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[World Council of Churches] Ecumenical International Youth Day will be observed virtually Aug. 13. This year’s theme is “Creating Healing Spaces: R.E.S.T. – Restore, Empower, Strengthen, Thrive.” The goal is to encourage young people, churches and faith communities worldwide to become active agents of healing, restoration, reconciliation and hope. The commemoration will take place in two separate sessions via Zoom, at 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. Eastern. Read the entire article here.

[Episcopal News Service] The legal battle continues to escalate between a Maryland town and an Episcopal church over the church’s overnight shelter for unhoused people. In response to the church’s lawsuit, the town of Ocean City has filed a countersuit, and it also has rejected the church’s permit applications for unrelated plumbing work. Ocean City filed its countersuit July 21 in an attempt to shut down St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church’s overnight shelter. The church, which is in the Diocese of Easton, had filed its initial lawsuit in federal court last month after it began receiving citations from Ocean City saying it must pay a fine of $1,000 a day or close the shelter on its property.  The Rev. Jill Williams, St. Paul’s By-the-Sea’s rector, told ENS that she’s “not surprised” by the countersuit. “[City officials] had the choice to just back off, and they chose to double down and completely try to categorize this as only a zoning issue while ignoring the fact that it’s a mission and a religious freedom issue,” Williams said. “They’re playing with people’s lives. What they’re doing will ruin people’s lives.” Click here to read the countersuit filing. St. Paul’s By-the-Sea’s legal clashes with Ocean City began in February after the church was given an April 1 deadline to stop allowing homeless people to sleep in church-provided tents on its property or face daily fines. The small encampment was set up last fall in response to Ocean City and the surrounding Worcester County adopting ordinances in May 2025, making it illegal – punishable by jail time – for people to sleep in public spaces. Williams suggested municipal officials adopted these ordinances because Ocean City is a resort town located on a barrier island off the Atlantic coast. “I think they’re just listening to the money. They’re listening to the business owners and to the property condo owners – the people that financially control this city,” Williams said. “We need to prioritize taking care of people.” After raising money to hire staff and cover other expenses required to operate as a shelter, St. Paul’s By-the-Sea beat the town’s deadline when it opened “The Shelter By-the-Sea” on March 31. The ministry operates nightly from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Now, about 25-39 people sleep at the shelter every night. The town’s fire marshal has inspected the shelter and reported no violations, according to Williams. Ocean City police officers and Worcester County Health Department officials have brought several people to stay overnight at the shelter. St. Paul’s By-the-Sea works closely with the Worcester County Public Defender’s Office. The ministry, which is mostly funded by donations and the congregation, also offers dinner and breakfast, and helps overnight guests access other resources, such as substance abuse recovery programs and affordable housing assistance. “We’re using our savings and our investments as necessary because a church is supposed to use its money to live out the Gospel,” Williams said. St. Paul’s By-the-Sea’s and Ocean City’s legal dispute has extended to additional zoning issues. Over the last several months, church officials have worked with multiple plumbing contractors to obtain plumbing permits for a washer, dryer and utility sink, only to be rejected every time, even though electrical work is already complete and up to code. Ocean City officials say they’re enforcing zoning, building and safety codes, but Williams said she doesn’t believe them because neighboring churches have plumbing permits and washers and dryers installed. The church’s attorney, Robin Cockey, has amended the church’s federal complaint to include the frequent plumbing permit denials. St. Paul’s By-the-Sea has a “long road ahead” as it waits for the court date to be scheduled. In the meantime, the congregation continues to raise money and operate its ministry as normal.  “We need a public show of support,” Williams said. “If serving the unhoused is an important part of being an Episcopalian and we recognize it as a vital part of our faith and common ministry, then our voices should be heard.” -Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at [email protected].

