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At a 27 January conference in Rome, Rev. Henrik Grape, coordinator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Working Group on Climate Change, spoke about how to transform our world to sustainability and, at the same time, fight poverty and hunger without destroying the environment.

Before accepting the position of programme executive for the WCC Faith and Order Commission, Dr Ani Ghazaryan Drissi was involved with the WCC in several different ways.

"Günther Gassmann's life and work reflect the ecumenical ideals of theological reflection based deeply in careful historical understanding of the Christian tradition, combined with sincere and open-minded work to address and overcome the historic divisions within the church”, wrote the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, upon the passing of Prof. Dr Günther Gassmann, on 11 January.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, celebrated worldwide from 18-25 January, will be hosted this year by the Council of Christian Churches in Germany (ACK). As 2017 marks the commemoration of the Reformation, the week of prayer will reflect on the legacy of the Reformation and the current spirit of reconciliation in Christ.

He earned the title “Green Patriarch” as a religious leader addressing alarming environmental issues over at least two decades. In 2008, Time Magazine named His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as one of 100 Most Influential People in the World, for “defining environmentalism as spiritual responsibility”.

Colleagues, friends, happy faces and a strong sense of fellowship was the theme, as a group of staff from the WCC, the Pilgrims for Justice and Peace, participated in the Escalade race in Geneva on 3 December.

Geneva, 3 November 2016: Events that mark the 500-year anniversary of the Reformation are being launched today in the Reformation city of Geneva. Federal Councillor Alain Berset gave the welcoming address. The Reformation truck, which will travel from Geneva to 67 Reformation cities in 19 countries, was unveiled at the international commencement. Events to mark the anniversary will be held in Switzerland and throughout Europe in the coming months. The aim is not to return to a mystical date in history, but rather to reflect on what the Reformation means to the generations of today and tomorrow.

Roman Catholic and WCC representatives are forging new ways of working together on today’s most pressing issues.

Rev. Dr Owe Boersma will take over the post of EAPPI international programme coordinator in Geneva, effective 26 September 2016. Mr Manuel Quintero, after eight years of service as EAPPI international programme coordinator based in Geneva, has reached retirement age and will be leaving the World Council of Churches’ EAPPI international office at the end of August.

Increasingly, the unity of the church is threatened by different positions on moral issues. In response to this, the Faith and Order Commission of the WCC continues to study how churches arrive at the ethical decisions they make.

Rev. Dr Hielke Wolters is leaving the WCC after serving for nine years - the last seven years as associate general secretary - but he is not leaving the ecumenical movement to which he has been dedicated since his student days. Officially is he going to retire, but only on the paper. He has many thoughts and plans to realize as he moves back to the Netherlands to serve, in one way or another, the church or the wider ecumenical movement. Wolters said to WCC News with a smile: “I’m open for any suggestion and I know that God will lead me in the right direction when that time comes.”

Facilitating peace requires conviction, political independence and endurance. Add a whole lot of passion and native Cypriot Salpy Eskidjian fits perfectly into that job description. Since she started in 2011 as executive coordinator of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process, which is operating under the auspices of the Embassy of Sweden in Nicosia, she has tirelessly – and successfully – sought to engage religious leaders in a dialogue for peace.

The church must work for climate justice as part of its quest for just peace, urged Dr Agnes Abuom, moderator of the WCC Central Committee (WCC) as she offered a keynote address at the Württembergische Evangelische Landessynode in Stuttgart, Germany this week.

Hope in a Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace formed the integral thread for proceedings at the meeting of the Central Committee of the WCC in Trondheim, Norway this week. The 2016 meeting took place 22-28 June, the second gathering since the Central Committee was elected at the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea in 2013.

The next World Mission Conference is to be held in Arusha, Tanzania, 8-13 March 2018. The proposal to hold the conference was approved by the WCC Central Committee.

What is the state of the ecumenical quest for Christian unity? How does it relate to work for justice and peace? What can we say about the Church in this context?

The 2016 WCC Central Committee concluded its third day with an afternoon prayer service in one of Trondheim’s most beautiful churches. Built in 1715, the Bakke Church, with its remarkable architecture and artistry, is one the oldest buildings in the Bakklandet area of Trondheim.

As the Holy and Great Council commenced this week in Crete, Greece, WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit attended celebrations of Pentecost with the Orthodox community, offering his prayers and support.

The 2016 WCC Central Committee meeting was called to order by its moderator, Dr Agnes Abuom, from the Anglican Church of Kenya, on the morning of 22 June in the city of Trondheim, Norway.

His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrived in Crete on 15 June, pledging to proceed with the Holy and Great Council, the long-planned meeting of Orthodox Churches there.