The World Council of Churches (WCC), a global fellowship of 352 churches representing more than half a billion Christians from around the world, has been deeply involved in the work of the United Nations from as early as 1946 through its Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA). The WCC is a platform for common action by churches on issues that negate or threaten the dignity of all people.
To guarantee the right to health, we need to understand the meaning of health. WHO defined it in 1948 as a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity wellness, but there is another definition that I like better.
Rev. Ingrid Noren Nilsson, from the Church of Sweden, is a Masters in Advanced Studies student at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. She is currently completing a research fellowship with the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Faith and Order. She took time to reflect on what she has learned, what inspires her, and what she will take home.
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, on behalf of the global fellowship, expressed grave concern regarding the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East following the first direct confrontation between Iran and Israel.
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, on behalf of WCC member churches, said that the WCC cannot reconcile the Decree of the XXV World Russian People's Council describing the conflict in Ukraine as a “Holy War.”
This year, the World Day of Health, which is celebrated annually on 7 April, falls on the third Sunday of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church that is dedicated to the Veneration of the Holy Cross.
Radu Constantin grew up in the small hamlet of Cioatele, in northeastern Romania, a village he describes as “religious people, very involved in the church life.”
Rev. Prof. Dr Simone Sinn's international experience, gained through years of work at the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), has equipped her with a global perspective, preparing her to engage with different Christian traditions and other faiths in her new teaching post at the University of Muenster.
As the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) drew to a close, a look back shows that, this year, the World Council of Churches (WCC), through its Ecumenical Office to the United Nations, brought many voices to the table to speak on gender equality, women's rights, and empowerment.
Kevin Maina, a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development and a representative of the Anglican communion, shares his experience as a participant of the United Nations Environment Assembly's sixth session (UNEA-6) in Kenya.
Our series of interviews with Thursdays in Black ambassadors highlights those who are playing a vital role in increasing the impact of our collective call for a world without rape and violence. Rev. Sally Azar is a pastor at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and currently serves as a pastor in Jerusalem for both Arabic and English-speaking congregations.
Max Weber, a student at the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, is currently completing a WCC research fellowship. He took time to reflect on his recent attendance at the World Social Forum 2024 in Kathmandu, Nepal, as well as his studies related to economic and ecological justice.
The Kanak concept of “Do Kamo: the authentic human in a permanent becoming”, emphasizes that true human nature is not a fixed state—not something one is born with, but rather an ongoing process of maturation. This is a metaphor for personal growth and transformation, as individuals let go of their past selves and embrace their true identities. This transformation symbolizes shedding our primitive natures and embracing the qualities and potentials of a Do Kamo.
Moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development Archbishop Rev. Julio Murray Thompson, in a WCC video interview, reflects on the challenges the commission is facing, how it will build partnerships, and ways in which it will involve young people.
Dr Mathews George Chunakara, new moderator of World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of Churches on International Affairs, reflects in a WCC video interview on the role of churches in peace-building and working for justice, and the challenging tasks ahead for the commission.
In a World Council of Churches (WCC) video interview, moderator of the WCC Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing Rev. Dr Stavros Kofinas reflects on the direction of the commission, its vision for considering “the whole person,” and how it plans to involve young people.
It was my honour and my tremendous privilege to follow the visit of HH Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, the Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church to India in January and February.
