Search results

This week, 500 participants from all over Asia gather in Kottayam, India, to evaluate the last eight years of ecumenical work and look to challenges ahead, such as the impact of youth migration. Under the theme "God, renew us in your spirit and restore the creation", the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) holds its 15th General assembly.

World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca shared greetings with the Evangelical Christian Church in Tanah Papua upon its “167 mission day anniversary celebration.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee closed its meeting after convening from 12-17 November, leaving with a sense of hope, even while publicly expressing grave concern over many global injustices facing the world today.

Pastor Allen Nafuki, assembly clerk of the Presbyterian Church in Vanuatu, passed away on 13 June. He had planned to be his church’s only delegate to the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Council for World Mission (CWM), on 14 June, opened a four-day online event, “Anti-racist in Christ? Ecumenical Christian Repentance, Reflection and Action on Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia.”

The Pacific Conference of Churches is inviting its member churches and friends to observe “40-Days of Hunger for Justice and Peace” for West Papua, Kanaky and Maohi Nui as well as the challenges facing the region. 

Trees are being planted by people participating virtually in a ceremony that both commemorates the life of Dag Hammarskjöld, the second UN secretary-general, and sows seeds for West Papua’s return to the UN.

Impacts of the climate change and the lingering health and environmental effects of nuclear testing on the countries in the Pacific region are among the issues to be discussed at the meeting of the WCC’s Commission of Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), convened from 19 to 21 February in Brisbane, Australia.

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.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee just concluded its first meeting of the year. The committee reviewed and received the 2018 reports and adopted the 2018 financial report. The Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace with Latin America and the Caribbean; the 70th anniversary of the WCC; the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism; and the visit of Pope Francis, together with many ongoing activities, made 2018 an extraordinary year in the life of the WCC – one that affirmed the vitality and visibility of the fellowship of churches.

The World Council of Churches Executive Committee issued a statement on 23 May expressing concern and solidarity for the people of West Papua who are facing violence and human rights violations.

In the small village of Kaliki, men, women and children are on their feet, dancing, accompanied by drum rolls, as an international World Council of Churches (WCC) Pilgrim Team arrives. The pilgrims are given intricately-woven crowns of grass and flowers and their faces are painted with traditional patterns.

Members of a church-backed coalition have called on Indonesia to open access to West Papua for international journalists, independent observers, human rights organizations and the International Red Cross.

Hope in a Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace formed the integral thread for proceedings at the meeting of the Central Committee of the WCC in Trondheim, Norway this week. The 2016 meeting took place 22-28 June, the second gathering since the Central Committee was elected at the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea in 2013.

Amidst intimidation, illegal arrests, disappearances, torture and killings in Tanah Papua resulting from tensions between the Indonesian authorities and the Papuan pro-liberation groups, churches seek justice, peace, dignity and security for the Papuans.