Search results

"Christian unity is an intrinsic dimension of God’s grace to us. It belongs to our faith, as we also confess it together in the creeds of the early church. To belong to Christ means to belong to the body of Christ, the church," said the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). He was referring to the covenanting process of five church denominations in Wales.

“We have come a long way in these fifty years,” observed Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit in a message to the general assembly of bishops of the Roman Catholic Church gathered on the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, by Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962.

Fifteen representatives from churches, ecumenical organizations and other partners from Africa, Asia, North and South America, Europe and the Pacific came together this week in Crete to assess the work of the World Council of Churches (WCC) on care for creation and climate justice and to strategize for the future.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) invites applications for workshops, exhibitions and side events for its upcoming 10th Assembly to be held in Busan, Republic of Korea. The deadline to submit proposals is 31 October 2012.

In a world where understanding of Christian mission is changing rapidly, Bishop Geevarghese Mor Coorilos, moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) explains what new visions the WCC mission statement will bring to the churches.

A framework and criteria for a new financial and economic architecture will be discussed at an ecumenical conference in Brazil this week. These criteria will embrace ethics and justice to address ecological concerns. The debates at the event will highlight the concerns of millions of people affected by the financial crisis.

"€œIndigenous Peoples, in spite of their debilitating experiences of discrimination, displacement and disempowerment, have sustainable alternatives to many of the world’s problems,"€ said Dr Pusin Tali. These alternatives, he said, are "€œdrawn from their rich traditions of wisdom, based on their deep interactive engagement with the earth."

Citing the European churches’ “strong commitment over the past century to the ecumenical movement and fellowship in Europe,” WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit urged their direct engagement in the current financial and social crisis in and beyond Europe.

“The misuse of blasphemy law is contrary to the vision of Pakistan as a moderate and democratic country,” said Mohammad Tahseen, in a public hearing on the “Misuse of blasphemy law and religious minorities in Pakistan” organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Recent debates on the role of Christian communication are being impacted by a communications statement released in May by the World Council of Churches (WCC), the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) and the Korean Host Committee for the WCC 10th Assembly.

South Africa, Australia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, French Polynesia (Maohi Nui), Pakistan, Syria and Myanmar have provided the subjects for statements and minutes of concern voiced by the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) as part of public issues actions during a recent meeting of that governing body at the Orthodox Academy of Crete in Kolympari, Greece.

Some 22 representatives of the major Asian associations of theological schools came together recently in Indonesia to discuss challenges for training of ministers and lay people in Asian churches and to set goals for a new forum on theological education.

During a plenary session at its current meeting, the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee explored emerging issues that hinder gender equality and the building of a safe community for women and men in churches and societies around the world.

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I publicly reaffirmed the Ecumenical Patriarchate's commitment to the vision and mission of the World Council of Churches (WCC) on 3 September. He was addressing participants of the WCC Central Committee meeting in Crete, Greece.

A draft statement on Christian unity, intended for the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 2013, was presented on 30 August to the WCC's 60th Central Committee meeting.

It might seem like a trivial task to help with the logistical arrangements of a major meeting. However, for the “stewards” of the WCC, this task means more than merely helping out.

The first ecumenical affirmation of mission since 1982, invoking a new understanding of mission and evangelism amidst a changing world and ecclesial landscape, has been presented to the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

"€œWe hope and pray every day for justice in our lives, not only for our families, our countrymen and those who share our opinion, but for all our fellow human beings."€ With this affirmation the Central Committee meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC) began yesterday.

"The WCC can be and still is prophetic today,"€ said the Rev. Dr Walter Altmann, moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee, reflecting on highs and lows in the ecumenical movement and on the identity of the WCC.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) “ is defined by all the three key words in our name. We are global, in all continents, and therefore also in solidarity with one another, seeking peace in all its meaning for the whole earth,” said the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit.