World Council of Churches

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, in a letter to church leaders and communities in Sweden, expressed grief over reports of a deadly assault at the Campus Risbergska educational complex in Orebro.  

The Universal Periodic Review—a mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council that calls for each UN Member State to undergo a peer review of its human rights records every 5 years—of Angola and Madagascar took place on 23 and 27 January.

In our brief article, as an expression of love and deep appreciation for the esteemed Archbishop of Tirana, Anastasios, we present, as much as possible, his significant contribution to interfaith dialogue and his active involvement in actions and initiatives aimed at establishing peaceful and just coexistence among all people, regardless of their cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs, or cultural identity.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has offered the first in what will be a series of training workshops on climate litigation. In partnership with the Caribbean and North America Council for Mission (CANACOM), the WCC led the training through a lens of child protection and our future generations.

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay called for resuming dialogue that supports peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where conflict has escalated following an incursion of Rwandan troops into Congolese sovereign territory on the Goma/Rubavu border.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay has described the proposal of US President Trump as “tantamount to proposing full-scale ethnic cleansing and neo-colonization of the homeland of the 2 million Palestinians of Gaza.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) welcomed Prof. Dr Karen Nazaryan, executive director of the Armenia Roundtable Foundation, to the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva for a series of strategic meetings aimed at strengthening cooperation in ecumenical diakonia and social development.

World Council of Churches central committee moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm will kick off a ten-month series on “Hope for…” moderated by Anne Freudenberg-Klopp, Theology and Sustainability, Ecumenical Center of the North Church and Astrid Hake, coordinator of the Ecumenical Network for Climate Justice.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and King’s College London, with Our Children’s Trust and Generations Together, have released a new report, “Accelerating climate solutions through youth-focused litigation: Report and findings of roundtables held at King’s College London on 5 April 2024 and 6 December 2024.” 

Amidst interethnic conflicts, armed attacks, and increasing humanitarian emergencies, churches in South Sudan, on 27 January launched guidelines to help communities deal with the persistent violence and strengthen peace.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Gender Justice Reference Group engaged in a series of visits in Harare, Zimbabwe during its meeting in December. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has launched the “Turn Debt into Hope” campaign, a global call to address debt injustice and climate inequality, which prevent vulnerable nations from meeting fundamental human rights.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) received Finnish ambassador Jan Wahlberg to discuss peace-building, with a special focus on Colombia, the Middle East, and Africa. WCC staff and Wahlberg also reflected together on inter-religious dialogue, climate justice, and mental health. 

Moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, speaking at the funeral of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, reflected on how much the archbishop was loved in Albania and across the world.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva are inviting a special screening of the documentary: "Via Dolorosa: The Path of Sorrows", on 18 February at the United Nations in Geneva.

Anton Goodman is director of Partnerships for Rabbis for Human Rights. He took time to reflect on how and why Rabbis for Human Rights values its partnership with the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel; the challenges ahead; and ultimately the vision for a just and peaceful future.

Moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm visited the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey and the Ecumenical Centre on 27-28 January, experiencing and seeing the gifts, talents, and activities that make Geneva a focal point for the ecumenical movement. 

Under the Patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, chief advisor to His Majesty for Religious and Cultural Affairs and the Personal Envoy, the University of Dar Al-Kalima in Bethlehem, and the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman organized "The International Consultation on Understanding Christian Zionism and Its Effects on Christians in the Middle East." The conference was held at the Baptism Site from the 23-26 January. 

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was observed across the world with services, prayers, and gatherings—all with a heart for bringing together people in profound ways. From 18–25 January, people were inspired by the 2025 theme, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26), as they united in prayer and reflection.

In an address before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 27 January, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke of how religion can provide a unique perspective in the objective to eradicate poverty and hunger, to address fundamentalism and racism, and to advance tolerance and dialogue.