His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke during a brief interview after his opening sermon on 21 June at the World Council of Churches central committee meeting.
World Council of Churches (WCC) president for Eastern Orthodox Churches Metropolitan Vasilios of Ammochostos has three-quarters of his diocese on the island of Cyprus under Turkish occupation, but no Christians are still living in the occupied part.
“We carry the cross with dignity and hope.” These were the opening words as Middle East Christians stood to bear witness at the World Council of Churches central committee meeting, to the burdens and challenges – but also the resilience – that they live on a daily basis in the land where Christianity was born.
The central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has concluded its week-long meeting in Geneva with a call to turn to God as a worshipful, thankful, and hopeful people.
By far the largest region, both in terms of population and geographical size, the Asia region faces an array of pertinent issues for the churches to address and engage in. Stretching from Iran in the west to Japan in the east and from Nepal in the north to New Zealand in the south, the region encompasses a wide range of cultures and religions.
Hope and commitment were central in the report that the Africa region presented to the WCC central committee on 26 June. As is customary during these meetings, central committee members, advisors, stewards, and staff from each region met for prayer and sharing and to identify issues affecting the life and witness of the churches in their region.
At any big World Council of Churches (WCC) meeting, stewards work like the oil in a machine, helpings gathering such as the central committee to function seamlessly, but it is also a learning experience for the young ecumenical workers.
The WCC central committee expressed continuous concern about two significant territorial crises in the eastern Mediterranean: those within Palestine and Israel, and those within Cyprus. “These politically driven conflicts have resulted in illegal occupations that have spanned decades,” reads a minute released by the governing body.
In approving a financial strategy for the World Council of Churches (WCC), the WCC central committee considered membership contributions, expenses related to the WCC 11th Assembly, the Green Village development project, and other fiduciary aspects.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee, in its business proceedings, appointed 17 youth advisors; elected leaders for its commissions; and revised bylaws for the new WCC Commission on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
The World Council of Churches central committee approved the applications of four churches for an interim period of participation in the work of the WCC and for interaction with the fellowship of member churches.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has received approval for its Strategic Plan 2023-2030 from the WCC central committee. The WCC’s governing body took into account the interrelation of programmes, and determined that the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity will serve as a programmatic umbrella.
Rev. Terri Hord Owens, the general minister and president of the Christian Church, the Disciples of Christ (USA and Canada), says the World Council of Churches (WCC) must offer an environment where people can talk on all issues, even if it is uncomfortable or "messy" to do so.
As the World Council of Churches (WCC) celebrated its 75 anniversary, the voices of young people rang out with hope, joy—and some pointed messages for their ecumenical family.
