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Letter

Pastoral letter to His Beatitude Hieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece - Wildfires - July 2023

Your Beatitude,

27 July 2023

Letter

Pastoral letter to His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew - Wildfires - July 2023

Your All-Holiness, dear Patriarch Bartholomew,

27 July 2023

Reconciliation in conflict areas is not easy, church leaders tell WCC meeting

Church leaders from Canada, the Holy Land, and South Africa have addressed the central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva on reconciliation, explaining that the process involving communities is not easy and needs hard work and responsibility.

25 June 2023

Report

Report of the General Secretary to the WCC Central Committee, June 2023

Report of the WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay to the WCC Central Committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 21 - 27 June 2023.

21 June 2023

Central Committee

Message

Message of the WCC general secretary at the Memorial Service of Dr Agnes Abuom

Message of Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches at the Memorial Service of Dr Agnes Abuom, Nairobi, 13 June 2023.

13 June 2023

Peace Pilgrim Agnes Abuom dies at 73

Beloved ecumenical leader and indefatigable peacemaker Dr Agnes Abuom has died at the age of 73 in her native Kenya, following a short illness.

01 June 2023

WCC executive committee appeals for permanent cessation of hostilities in Sudan, urges solidarity and support

The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, in a public statement, urged a permanent cessation of hostilities in Sudan, where people are facing a humanitarian catastrophe following weeks of intense fighting between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

26 May 2023

Statement: public statement

WCC Executive committee Statement on the Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan

Statement on the Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan by the Executive committee of the World Council of Churches, meeting via video conference on 22-26 May 2023.

26 May 2023

Executive committee

Moderator of Central Committee

Lecture - Speech

Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm: "Just Peace through Military Force? Peace Ethical Considerations in Light of the War of Aggression against Ukraine"

Lecture of the World Council of Churches central committee moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm delivered at the Kitzingen deanery, a regional church district near Würzburg, Germany.

22 May 2023

Sermon

"Seeking Peace and Unity", reflection on Matthew 5:1-11 by Rev. Seoyoung Kim

"Seeking Peace and Unity", reflection on Matthew 5:1-11 by Rev. Seoyoung Kim during the ecumenical morning prayer held on 15 May 2023, when the World Council of Churches (WCC) staff and partners observed the UN International Day of Living Together in Peace.

15 May 2023

Member church

National Christian Council of Sri Lanka releases statement opposing proposed Anti-Terrorism Act

The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, in a statement, expressed its strong opposition to a proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) which aims to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

02 May 2023

Commission on Faith and Order

Report

Faith and Order Moderator’s Report - April 2023

I am writing this report just after the celebration of Easter in the West, and I have both a sense of rejoicing that Christ is risen, defeating death and treading down evil, but also a pang of sorrow that we are not yet united in celebrating Easter together.

21 April 2023

Tribute

Eulogy of Prof. Dr Julio de Santa Ana, by Dr Ofelia Ortega

20 April 2023

Ecumenical movement

Bible studies

Photo of woman dressed in priest's garb walking in procession.

Hope for Palestine

Rev. Sally Azar, of the Lutheran Church in the Holy Land, offered the reflection below on how Easter reminds us there is hope for Palestine.

11 April 2023

Woman praying in the church with hands raised

After violent demonstrations, Kenyan religious leaders welcome president and opposition talks

After persistently calling for dialogue to end violent anti-government protests, Kenyan religious leaders are welcoming President William Samoei Ruto and opposition leader Raila Amollo Odinga consultations, during which the two have agreed to tackle critical issues troubling the east African nation.

05 April 2023

Bible studies

Seven Weeks for Water 2023, week 7: "And we are still thirsty for water!", by Bishop Munib Younan

Originally published in 2016, the seventh reflection of the WCC's Ecumenical Water Network Lenten campaign 2023 "Seven Weeks for Water" is from The Rt Rev. Dr Munib Younan, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

Salaam and grace to you from Jerusalem, the Holy City. As an Arab Christian, I am thankful for the opportunity to write a reflection for this year’s “Seven Weeks for Water”. Of course, this part of the world always has been dealing with water issues because of its dry climate and few water resources. Today, however, the Palestinian people face an even greater water challenge. It is a crisis that grows worse year after year.

04 April 2023

Feature story

For true repentance and liberation, accept involvement in slave trade, leading ecumenist urges Africa

In the search for true repentance and liberation, Africa needs to acknowledge its complicity in slave trade, says Rev. Fidon Mwombeki, general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches.

01 March 2023

Bible studies

Seven Weeks for Water 2023, week 2: "God’s Gift of Water", by Grace Ji-Sun Kim

Originally written in 2019, the second reflection of the “Seven Weeks for Water 2023” of World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Water Network is by Grace Ji-Sun Kim, an ordained minister of PC (USA). She received her PhD from the University of Toronto and works as a Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion. She is a prolific writer and the author or editor of 21 books including, Making Peace with the Earth. Kim is part of the World Council of Churches working group on climate change. In this reflection, she recollects her early days in Korea and how she looked at the water then and now, as an eco-feminist theologian. She further reflects on the promise of God "I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground…" and contrasts it with today's consumeristic lifestyle, which is polluting our water bodies and denying millions from enjoying this life-giving gift of God – Water!

27 February 2023