World Council of Churches

Roland Fernandes is general secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries and UMCOR, Higher Education and Ministry. He reflects on cooperative work with the World Council of Churches (WCC), and why ecumenism is so necessary in today’s world. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) welcomed visitors from the Church of Sweden in Germany, Christian Council of Norway, and Norwegian Church Aid in mid-January. 

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay welcomed the news of a ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas. 

As the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place from 18-25 January, churches and Christian communities worldwide are invited to use a variety of resources prepared in seven languages, including a child-friendly version and the reading plan on the YouVersion’s Bible App.

Rev. Prof. Dr Angela Berlis, a member of the World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order, has received the Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism. 

In commemorating the 1700th anniversary in 2025 of the Council of Nicaea, a wider view of early Christian history than that often used within western Protestantism can help promote global ecumenical discussion, according to Rev. Prof. Dr Martin Illert, programme executive for Faith and Order at the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel continues to offer a protective presence, and the need is growing given the deteriorating humanitarian situation, as revealed from the incident reports.

Rev. Prof. D. Neal D. Presa is executive presbyter of the Presbytery of San Jose, California, and also a member of the World Council of Churches central and executive committees. He reflected on how people are affected by the ongoing wildfires, how churches are helping, and how God’s love serves as a comfort during times of disaster.

As wildfires destroyed thousands of structures in the Los Angeles area of California (USA), killing 10 people, and causing nearly 200,000 residents to evacuate, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended condolences to affected communities. 

Christmas messages from the World Council of Churches (WCC) member churches and partners across the world are bringing good tidings, deep prayers, light, and hope, even amid the world’s challenges. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC), with the India Peace Centre, has launched an Interfaith Coalition on Land, Water, and Food, the first such initiative in India. 

Dr Kimmo Kääriäinen, executive director of the National Church Council, Department for International Relations for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, reflected on the relevance of the ecumenical movement today, as well as how churches in Finland will observe the upcoming Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. 

A WCC staff visit will take place from 12-21 January, aimed at empowering faith communities in Jamaica to take action on sexual and gender-based violence, racism, reparations, and climate justice.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the passing and celebrating the life of Fr Thomas Fitzgerald, who passed away on 29 December 2024.

In the wake of an attack involving a truck plowing into a crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana (US) on 31 December, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay condemned the violence against innocent people, and expressed solidarity with the churches and the communities within New Orleans.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay conveyed greetings of joy and gratitude as the 47th European Youth Meeting organized by the Taizé Community gathered in Tallinn, Estonia.

The World Council of Churches extended condolences to the bereaved families and the Korean people after a Jeju Air passenger plane crashed while landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea on 29 December.

An advocacy training focusing on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Caribbean brought a one-year action plan on engaging the UN process.

Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC moderator, have strongly condemned the act of violence perpetrated against people visiting a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on 20 December.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will take place from 18-25 January, and churches and Christian communities worldwide are invited to use the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025 resources in seven languages, including a child-friendly version.