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.
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.
Rev. Serge Fornerod is a former World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee, a member of the Green Village steering committee, and the new president of the FAP Foundation for Reformed Churches. He recently published a book, “Les Fornerod, une famille au service de l’Église” that details the intersection of his personal faith and professional life[1].
Thursdays in Black ambassadors play a vital role in increasing the impact of our collective call for a world without rape and violence. H.E. Archbishop Dr Vicken Aykazian is vice-moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee.
Thursdays in Black ambassadors play a vital role in increasing the impact of our collective call for a world without rape and violence. Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley is general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union, and vice moderator of the WCC central committee.
Thursdays in Black ambassadors play a vital role in increasing the impact of our collective call for a world without rape and violence. Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm is moderator of the World Council of Churches.
Thursdays in Black ambassadors play a vital role in increasing the impact of our collective call for a world without rape and violence. Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay is general secretary of the World Council of Churches.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As many celebrate Valentine’s Day, the WCC invited reflections on the power of love. Below are four reflections, all from people somehow involved in or leading, in their local contexts, a Thursdays in Black campaign for a world free from rape and violence. They share the joys, the pain, and the ever-changing perspective on what love is—and what it can become.
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.
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.
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.
Right Rev. Dr Emily Onyango, assistant bishop, Anglican Diocese of Bondo, Kenya, was ordained in 1987—the second woman priest ordained in all of east Africa—and appointed as assistant bishop in 2021. She also serves as a lecturer for St Paul’s University. Below, she reflects on her path to becoming a church leader, the resistance she encountered, and her message to young people today.
At a webinar organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC), Norwegian Church Aid, and the International Partnership of Religion and Sustainable Development to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May, participants, including representatives of various faith communities, brought to light the challenges regarding access to menstrual products, education about menstruation, and period-friendly sanitation facilities.
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. Marcelo D. Leites is general secretary of the World Student Christian Federation.
A Zoom panel on 30 January 2022 recalled the witness of Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) and to celebrate the publication of a new book, Ecumenical Encounters with Desmond Mpilo Tutu, honouring his life and work and presented to him on his 90th birthday.