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On 15 April, faith-based and civil society organizations came together to engage with the theme of the third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and its implications for the work of religious organizations working with and for People of African Descent.

A group of church leaders from Sweden met with the World Council of Churches (WCC) to prepare for the year 2025, with a focus on commemorating 100 years since the beginning of the Life and Work movement as well as the commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where bishops representing the whole of Christendom gathered together for the first time to discuss the faith and witness of the church.

Mount Zion, located just outside the current walls of the Old City, via Zion Gate, is of great importance to Christians because this is the area of Dormition Abbey, the Cenacle (the traditional spot for remembering the Last Supper and washing of the Apostles’ feet), and where the Holy Spirit descended upon them in the event of Pentecost.

In a world rife with challenges, Mena Shawky, a Coptic Orthodox from Egypt, shares reflections on faith, unity, and the transformative power of prayer. Currently working in an international organization to aid refugees, Shawky's journey and perspectives offer a beacon of hope and wisdom.

In an annual audience during the ongoing Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Bishop Bo-Göran Åstrand of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland gifted a pair of gloves to Pope Francis, described as “a modest gift, to warm the Pope’s hands in an otherwise cold world.” 

No holidays for William Temple, Archbishop of York, early in August 1937. The ecumenical movement for the social responsibility of the churches, known as “Life and Work,” had just held its world conference in Oxford, 12-26 July, with the church struggle against emerging totalitarian states at the heart of its theme and work. Temple had drafted the final message of the conference, known for the motto “let the Church be the Church.”   

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has been fielding a growing number of greetings and reflections as it continues to observe its 75th anniversary.

Scholars, including colleagues and students of the Anglican theologian Rowan Williams, gathered in Cambridge to honour the contribution of the former Archbishop of Canterbury as a theologian, scholar and church leader, following his retirement in 2020 as Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Taisir Hasbun gets a glint in his eyes when he talks about "Bethlehem Reborn – Palestine – The Wonders of the Nativity.”

A public online celebration and panel discussion on 31 August, “They too were Gathered: Paying homage to Black people’s contributions to 75 years of World Council of Churches (WCC),” uncovered the contributions of Black people from different parts of the world in the formation and growth of the WCC.

As the World Council of Churches celebrates its 75th anniversary, a series of feature stories from different regions of the world will portray ecumenism at the local level—within churches, communities, and individuals who embody the spirit of ecumenism in unique ways. The feature story below offers a glimpse of some facets of ecumenism present in Africa.

“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. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee meeting brings great joy, its moderator said, as its 148 members met at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva to discuss the governance of one of the planet's most diverse fellowship of churches.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee opened on 21 June with common prayer that recalled the 75th anniversary of the founding of the WCC in 1948 and remembered those active in the ecumenical movement who have died over the past year.

As churches in the southern hemisphere closed the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on 28 May, they brought final reflections to this year’s theme of “Do good; seek justice (Isaiah 1:17).”

Strengthening the link between Christian perspectives and practical action for human rights, a symposium on human dignity and rights took place in the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey on 25-26 April.