Report of the WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay at the WCC executive committee meeting convening in Paralimni, Cyprus, 21-26 November 2024.
On behalf of the World Council of Churches, I send warm greetings to all Jewish communities all over the world during the celebration of Rosh Hashanah.
Vandalism targeting churches, cemeteries, and Christian properties in addition to physical and verbal abuse against Christian clergy have increased in the past months in the Holy Land, amid ongoing political tensions within Israeli society.
As a “Living Together” celebration in Bagdad opened on 6 March, religious and ethnic leaders from Iraq celebrated diversity and, at the same time, candidly addressed challenges to inclusive citizenship. They were joined by representatives of Iraqi executive and legislative authorities as well as representatives from UN agencies and embassies.
On 23 February 2023, at a special event at the University of Fribourg honoring his work, former acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, delivered a lecture exploring the question: “What future for the ecumenical movement?”
Thursdays in Black Bible Study "Solomon’s Wisdom in Judgment" on 1 Kings 3:16-28 by Bongie Moyo-Bango, communications director for the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.
In an historic meeting to discuss just peace in the Holy Land, Israeli president Isaac Herzog formally received World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca on 23 November. This marks the first meeting between WCC leadership and an Israeli president.
In his last report to the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed gratitude to WCC leadership and staff—and shared his reflections on moving forward.
The International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations told the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly that its meeting in Karlsruhe coincides with the Hebrew repentance month of Elu.
Greetings to the 11th Assembly of the WCC by Rabbi David Fox Sandmel, Chair of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, Karlsruhe, Germany, 5 September 2022.
In a public statement focused on the Holy Land, the WCC central committee expressed “deep solidarity with the member churches and Christians of the region in their life and work, keeping the Christian faith and witness in the Holy Land alive and vibrant, as well as with all people in the region.”
Statement on Threats to a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, and to the Christian Presence in the Holy Land by the WCC Central Committee meeting, 15-18 June 2022
The WCC has supported the State of Israel since its inception in 1948. The council has consistently called for an end to violence, repudiation of all forms of anti-semitism, an end to the illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict there.
In a response to false reporting in Germany on Israel and Palestine, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca reiterated the WCC’s history of denouncing antisemitism and, at the same time, responding to the experiences and suffering of Palestinians.
The 8th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-based Organizations in International Affairs, entitled "Mobilizing Moral Influence and Governance to End the Systemic Injustices of Racism, the legacy of Colonialism and Slavery", will be held virtually 8:00 – 12:30 EDT on Tuesday 25 January 2022.
