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Celebrating Charta Oecumenica, heed Paul's words, European churches’ head urges

If the historic ecumenical document, the Charta Oecumenica, signed 20 years ago, is to hold its relevance for another two decades and beyond, Christians need to continue heeding Paul's letter to the Galatians (3:28). That is the opinion of Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen, general secretary of the Conference of European Churches, who was teaching in an ecumenical community in Birmingham, UK, at the now-disbanded Selly Oak Colleges, at the United College of the Ascension when the charter was signed in 2001.

Morning Prayer for Monday, 12 April 2021

This week in the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, we pray with the people and churches of

Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.

Prayers were prepared in cooperation with the Lutheran World Federation.

The ecumenical spirit at Calvin’s Cathedral

Few moments in the early history of the World Council of Churches have embodied and conveyed the spirit of the modern ecumenical movement as vividly as the service celebrated at Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Geneva, 20 February 1946, less than one year after the end of World War II.

WCC honoured with Geneva Engage Award

The World Council of Churches (WCC) was honoured as a top non-governmental organization for its work during 2020, receiving a second-place Geneva Engage Award on 18 February for effective and inspiring social media outreach and engagement.

In pictures: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Prayers for unity took on a different look and feel this year, but they weren’t stopped by widespread restrictions on face-to-face gatherings. From prayer cards to personal reflections, online gatherings to new connections, the images worldwide convey the spiritual richness of an ecumenical family that came together in prayer.

World Council of Churches assembly theme urges an “ecumenism of the heart”

In a world crying out for justice and peace, the theme of the 2022 assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity,” speaks of hope for a future in which resources are shared, inequalities are addressed and all can enjoy dignity, according to a new publication reflecting on the assembly theme.

Christians worldwide gather in prayer for unity— even if distanced

Even as nations continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, final preparations are under way for one of the world’s largest annual prayer observances, traditionally celebrated 18-25 January. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity involves Christian communities from many traditions and all parts of the globe. At a time when public health concerns put a limit on physical gatherings, it provides an opportunity for churches to come together by means of a typically Christian practice that long predates modern transport: prayer.

In a COVID-stricken world, “everyone is important”

A webinar held 22 October gave space for persons with disabilities to share their reflections. Entitled “From Lamentation to Transformation,” the event, first in a series of webinars on COVID-19 perspectives, highlighted hope through stories, practical support, and social change as experienced by persons with disabilities.

Churches need to confront the world’s divisions, says WCC interim general secretary

Only a church that overcomes ethnic, racial and national hatreds can be a credible sign of freedom and reconciliation, the interim general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca has said in an address to mark the 75th anniversary of the Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt by German Protestant leaders after the Second World War.