Displaying 101 - 120 of 646

During solidarity visit to Türkiye, WCC and ACT Alliance witness great needs yet great collaboration: “the churches are all working together”

After returning from a solidarity visit to Türkiye, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay and ACT Alliance general secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria appear in a video interview speaking about what they saw, how churches are working together, and their unique reflections on their visit—held 4-6 April—took place during western Holy Week.

True fasting as actions towards justice

Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of injustice,

to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,

and not to hide yourself from your own kin? - Isaiah 58:6-7

To understand Isaiahs message about true and false fasting, lets take a minute to remind ourselves of the role and intention of fasting in the context of our Christian faith. This is vital, as fasting is one of the spiritual disciplines in the Christian faith that is no longer practised universally.

Women’s wellness and mental health as part of the mission of the church – a wounded healer’s balm

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 Womens 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.

Prof. Jace Pillay reflects on importance of churches in upholding children’s rights

Prof. Jace Pillay, South African research chair for Education and Care in Childhood at the University of Johannesburg, reflected on the importance of churches in ensuring the rights of children.

Twin brother of World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, Jace Pillay noted that South Africa has very good policies with regard to childrens rights —but in many areas those policies exist only on paper, as they are not implemented.

HIV stigma still not eradicated—but we can change our mindset

The HIV response has more than forty years now; timely and accessible medications are effective and ensure long healthy lives for people living with HIV. We have more prevention tools and strategies, we know much more about the virus, there are many organizations and websites with dedicated information; yet, HIV stigma persists in deep thinking, having serious consequences for the 38 million people living with HIV across the world.

Invitation to media

With this media invitation, it is our joy to invite you to attend the installation of Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay as the 9th general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) during the afternoon of Friday, 17 February 2023.

No more women living with HIV dying with cervical cancer

As we come closer to the 16 Days of Activism, which begins on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), includes 1 December (International Day dedicated to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died), and runs through 10 December (International Human Rights Day), I write this open letter to policymakers, faith leaders, and all stakeholders interested in the lives of women and girls.