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UN Financing for Development Forum side event

Taxes and gender justice: how do we bridge the divide?

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and its partners organized a side event on 23 April in conjunction with the UN Financing for Development Forum, which is occurring 22-25 April.

25 April 2024

News

Cuban president Miguel Diaz Canél and WCC programme executive for the Ecumenical Office to the United Nations in New York Dr Ryan Smith.

Ecumenical delegation meets with Cuban president Miguel Diaz Canél in New York

A delegation formed by the World Council of Churches (WCC), member churches, and ecumenical partners met with Cuban president Miguel Diaz Canél on 20 September, discussing the blockade and the harm it has done to the Cuban people, especially related to healthcare and health innovations in Cuba.

22 September 2023

News

New York City, September 21 2023- The Wrold Council of Churches, UNAIDS and PEPFAR hosted the Communities of Faith Prayer Breakfast during the high level week of the UN General Assembly, gathering faith leaders and other health care leaders and practitioners to learn and pray together about the current state of AIDS among children and the rest of the population.

At interfaith gathering, WCC joins calls for a one-community response to HIV

An interfaith breakfast held in conjunction with the 78th session of the UN General Assembly brought into focus the urgent need for building partnerships for a one-community response to HIV.

22 September 2023

News

"Legend of Our Times," Sylvia Ross Talbot, dies at 89

The life and ministry of Dr. Sylvia Ross Talbot, a church leader whose ecumenical dedication included service as the WCC’s vice-moderator in the 1980s and president of Church Women United, was celebrated last weekend in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

She died 15 May at the age of 89.

18 July 2023

Interview

Churches must talk about issues even if they are not comfortable with them, says Disciples' leader

Rev. Terri Hord Owens, the general minister and president of the Christian Church, the Disciples of Christ (USA and Canada), says the World Council of Churches (WCC) must offer an environment where people can talk on all issues, even if it is uncomfortable or "messy" to do so.

27 June 2023

News

Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS

For children with HIV, inequality must be addressed, urge faith-based leaders

An interfaith breakfast held in conjunction with the 77th session of the UN General Assembly brought into focus the urgent need for policymakers to better address key gaps to end inequalities in HIV services for children.

26 September 2022

News

youth gathered at Standing Rock for protest

Applications open for WCC Eco-School 2022 with focus on North America

Applications are open for the fifth edition of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Eco-School on Water, Food and Climate Justice, to be held 24 April-1 May 2022 in the North America region. Convening in-person at the Stony Point Center in New York, the event is open to young people under 30 years of age from the North America region only.

03 March 2022

Feature story

With boldness of faith, joy and peace, Pan African women hold “Ubuntu” gathering

Women of faith who are African or of African descent held a powerful recent gathering, “Ubuntu: Remembrance, Diversity, and Advocacy in Unity Now!” in which they shared their call to action with a sense of Sankofa, or a season of now while looking back and forward. The event was organized by the Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network (PAWEEN) and Pan African Women of Faith (PAW).

17 December 2021

Feature story

“Bathroom ministry” for the homeless

Whether people have access to a safe and clean toilet has wide-reaching consequences for their dignity, health, access to education, and gender equality. Churches around the world are therefore acting as messengers, implementers, advocators, and guardians to promote better sanitation and hygiene. There are many practical and encouraging examples. One is the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew & Matthew (SsAM) in Wilmington (Delaware) in the USA, which has a “community bathroom” that people from the homeless community can use.

14 December 2021

News

WCC mourns passing of Rev. Dr Timothy Stewart, president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the passing of Rev. Dr Timothy Stewart, president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention.

Stewart passed away on 17 September at the age of 64.

23 September 2021

News

A woman prepares food in a street restaurant in Seoul, South Korea.

In letter to President Biden, WCC appeals for reconsidering sanctions against North Korea

In a 1 September letter to President Joe Biden, World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca appealed for reconsideration on sanctions against North Korea.

02 September 2021

Interview

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton reflects on how churches can head off vaccine hesitancy

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton is ecumenical officer for the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and presiding bishop of the Fifth Episcopal District. Below, she shares her reflections on the vital role of churches in reducing vaccine hesitancy and increasing vaccine equity.

08 July 2021

News

As UN meeting convenes, WCC takes stock of progress on ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030

As a United Nations high-level meeting convenes from 8-10 June in New York, the World Council of Churches (WCC) is joining the UN and other faith-based and civic groups to review progress on commitments to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

07 June 2021

News

As churches distribute COVID-19 vaccines, religious leaders are also “helping restore the soul of America”

As religious leaders in the USA gathered online for a Faiths4Vaccines National Summit on 26 May, they heard a clear message from policymakers and scientists leading the COVID-19 response: churches are not only caring for people’s health but for their souls, too.

27 May 2021

News

Faiths4Vaccines National Summit will focus on equitable vaccine access in USA

A Faiths4Vaccines National Summit will be held on 26 May, featuring US medical professionals—including US surgeon general Vivek Murthy—as well as faith leaders who have been serving critical roles in their communities to support equitable vaccine distribution in the USA.

25 May 2021

Prayer

God of all people and all nations hear us as we pray. We hear the news that more than 2.6 million* people have died from this terrible pandemic, more than 500,000 in our nation alone, and we confess to becoming numb to the sorrow and pain. Help us to remember that these are not mere statistics on a chart or a graph. Remind us that each one was a human being with a family and friends, each is one of your beloved children. Do not allow us to move to quickly from our grief and become reckless in our desire to

A prayer from the National Council of Churches USA

By the NCC USA general secretary Jim Winkler

07 April 2021

Prayer

Loving God, We earnestly pray for healing, for the continued efforts to relieve human suffering, and for perseverance throughout these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are struck by the dedication and cooperation of virologists, biochemists, epidemiologists, and many other scientists working urgently in laboratories across Canada and around the world to develop tests, treatments, and vaccines to protect us from the ongoing ravages of COVID-19. Now, with a shift in public attention, we pray...

A prayer for healing, gratitude, and a just transition from the Canadian Council of Churches

By pastor Peter Noteboom, CCC general secretary

12 March 2021

Photo essay

Collage of some of the Week of Prayer pictures shared by Christians in different places

In pictures: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Prayers for unity took on a different look and feel this year, but they weren’t stopped by widespread restrictions on face-to-face gatherings. From prayer cards to personal reflections, online gatherings to new connections, the images worldwide convey the spiritual richness of an ecumenical family that came together in prayer.

01 February 2021

News

Rev. Dr Karin Achtelstetter: “More than ever we need to come together in faith, solidarity and hope”

The World Council of Churches is publishing a series of interviews that portray insights and reflections from the leaders of faith-based global and regional humanitarian and development organizations. Rev. Dr Karin Achtelstetter is executive director of Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR).

09 October 2020

News

Students and faculty gathered at Bossey, September 2020. Photo: Odair Pedroso Mateus/WCC

New student body at Bossey Ecumenical Institute “a source of joy”

Rev. Fr Dr Lawrence Iwuamadi is dean of the Ecumenical Institute, the graduate school which opened its academic year this week. Below, Iwuamadi reflects on the arrival of new students at the Ecumenical Institute during this remarkable time.

14 September 2020