate Women's Month in March, the screening of the documentary “Crossings” will be held at the Ecumenical Centre on Tuesday, 21 March.
The 67th Commission on the Status of Women will take place on 6-17 March in New York City and online. The World Council of Churches (WCC) is involved in online side events scheduled for 9, 14, and 16 March.