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The World Council of Churches comments to the zero draft of the “Pact for the Future,” the envisaged outcome of the UN Summit for the Future, submitted on 12 February 2024 (extended version).

Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023: Do good; seek justice (Isaiah 1:17)

Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023: Do good; seek justice (Isaiah 1:17)

Background

Genesis of the document

Recognising that we all live in multi-religious societies, African church leaders gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 2016 World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) regional workshop on “Birth Registration and Gender Discriminatory Nationality Laws in Africa”, stressed the need to develop inter-faith strategies and affirmations in our advocacy work for the human rights of stateless people.

Official numbered publications of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order

One in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.

Acts 2 : 42 - 47 

Tanner discusses Faith and Order as a movement, as a Commission, as an agenda, as a method, and as a commitment to the future.

In 2007 Christians from all traditions will celebrate Easter on the same day, April 8. But in many years major Christian traditions celebrate Easter on different dates, thus giving the impression of a divided witness to this fundamental aspect of the Christian faith. In recent years the desire to find a common date for the celebration of Easter, the Holy Pascha, the feast of Christ's resurrection, has become more and urgent. Initiatives by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches have urged churches to address this issue. This page seeks to provide some answers to frequent questions asked about the date of Easter.

Preparatory document for the upcoming centenary of the Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference

"Changing ecclesial and ecumenical context" : The WCC's Common Understanding and Vision process offers a coherent and challenging vision: a broad fellowship of churches, committed and accountable to one another, seeking visible unity in their life and witness today.

"Changing international and political context" : From the prophet Isaiah to the pastor Bonhoeffer, from Esther in ancient Israel to the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in Argentina of our day, prophets are real and inspiring. They are raised up in honour at regular intervals in the Bible. God's promise of a new heaven and a new earth owes something to their labors. Yet most believers—no matter how committed to God's justice—would not call themselves prophets or think of themselves as prophetic people.

Ecumenical Conversations provide a space for delegates to share their experiences in addressing key concerns for the future of the churches and their common witness and action. In dialogue, the Ecumenical Conversations will become an exciting opportunity for addressing together the prevailing dynamics and trends of today's world and discerning the signs of the times in the light of faith.

This paper is a development of a draft prepared by Alan Falconer and Martin Robra to describe the ethos of the Padares at the Eighth General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Harare (1998). It continues to be the underlying understanding for the deliberative sessions of the WCC Central Committee.

This document has been written to accompany World Council of Churches, Partnerships between Churches and People Living with HIV/AIDS Organizations: Guidelines, (2005). Whereas the partnership document explores the question of why churches should work with People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) organizations and networks, this document has a focus on how churches may work with PLWHA organizations and networks. For example: What issues do you need to think about? What are the needs of PLWHA? How should you interact PLWHA? It is hoped that this document of practical suggestions will assist in helping make partnerships functional and effective.