It’s not easy to be a youth leader in the Holy Land. “Our youth have a need to recognize God’s calling in their lives,” explained Nadine Bitar, general secretary of Christian Youth in Palestine, a group that supports youth leaders in the homeland of Jesus.
For World Council of Churches 11th Assembly delegates and for other people around the world who want to get to the heart of the assembly, the WCC is offering a Resource Book full of both information and inspiration.
World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca extended condolences in the wake of a supertanker explosion and fire in the Matanzas supertanker port in Cuba. Blackouts and toxic fumes were still affecting the area.
The World Council of Churches invites the global fellowship and all people of good will to join, on 15 August, a prayer for peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.
The Ecumenical Youth Gathering to be held on 27-30 August before the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, aims to bring together around 400 young people from various churches and ecumenical partners to discuss a common message. The event is designed to provide an opportunity for young people to participate in intergenerational dialogue and develop a more inclusive agenda for the movement.
Rev. Dr Lydia Mwaniki believes her call from God to serve actually began when she was in her mother’s womb. “When my mother was four months pregnant and was splitting firewood, she said to God, ‘if you send me a baby boy, he will serve in your house."
In a joint message on gender-based violence, sexual abuse, and faith communities, 26 World Council of Churches (WCC) Thursdays in Black ambassadors lament that the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence continues unabated—and call on faith communities to prevent such violence in their own spaces.
Opening an online international seminar commemorating the life of Dr Paulose Mar Gregorios, World Council of Churches (WCC) deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri shared thoughts on his ecumenical contributions.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) gave thanks to God for the three decades-long ministry of His Beatitude Anastasios, archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania.
As Brazilian artist Janine Marja Schneider pieces together the “Waterfall of Solidarity and Resistance” tapestry, she brings mixed emotions to her endeavors. On one hand, she’s inspired to bring the stories of women from around the world to life on the colorful blocks that cascade downward like liquid. On the other hand, with every stitch, she more deeply absorbs what brings these women together: it’s what they’ve survived.
Rev. Edna Navaya, is moderator of the Presbyterian-Blantyre Synod, Church of Central Africa, Malawi. She was among African women church leaders who gathered in May for an inaugural “Ecumenical Women’s Initiative for Leadership and Learning.” Below, she reflects on the path to becoming ordained, as well as the importance of gathering women leaders together to exchange ideas and share experiences.
There are 181 blocks—and every single one tells a story. Arranged in colorful strips that flow like liquid, they will gently move when people pass by them at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe.
Peace prayers and a concert in South Korea on 27 July marked the lead-up to World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly while expressing the fervent hope for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
The 15th Lambeth Conference, convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, is gathering together bishops from across the Anglican Communion from 26 July to 8 August for prayer and reflection, as well as fellowship and dialogue on church and world affairs.
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.
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.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the passing of Archbishop Mor Gabriel Dahho, Patriarchal Vicar of Jerusalem, Jordan and the Holy Lands.
WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca extended condolences to the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Anthioch.
World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca visited Syria, alongside the Middle East Council of Churches secretary general Dr Michel Abs, the general secretary of ACT Alliance Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, and WCC senior advisor on peace building Michel Nseir.
Mathilda Johnson is world vice president of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women. She also serves as lay president for the Methodist Church in The Gambia. Below, she reflects on her childhood, her top women’s issues, and her hope for her sisters in Africa.