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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 Germany.

“Hospitality is one of our main values,” said president of the Protestant Church in Switzerland Rev. Rita Famos as she welcomed members of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee to a reception at the Ecumenical Centre on 23 June.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee opened on 21 June with common prayer that recalled the 75th anniversary of the founding of the WCC in 1948 and remembered those active in the ecumenical movement who have died over the past year.

As churches in the southern hemisphere closed the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on 28 May, they brought final reflections to this year’s theme of “Do good; seek justice (Isaiah 1:17).”

There is an old Lutheran adage that to be Lutheran is to be ecumenical, so the theme of the upcoming Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) taking place in Poland, "One Body, One Spirit, One Hope,” is seen as totally appropriate for the times.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has hailed the 50th anniversary of a landmark agreement between Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches in Europe in which they recognized each other’s baptism and ordination, and stated they were able to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.

The new St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York City hosted a special Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service in a church that was previously destroyed by terrorist attacks on 11 Sept. 2001.

As South Sudan readied to welcome visiting world Christian leaders, church officials in the country articulated a range of expectations, including a strong call for peace and reconciliation.

A group of Ecumenical Accompaniers completed their service in Palestine and Israel, handing their ministry over to the next wave, and celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at the same time.

In an address the day after he was elected pope, Benedict XVI pledged to work for the full and visible unity of all Christ’s followers and to do everything in his power to promote the fundamental cause of ecumenism.