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Churches in Africa and disabled persons organizations are condemning the use of disabled children as beggars and slaves, amid media reports of cross-border smuggling of the children between Kenya and Tanzania.

Rich examples of the work promoted by member churches of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Italy in assisting refugees and migrants, have been the highlight of the first days of WCC delegation visit to the region this week.

The majority of the initiatives visited are led by women.

A new series of World Council of Churches (WCC) Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace consultations is exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the global fellowship in eight different global regions, the next phase of supporting the WCC fellowship amid the ongoing pandemic.

In a recent meeting, the World Council of Churches Commission on World Mission and Evangelism discussed how COVID-19 has reshaped mission and the church.

In an online meeting on 4-5 and 8-9 March, the World Council of Churches Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) reflected on the impact of COVID-19, approved an 18-month study process with a centenary celebration of the International Missionary Council, and planned for its contributions to the WCC 11th Assembly in 2022.

A webinar held 22 October gave space for persons with disabilities to share their reflections. Entitled “From Lamentation to Transformation,” the event, first in a series of webinars on COVID-19 perspectives, highlighted hope through stories, practical support, and social change as experienced by persons with disabilities.

On 22 October at 15.00 CET, persons with disabilities across the globe will share their experiences related to COVID-19 and the transformation that has come out of it during a public webinar entitled “From Lamentation to Transformation: Persons with disabilities in the context of the COVID-19.”  

Christians in Africa have joined in ecumenical celebrations and prayer services to mark the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed worldwide from 18-25 January.

A “Mission from the Margins” group gathered recently to explore how to discern God’s mission in a fractured and unjust world. The working group of the World Council of Churches Commission on World Mission and Evangelism comprised 13 commissioners, as well as members of the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN). The group also reflected deeply on the theme for the upcoming WCC 11th Assembly, “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) welcomed representatives of the organization Faith and Light to explore together how the WCC can help more people be enriched by the gifts of those with intellectual disabilities.

WCC News met with the Very Reverend Archimandrite Dr Alexi Chehadeh, who leads the Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East in Damascus, Syria. He is an impressive role model and peacemaker in Syria.

Pope Francis and leaders of the World Council of Churches (WCC) exchanged gifts at a simple open-air ceremony in the garden of the WCC’s Ecumenical Institute at Bossey near Geneva, during the pontiff’s one-day visit to Switzerland to celebrate the WCC’s 70th anniversary.

Participants in a 7-11 December consultation on ecumenical diakonia held in Seoul, South Korea, didn’t just talk about the important concept of service. They also took time to visit local projects where Korean Christians are fleshing out their call to actively practice diakonia in the communities they serve.

Fifty church development practitioners and leaders as well as organisations for persons with disabilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda met in Nairobi, Kenya from 9-13 October to share their experiences on disability inclusion in church development programmes and to explore strategies to ensure inclusion of persons with disabilities in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The meeting was organised by WCC Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network Project on Disability Inclusion in Development.

A Swedish WCC working group which met in Stockholm on 4 September has called on Swedish churches to use ‘The Gift of Being: Called to be a Church of All and for All’ as a resource for including persons with disabilities in church life.