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The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the loss and celebrating the life of Rev. Dr Jose Belo Chipenda, an African theologian and ecumenical leader.

Chipenda passed away on 10 January in Canada at the age of 95. 

The world’s largest prayer gathering—the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity—is set to open with an array of inspiring resources, from liturgical materials to colorful social media cards.

Within the framework of the negotiations and conversations of the third cycle of the Peace Dialogue Table between the government of Colombia and the Estado Mayor Central FARC-EP, the news was received on its fourth day of sessions that President Petro approved Decree 0016 of 14 January 2024, which it extends the ceasefire with the EMC FARC-EP for six more months.

Students from the World Council of Churches (WCC) Bossey Ecumenical Institute will begin an 8-day study visit to Rome on 19 January, with a full programme that includes lectures, tours of the Vatican, and opportunities to interact with leaders from the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be held 18-25 January, with materials from Burkina Faso facilitated by the Chemin Neuf Community.

Applications are open for the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey’s 2024 interfaith summer course, during which students earn a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Interreligious Studies.

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended warm greetings to the participants and hosts of the 2023 Taizé Youth Gathering in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

In a visit to Cuba from 17-19 December, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met with Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel at the Palacio de las Convenciones in Havana. “I was deeply impressed with our heart-to-heart meeting with the president of Cuba,” expressed Pillay.

In a sermon entitled “Being church today in a world in crisis,” offered at the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Cuba on 17 December, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay shared thoughts of hope and transformation.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay offered a lecture at University of Havana in Cuba on 19 December entitled “Christians, cry out for peace! The perils and promise of peace today.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, at a meeting in London from 1-5 December, hosted by United Society of Partners in the Gospel, explored the concept of mission as reparatory justice. 

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met in Bogota, Colombia, with representatives of embassies of Switzerland, Norway, Germany, and the diplomatic service of the European Union for a conversation on the role of the international community in the peace process in the country.

As the world marks the 16 Days of Activism on Gender Based Violence, religious leaders, human rights activists, and development partners in Tanzania joined on 5 December to discuss the human rights of girls and women, including those with disabilities, in a forum titled “Wealth of Knowledge and a Wealth of Care.”

In a message to the Global Refugee Forum released 12 December, faith-based leaders underscored their commitment to offering sanctuary for refugees as well defending their human rights. 

A delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) is visiting Colombia, conveying a message of the WCC’s commitment to accompanying and supporting the nation’s peace processes.