Search results

Christians in Africa have joined in ecumenical celebrations and prayer services to mark the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed worldwide from 18-25 January.

Bring the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity to your phone, computer or tablet - wherever you are - with the Bible-reading plan now available via the YouVersion Bible app. Users can explore the theme, “they showed us unusual kindness,” taken from Acts 28:2, in a digital format. The app, which has already been installed on more than 400 million devices by users in all countries of the world, allows users to read the Bible, share verses via social media, and bookmark favorite passages.

The Joint Consultative Group between Pentecostals and the World Council of Churches met from 8-12 November at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute outside Geneva. Established by the Harare Assembly in 1998, the group is currently in its third round of consultation. Since 2015, the group has been studying discipleship and formation.

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. Anders Göranzon is the general secretary of the Swedish Bible Society.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Council for World Mission assembled theologians, activists, practitioners and religious leaders for a consultation on interfaith dialogue and liberation from 22-24 October in Nairobi, Kenya.

Churches across southern Africa are publicly saying #EnoughIsEnough,” with many denominations and congregations continuing to issue strong statements, arrange special prayer events, and speak out against rising levels of violence.

Both the Dutch Reformed Church and the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA) have been discussing gender justice and how to keep the momentum going on the unprecedented public demand for change.

On 1-4 October, WCC staff are gathering to develop a common work plan for the year ahead. Staff Planning Days are a way to strengthen relationships, build trust and increase collaboration between and across teams.

Dr Alexander M. Schweitzer is executive director of Bible Ministry and director of Global Bible Translation for the Global Mission Team of United Bible Societies. On International Translation Day, Schweitzer shared his thoughts about the challenges related to translations, as well as how deeply they enrich our world.

A recent seminar for adolescents and young people from the Nairobi city slum Schools of Hope Clubs invited participants to address their perceptions of what it means to be a man or a woman.

Born in Nazareth, Galilee, Rev. Dr Saïd Ailabouni moved to the US at the age of 19 to become a physician. But he was so angry at God that he went to study theology instead, becoming a Lutheran pastor. Now he is leading the Middle East & Europe desk of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Since leaving his hometown 50 years ago, he visits his Palestinian family regularly. As the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel approaches, Ailabouni agreed to share some of his lifetime observations with the Word Council of Churches.

Erhard Hermansen is general secretary of the Christian Council of Norway, which has been collaborating closely with churches in Sudan and South Sudan for nearly 30 years. Hermansen attended the South Sudan Council of Churches 2019 Assembly in late August, and shares his reflections and hopes below.

Dr Agnes Abuom is moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee. From Kenya, Abuom is a laywoman in the Anglican Church of Kenya.

Stories, music, and many other expressions of solidarity marked a lively observation of Thursdays in Black at the German Protestant church festival. From religious leaders to passersby, many offered words of support and encouragement for the campaign for a world free from rape and violence.

Church bells will ring out in Geneva at 11 in the morning on 14 June in solidarity with a national “strike” for women’s equality being held throughout Switzerland.

Among the many international guests at the Heavenly Days on the Heath, which unfolded during the Ascension holidays in Herning in Denmark, was Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches.

It is confirmation season in Greenland. In churches across the country, bench rows are decorated with flowers and candles along the aisle. Joy is in the air and it is time for a vast majority of 14-year-olds to have their Christian baptism confirmed.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has released “A 60-Day Journey Toward Justice in a Culture of Gun Violence,” a collection of daily observances that call people to face the painful truth of gun violence and work for its prevention.