The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing held its inaugural online meeting on 20 October, where 23 of the 26 members participated. The newly-established commission will foster deeper engagement of WCC member churches in WCC's work on holistic health and healing. It will also assist the council in calling the attention of member churches and ecumenical partners to gaps and challenges on health and diaconal matters and suggest ways Christians may act effectively upon those issues in their respective communities.
A side event, titled “75 years on: Promoting Civic Space and Enhancing Gender Justice,” was held on 11 October in conjunction with the 54th Session of the Human Rights Council.
We, the members of communities including social thinkers, clergy, theologians, activists, and community leaders representing social organizations, ecumenical institutions, and religious traditions, gathered under the aegis of the New International Financial Economic Architecture (NIFEA). We met at a time when leaders of the G20 were also gathering to deliberate on the future of this planet.
Keynote address of Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia at the "International Conference for Reconciliation in Colombia", Bogota, Colombia, 9 August 2023
A young Christian from the United Kingdom has said that the young generation needs the older generation to work with them to tackle the world's problems, as neither group can do it alone.
“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.
Burundi recently witnessed a significant event aimed at fostering inclusivity and addressing the impact of climate change on persons with disabilities. During the National Dialogue on Disability-Inclusive Climate Change Policies and Programs last week, the Friends Church in Burundi embarked on a mission to support and uplift women and girls with disabilities in Nyabihanga, Gitega Province.
The Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network of the World Council of Churches (WCC-EDAN) is hosting a dynamic two-day national dialogue in Burundi from 5-7 June.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the death of Eden Grace, a member of the Religious Society of Friends and former member of the WCC central committee.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) delivered a memorial message at a service held 28 May at the Monastery of Timios Prodromos, Akritochori, Greece, marking one year since the death of Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima, former WCC vice moderator.
“Tax justice is a matter of faith,” said Suzanne Matale. “By faith, [all] are entitled to abundant life. Ordinary people have a right to know and to participate in decision-making tables that affect our own God-given dignity.”
The World Council of Churches (WCC) Permanent Committee on Consensus and Collaboration (PCCC) convened at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey from 27-30 April. This was the final meeting of the PCCC for this term. A new PCCC will be appointed at the next meeting of the Central Committee in June.
Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen, general secretary of the Conference of European Churches, reflects on hopes for the upcoming assembly Tallinn in June, as well as on the role churches play amid the conflict in Ukraine.
Participants of the United Nations Economic and Social Council Financing for Development Forum and representatives from the World Council of Churches (WCC), the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Methodist Council, the Lutheran World Federation, and the Council for World Mission convened in New York to discuss the converging food, fuel, and debt crises and their impacts on vulnerable communities.
Between the period of the 13th of September 1993 (when the Oslo Agreement was signed) and the 31st of December 2022: Israel demolished 2787 structures in East Jerusalem including 213 donor-funded structures, and it displaced 5093 persons including 2582 children. These included homes; Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities; and agricultural structures.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) will co-host an action-oriented seminar, entitled, “Save Children’s Lives – Responsible Banking Survival Guide for Faith Actors & Partners on 9 May at 2-4 pm CET.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) will co-host an action-oriented seminar on Tuesday, May 9th at 2 pm CET, focused on the responsible banking survival guide for faith actors and partners. This online event aims to inspire and advance the actions of faith-based actors and partners to halt the ongoing increase of CO2 emissions by stopping the financing of new fossil fuel projects, focusing on saving children’s lives and securing the future for generations to come.
It is the first UN conference on water in almost 50 years. Taking place in New York from 22-24 March 2023, the “UN 2023 Water Conference” will be a key opportunity to influence and hopefully re-shape the global water discussion. Church and civil society activists are urging affected people, human rights defenders, social movements, and concerned leaders to raise their voices.
On International Women’s Day, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Unity and Mission, and Ecumenical Formation Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba spoke at an event organised by the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations.
