World Council of Churches

Communication professionals, theologians, church leaders, and digital practitioners from across Europe will gather in Rome from 10-12 June for the 30th edition of the European Christian Internet Conference (ECIC), a leading forum exploring the intersection of faith, communication, and technology. 

In a public statement, the Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations called for justice, protection, and human dignity in the Oromia region in Ethiopia. 

A parish from Basel of the Church of Sweden Switzerland visited the World Council of Churches (WCC), arriving at the Ecumenical Centre on 5 June then traveling to the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. 

Part of the leadership of the WCC central committee, Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the WCC central committee and Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley, vice moderator of the WCC central committee; visited the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), receiving an update from Safak Pavey, senior adviser; and Nicolas Brass, head of the Global Compact on Refugees Section on the current refugee situation. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) offered input into a global summit entitled “Fostering Love-Fueled Hope,” held in Rome to shape a blueprint for bringing love-fueled hope to children across the world.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended warm greetings to the Council of the Lutheran World Federation, gathering in Founex, Switzerland from 11 to 15 June under the theme: “Be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Romans 1:12).

In a series of global prayers for peace, the World Council of Churches (WCC) invites people and churches around the world to join in the Global Prayer for Peace in Ukraine on 11 June at 13.00 CET.

During an address to the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee on 8 June, WCC central committee moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm reflected on the WCC’s solidarity with Palestine, the common ecumenical witness against the misuse of Christian religion, and the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence. 

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, in his report to the WCC executive committee, expressed gratitude to God for the faithful witness, resilience, and commitment of the WCC fellowship.

Gathered in prayer with the leadership of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in the chapel on 8 June, the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey saw three new students graduate with a Master of Advanced Studies in Ecumenical Studies.

More than 500 million girls and women lack access to adequate menstrual products or hygiene facilities. Many are kept from school, from churches, from public life, because of something their faith communities have rarely spoken of. On 4 June, the World Council of Churches (WCC) brought together participants from four continents to confront that silence, in a Menstrual Hygiene Day webinar themed "Breaking the Blood Taboo."

His Holiness Abune Mathias I, patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, is urging an end to a chain of violence, gripping the southeastern region of Oromia and endured by members of his denomination.

Churches and faith-based organizations from Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, together with investment and ecumenical partners, have 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.

The 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) concluded on 22 May, and again failed to adopt an outcome document, as nuclear-armed states and their allies continued to undermine the treaty’s core disarmament obligations.

For the first time, the leaders of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Caritas Internationalis, and World Vision International have cosigned a joint open letter calling on governments, multilateral institutions, and faith communities to act urgently on global hunger and malnutrition. The letter brings together three of the world’s largest faith-based organisations in a common public stand. 

In a landmark development for Christian education and witness in the Middle East, His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, patriarch of Jerusalem, officially inaugurated the International Orthodox University at the Baptism Site on the eastern bank of the River Jordan on 18 May.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed solidarity with the initiative, “Ayuno y Oración para Despertar las Conciencias” (Fasting and Prayer to Awaken Consciences), and with all those who are participating in fasting, prayer, reflection, and public witness. 

The ACT Alliance EU Assembly and Forum, held in Brussels in May, brought together ecumenical organizations to examine major global transformations affecting humanitarian, development, and advocacy work, while reaffirming the importance of collaboration across the sector.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Young People in the Ecumenical Movement (YPEM) will host its second online Connection Gathering on 10 June, inviting young ecumenists from around the world to meet, share experiences, and strengthen relationships across regions.

Andrew Harper is deputy CEO of the Epworth Investment Management and the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church in Great Britain. He reflects on why churches are more focused on climate accountability than ever, and why now is the time to act.