World Council of Churches

Prof. Dr Amélé Ekué is academic dean of the Geneva office of Globethics. She took time to reflect on how the collaboration  between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Globethics works to create innovative learning environments that are values-driven toward more peaceful communities. She also reflects on the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) 2025, which will take place 12-29 October during the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, near Alexandria, Egypt, under the theme “Where now for visible unity?”

The Feast of Creation initiative represents a profound ecumenical opportunity as Christian churches worldwide consider elevating 1 September from a World Day of Prayer for Creation to a liturgical feast across denominations. A key milestone in this journey will be the upcoming Nicaea Centenary and Creation Day Conference in Assisi in May, where church actors will discuss pathways in this important process. A new WCC podcast explores the vision of the Feast of Creation initiative, highlighting its significance as a potential gesture of Christian unity and ecological commitment. 

On the 80th anniversary of the execution of Dietrich Bonhoeffer for his opposition to Hitler, the moderator of World Council of Churches has paid tribute to the deep faith of the German theologian, saying his life and witness continue to inspire the ecumenical movement.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay will visit Bangladesh from 10-14 April for meetings with churches, interfaith leaders, and faith-based organisations. He will also have a dialogue with theological teachers and students. 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) morning prayer focused on World Health Day, observed on 7 April under the theme “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.”

The National Council of Churches in Korea released a statement on the historic ruling of impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Rev. Dr Joan Brown Campbell, at the age of 93, passed on 29 March.

As nearly 500 people gathered in-person and online for the 11th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs, they spoke of “finding the sun”—a symbol of a future that is both possible and profoundly just—together. 

The World Council of Churches has published a Faith and Order paper, “Towards a Common Date for Easter” as an encouragement to churches and Christians to work with one another in their own contexts for a common celebration of Easter.

Archbishop Ioannis of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania, the newly elected primate of the Orthodox Church of Albania, was enthroned on 29 March in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana.

Erik Svanberg and Maria Bäcklund, through the Christian Council of Sweden, have served as national coordinators with the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel. They both are losing their jobs, as the programme has been paused because of changes by the Swedish government in funding priorities. Svanberg and Bäcklund reflected on the life-changing aspects of their work, and their wish that the programme will continue.

Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Life, Justice, and Peace, reflected on “Prophetic Diakonia and Vulnerability in the 21st Century” during a conference hosted by the International Society for the Research and Study of Diaconia and Christian Social Practice, being held in South Africa 1-4 April. 

At the 6th Meeting of the Ecumenical Panel on a New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA) held in Geneva from 25-27 March, faith leaders and experts united to call for a radical reformation of economic systems that prioritize justice, sustainability, and the needs of the most vulnerable.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) invites media representatives to the opening event of “Hope for Children Through Climate Justice,” a new resource that provides legal tools designed to hold financial actors accountable for their role in perpetuating the climate crisis.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Permanent Committee on Consensus and Collaboration (PCCC) convened online on 1 April under the leadership of co-moderators H.E. Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Bishop Sally Dyck. 

Finnish churches are commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in unique ways. 

In a letter to His Honour Justice Moon Hyung-bae, acting president of the Constitutional Court of Korea, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay reiterated the WCC’s advocacy for the rule of law as a key constraint on abuses of political or economic power.

Appearing on BBC One’s “Sunday Morning Live” TV show on 30 March, World Council of Churches senior programme lead for Children and Climate Frederique Seidel highlighted the WCC’s new resource, “Hope for Children Through Climate Justice: Legal Tools to Hold Financiers Accountable.” 

Rev. Detlev Knoche recently retired as director of the Ecumenical Centre of the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau and of the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck. He took time to reflect on his inspirations, people along the way, and the importance of journeying together. 

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended condolences to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, upon the passing of His Eminence Metropolitan Pakhomious, Metropolitan of Beheira, Matrouh, and the Five Western Cities, and Abbot of St. Macarius of Alexandria Monastery in Mount Al-Qalali.