World Council of Churches

The GINGKO Interfaith Fellowship Retreat 2026 brought together scholars, religious leaders, and practitioners from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim backgrounds to explore the theme “Hospitality as a Means to Deepen the Encounter.”

As actions and policies of governments, state authorities, and armed factions create millions of refugees and stateless people in Africa, church and faith-based organizations have become key respondents, offering humanitarian relief, advocacy, and spiritual support.

During a sermon at the St Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin on 15 September, World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm commemorated the signing of Charta Oecumenica.

Peace cannot be built on an economy that runs on war. That is the assertion of a theological communique released by churches meeting in Panama City. It asks governments to redirect military spending toward poverty and climate, and it asks the churches to move their own money first.

On Tuesday 15 September, the WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay received a delegation from the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by H.E. Metropolitan Anthony, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the WCC central committee, also took part in the meeting via remote link.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Reference Group for the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity (PJRU) will meet in person from 17 to 22 September in Vancouver, Canada. The gathering will be hosted by the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia, together with the Canadian Council of Churches.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended warm greetings and good wishes to Jewish communities around the world as they celebrate Rosh Hashanah, welcome the year 5787, and prepare to observe Yom Kippur.

The 2026 World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Formation Seminar brought 15 participants together from 7 to 11 September for a week of reflection, relationship-building, and exploration of possibilities for collective action.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay offered special greetings and prayers from the whole ecumenical community for the 111th General Assembly of Presbyterian Church of Korea.

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay sent greetings to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea.

Speaking at the Monastery of Bose in Italy, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East called for a new approach to the Christian presence in the Middle East—one that moves beyond narratives of decline, survival, and minority protection, and recognises Christians as full citizens and active partners in building peaceful and inclusive societies.

On 8-9 September, senior Christian and Muslim leaders, policymakers, and peacebuilding practitioners from across the Arab region gathered in Rome for the 2026 Steering Committee Meeting of the Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation in the Arab World, supported by KAICIID and co-hosted with COREIS, the Italian Islamic Religious Community. 

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met with Prime Minister Han Seongsook of the Republic of Korea on 11 September in Seoul, where they discussed ways churches and the wider ecumenical movement could help reopen pathways for dialogue and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The opening session of the World Council of Churches (WCC) webinar series “Theology of Companionship – Foundations: Why Companionship Now?” was held on 9 September.

The academic year began at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey with an opening ceremony for 33 students from 21 countries and 28 churches. 

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay offered the opening sermon on 9 September at the 2026 International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Institute at Bossey marked its 80th anniversary with a second webinar on 7 September exploring the institute’s history and continuing contribution to the ecumenical movement through the lives and theological legacies of key figures.

During the funeral of King Harald V at the Oslo Cathedral on 9 September, Most Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, Church of Norway presiding bishop, offered a sermon with a message of hope: love never ends.

Rev. Dr Antti Laine, head of Church and Ecumenical Relations at Finn Church Aid, looked back at his time at the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Institute at Bossey.

Climate finance, the money that helps countries cut emissions and cope with impacts, should come as grants, not debt-creating loans, demanded faith-based organizations at the UN Human Rights Council as COP31 in Antalya, Turkey approaches. "Climate Finance for Human Rights, Resilience, and Justice", held in Geneva on 7 September, was convened by Franciscans International, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and six other partners.