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More than 40 church leaders and diakonia specialists from 15 Asian countries participated in training in ecumenical diakonia and development organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 4-7 December.

The Ecumenical Women's Assembly recently ended a weeklong meeting in Taiwan with calls to repent from greed and for Asian women to become advocates and catalysts of reconciliation, renewal, and restoration in the world, communities, and in churches.

Churches across the Korean Peninsula will mark the year 2020 as a “jubilee year,” and, as they commemorate 70 years since the Korean War, religious leaders are pledging to redouble their ongoing efforts for stronger peace and reunification.

On 18 November a delegation led by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit met with the prime minister of the Republic of Korea, Lee Nak-yeon.

The National Council of Churches in Korea has presented plaques of appreciation to World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and to WCC director of international affairs Peter Prove.

Offering a keynote speech during the 68th General Assembly of the National Council of Churches in Korea in Seoul, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit reflected on the assembly theme, “Walk the Path of the New Commandment,” based on John’s account of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples.

In a sermon at the Seong Eun Methodist Church on 17 November, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit reflected on the theme of the upcoming WCC Assembly in 2021, “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) continues to amplify the voice of the indigenous Papuans in Indonesia, who are oppressed by racism and discrimination.

Concerned about the escalating crisis of violence, racism and discrimination against indigenous Papuans in Indonesia, a side event co-sponsored by the WCC was convened during a fall session of the UN Human Rights Council to discuss patterns that are oppressing and displacing Papuans.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit is traveling to the Republic of Korea with a delegation that also includes WCC director of international affairs Peter Prove, WCC director of communication Marianne Ejdersten, and WCC programme executive Rev. Dr Jin Yang Kim.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on World Mission and Evangelism Theology in Mission Working Group gathered from 28 October to 2 November in Kottayam, India.

During a visit from World Council of Churches (WCC) deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, WCC member churches in Japan received expressions of appreciation from the WCC for hosting various visits and forums that strengthened ecumenical ties.

WCC members in Japan reported a deepening spirit of koinonia as well as more involvement in the programmatic life of the WCC, particularly as the ecumenical movement sets its sights on the upcoming WCC 11th Assembly in 2021 in Karlsruhe, Germany.

The World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit is gravely concerned by the deteriorating situation in West Papua (the Indonesian provinces of Papua and Papua Barat), especially in light of reports from church partners in the territory that peaceful anti-racism demonstrations by Papuan students have been attacked with lethal force by Indonesian military forces and armed settler militias. In other places we have learned about horizontal violence between Papuans and non-indigenous residents.

As the Youth in Asia Training for Religious Amity opened at the Yonsei University Chapel in South Korea on 18 September, participants were already learning to live into the theme “Stewards of Hope, Seekers of Harmony.” For the first time, the training includes not only young people from Asia but from across the world, and is being co-coordinated by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Programme for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, the Council for World Mission, and youth representatives from the ecumenical movement.

Twenty-five ecumenical theologians and leaders gathered for public lectures coordinated by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Tokyo, Japan, on 17 September under the theme “Global Manifestations of Racism Today”.

Lectures and responses reflected on racism as a major concern of the ecumenical movement. Reflections focused on understanding global manifestations of racism today, and reaffirming the intersection of race and ethnicity with other determining characteristics．

In a gesture of solidarity with marginalized minorities in Japan, a pilgrim team with participants from around the world gathered in Tokyo, Japan, on 12 September to encourage, empower, support and walk alongside minority communities for four days.

Twenty-seven indigenous and ecumenical youths gathered together for a five-day World Council of Churches (WCC) event this week in Japan’s third-largest, western city of Osaka. Participants gathered under the theme, “WCC Continuing Formation on Youth and Racism Awareness in Asia & Indigenous Youth Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace.”

Participants at the annual Ecumenical School on Governance, Economics and Management are exploring how an Economy of Life is a key pillar of the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. The school is running from 19-30 August in Bogor, Indonesia. “We hope the Governance, Economics and Management School will empower participants to act, lobby for change and even influence socio-economic policymaking,” said Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, deputy general secretary of the World Council of Churches.

At the most glorious moment in her career, Rev. Prof. Dr Sang Chang discovered that society is not always friendly and that politics can be devilish. But thanks to God, she got over it. Without bitterness and even more determined in her fight for gender equality and social justice.

Hundreds of Christians gathered this afternoon around the Statue of Peace in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in front of the Japanese embassy, to celebrate Liberation Day. They displayed photos of butterflies and flowers as a symbol of the comfort to women who were sexual slaves during the Japanese occupation.

After three intense days with deep discussions and productive sessions, the bi-annual meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC) ECHOS Commission came to an end on Thursday. Fourteen young committee members and staff from 20 different countries all over the world had gathered in Seoul, Korea to further strengthen the WCC young peoples movement and continue the pilgrimage of justice and peace.