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The World Council of Churches (WCC), World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Council for World Mission (CWM), have followed with profound concern how the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic crisis have continued to destroy lives and livelihood around the world. To date this has resulted in more than half a million deaths, massive unemployment, increase of debts, poverty, and inequality in many parts of the world.

Human Rights Council 44th Session (30 June-17 July 2020) - Joint statement submitted by the World Council of Churches on behalf of the
Geneva Interfaith Forum on Climate Change, Environment and Human Rights (GIF). "States must protect human rights in the wake of Covid-19 and the climate crisis"

From the Old Jerusalem to the New: Lamentations to Blessings, Bible study in times of COVID-19 by Annika Mathews

In a joint message released on 15 May 2020, the World Council of Churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Lutheran World Federation, and Council for World Mission underlined that cooperation and solidarity within and across countries, embodied in networks of faith communities, civil society, and social movements as well as fresh systems of global governance rooted in justice, care, and sustainability are needed in response to the global health crisis of the Covid‐19 pandemic and the longer‐standing economic and ecological emergency.

The current Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted every aspect of our lives in a world already plagued with immense human suffering. In response, our organizations – the World Council of Churches (WCC), the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and the Council for World Mission (CWM) – through the joint New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA) initiative convened an e-conference under the theme, “Economy of Life in a time of Pandemic”, on 17 and 24 April 2020.

Inter-faith group active at UNFCCC conferences response to the postponement of the COP26 - 22nd of April, Earth Day

Joint Easter Prayer of North-South Korea by the The National Council of Churches in Korea

This meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman shows Jesus going beyond conventional rules and talking to a Samaritan woman, which astonishes the disciples when they see him (v. 27). 

Sermon of the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches at the Farewell prayer meeting with the WCC staff

The seventh and last reflection of the seven weeks for water 2020 of the WCC’s Ecumenical Water Network is written jointly  by Ms Frances Namoumou, Programmes Manager, and Mr Netani Rika, Communications Specialist, Pacific Conference of Churches.  In the following reflection they have analysed the water scarcity situation in the Pacific that is getting worsened by climate change with a justice perspective from the narratives of the persistent widow of the bible. They challenge us not to give up our “thirst for justice” under any circumstances.

The 6^th reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2020 is by Athena Peralta and Dr Manoj Kurian, programme executives of the World Council of Churches Economic and Ecological Justice programme and Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, respectively. In this reflection, they are focusing on the perils of cash crops such as sugarcane, produced primarily for exporting, threatening to impact the freshwater levels of Fiji. Over-dependency on food import for its sustenance is not a sustainable practice.

The fifth reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2020 is by Dinesh Suna, coordinator of Ecumenical Water Network, World Council of Churches. He is a Lutheran and comes from India. In the following reflection, he explores the importance of “hand-washing” in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic while this basic facility is not available to millions of people, particularly to children. He dedicates this reflection to World Water Day which is being observed on 22 March with the theme “Water and Climate Change.”

The second reflection of the seven weeks for water 2020 of the WCC’s Ecumenical Water Network is by Nikotemo Sopepa, an ordained minister of the Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu. Married with two children, he is currently the  Mission Secretary of the Council for World Mission in the Pacific region.  In the following reflection he compares the life affirming spirit of God that was hovering on the waters in the beginning of the creation story with today’s “death dealing” spirit of commercialization of water over the waters of the pacific region which is worsening its fresh water availability.

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, WCC General Secretary delivers a speech "What’s love got to do with it? Climate Justice and Care for the Earth" at an international conference on Sustainability and Climate in Religion in Bergen, Norway.

WCC will hold its annual Ecumenical Continuing Formation (ECF) on young people with a
focus on Transformative Masculinity and Femininity in the Pacific region. The Pacific Council of Churches (PCC) has
identified the following concerns among young people in the region: climate justice, mental health, unemployment,
and gender-based violence. In-line with the WCC pilgrimage of justice and peace theme for its 2020 Pacific regional
focus of ‘Climate Justice and Nuclear Disarmament’, the ECF has a specific emphasis on the impacts of climate change
on mental health, in relation to the overall theme. This joint event plans to engage 30 young people from the Pacific
and around the world to go deeper on the topic of transformative masculinity and femininity in the Pacific.
The youth participants are expected to produce a Call to Action statement from the seminar, which will be
shared within and outside the WCC network.

Address of the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit to the annual assembly of the Protestant Federation of France

Sermon by Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, World Council of Churches general secretary, at the Chapel of the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, 8 January 2020

The 27 young people/participants of the WCC Eco School 2019 from 11 countries, who gathered at Chiang Mai, Thailand from 4th to 17th November 2019, jointly organized and hosted by the Christian Conference of Asia and World Student Christian Federation, discussed and deliberated on various ecological issues affecting our planet and people.

I write to you today out of urgent and earnest concern for our world and the advancing peril represented by climate change. Our faith in the creator, our love for creation, and our discipleship in the company of Jesus are all being put to the test by this crisis.

World Council of Churches Pastoral letter based on Pilgrim Team Visit to South Africa on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide and Xenophobia