[Episcopal News Service] The Diocese of the Great Lakes announced on July 22 a slate of three nominees for its first bishop. The nominees are: The Rev. Terri Bays, canon to the ordinary, Diocese of Northern Indiana. The Rev. Zachary Nyein, senior associate rector, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York, New York. The Rev. Holly Rankin Zaher, rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Evansville, Indiana. The diocese was created in 2024 through the merger of the former Diocese of Eastern Michigan and Diocese of Western Michigan. A petition process for additional nominees runs through Aug. 5. Meet-and-greets with the candidates are planned for the week of Sept. 20. The election is schedule for Oct. 24. The following is the text of the standing committee’s announcement. With gratitude and hope, the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes announces the nomination of three candidates to stand for election as the first bishop diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes. This is a sacred and historic moment. For the first time, we will gather as one diocese to call the bishop who will walk alongside us in the years ahead as we continue growing into the diocese God is calling us to be. We give thanks to God for bringing us to this threshold together. We are deeply grateful for the faithful, prayerful and often unseen work of the Search Committee, whose members have given themselves generously to this demanding discernment work on behalf of us all. And we extend our heartfelt thanks to these three candidates for their courage and openness in responding to God’s call, and for their willingness to discern with us the future of Christ’s church in this diocese. We now invite you into this next season of discernment. On the Meet the Candidates page of our website, you’ll find a photo, bio, and short video introducing each candidate. We encourage you to read, watch and, above all, pray. The candidates will spend time among us in a series of Meet and Greets held all across the diocese and online during the week of Sept. 20. The Bishop Transition Committee will announce specific dates and locations soon, along with a number of other opportunities to get to know the candidates and discern together. Watch your email, the diocesan newsletter and our social media in the coming weeks for details. A petition process for any additional nominations opens with today’s announcement and remains open for two weeks, closing on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Once all petition candidates have been reviewed, the final slate will be announced. The election will take place at our Diocesan Convention on Oct. 24 at the VanDyk Mortgage Convention Center in Muskegon. All convention worship and business sessions, including the Saturday election session, will be livestreamed and open for anyone to attend. On-site seating will prioritize voting delegates first, then registered convention visitors, then any unregistered on-site guests. The proposed rules for the election were approved by the Standing Committee at its Feb. 1, 2026 meeting and are part of the larger proposed rules of order for our third diocesan convention, available here. Above all, we ask you to hold this diocese, these candidates, and their families in your prayers. Let us pray together: Almighty God, giver of every good gift and source of all wisdom, look with favor upon your Church in the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes as we seek the bishop you are calling to shepherd and to lead us: Grant to your people faith to discern, courage to choose, and unity to follow in the way of your Son; that guided by your Holy Spirit, all of our prayers may rise up to you, and we may continue to proclaim the Gospel and serve the world in love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. With hope in Christ, The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes

Marianne Ejdersten, director of communication for the World Council of Churches (WCC), traveled with a WCC-led delegation to Ukraine for a solidarity visit on 14-17 July. She took time to reflect on the communications operation, on the prophetic voices that touched her heart, and what we can pray for the communicators that remain in Ukraine.

United Methodists are caring for frightened neighbors after federal immigration enforcement fatally shot two people in less than a week. Church leaders also are trying to help people who have seen their legal status stripped.

House of Sarah works every day in Fiji to promote gender justice, empower women, and prevent gender-based and domestic violence. Mereani Nawadra, researcher and advocate with House of Sarah, took time to explain how the organization became involved with Thursdays in Black, and how House of Sarah continues to inspire reflection, challenge harmful norms, and encourage collective action towards ending violence.

During the Susquehanna Annual Conference, members were challenged to join a revolution of love and transform the world through faithful and courageous discipleship.

On 5 June, churches and faith-based organizations from Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, together with investment and ecumenical partners, submitted a complaint under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct concerning HSBC Holdings plc and its financial relationship with Glencore, the company operating the Cerrejón coal mine in La Guajira, Colombia. This is the first of a three-part feature story that illustrates the grave effects of the Cerrejón mining operation on human rights for Indigenous people, on children’s health, and on the environment, water access, and pollution. 

A series of public theological briefings to help Christians to engage confidently with topical, political conversations

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, in an address to the 48th General Assembly of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, spoke on “The Church's Prophetic Responsibility in Promoting Peace, Social Cohesion, Justice, and Sustainable Development.”