In a historic vote, Rev. Dr Karen Georgia Thompson, a Black woman born in Jamaica, was elected as general minister and president by the United Church of Christ's 34th General Synod on 3 July.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) joins the Methodist family and people across the world who are mourning the death of Rev. Edgar Avitia Legarda, a passionate ecumenical bridge builder.
Seeking to join efforts with those committed to ensure a just and sustainable future for the continent, representatives from World Council of Churches (WCC) member churches in Latin America gathered at the WCC central committee in June to identify common concerns.
When Rev. Rita Famos became involved in the youth programmes of her local congregation in Bern, Switzerland, back in the early 1980s, a lifelong commitment to the Reformed Church and the ecumenical movement started to evolve.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated in the southern hemisphere from 21-28 May. Below, Rev. Canon Michael Wallace, vicar for the Dunedin North Anglican Parish Te Pāriha o Ōtepoti ki te Raki, reflects on his hopes for observing the special week in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Leaders from specialized ministries who gathered for a high-level roundtable with the World Council of Churches (WCC) on 16 May reflected on how the ecumenical fellowship can tackle complex and difficult issues with theological reasoning and concrete actions.
The upcoming Barbados Gospelfest, set for 21-28 May, will express churches’ affirmation and celebration of persons with disabilities in musical and other creative ways.
Pastor Joachim Leberecht, from Herzogenrath/Germany, has won the international Menno Simons Sermon Award from the Center for Peace Church Theology (University of Hamburg) together with the Mennonite congregation Hamburg-Altona.
In his first address after his election on 19 April 2005, Pope Benedict XVI pledged to work for the full and visible unity of all of Christ’s followers, Dr Stephen G. Brown, editor of the World Council of Churches journal The Ecumenical Review, has recalled in an address to a symposium in Dublin.
In a visit to Rome, a World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation met with organizations that, as WCC general secretary Jerry Pillay said, “keep the fire of ecumenism burning.”
The World Council of Churches (WCC) and Ecumenical Institute in Bossey welcomed the Presidium of the Synod from Church of Sweden for a study visit on 20-21 March.
During an Africa-Europe Ecumenical Forum on Migration, held 15-19 March In Hamburg, Germany, nearly 60 people gathered to discuss, among many other issues, the negative effects of “irregular” migration, caused in part by the growth of inequality within and between countries.
Below, Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches (WCC) director of Public Witness and Diakonia, reflects on the relevance of ecumenical diakonia and public witness today.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has hailed the 50th anniversary of a landmark agreement between Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches in Europe in which they recognized each other’s baptism and ordination, and stated they were able to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay is visiting the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey, from 10-11 March. This is the first official visit of the WCC new general secretary to a member church since assuming his duties on 1 January 2023.
Can we increase our knowledge of how algorithms work? Can faith-based groups help close the digital divide? A webinar on 9 March, offered a way forward in an area that sometimes seems ruled by untouchable artificial intelligence.
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.
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended sincere birthday congratulations to Cardinal Walter Kasper, expressing gratitude for the cardinal’s tireless service for Christian unity, particularly for his leadership role in the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
