World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca visited Moscow this week, meeting with H.H. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia, and representatives from the largest WCC member church.
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The top concern of this year’s World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly was unquestionably climate change, says Canon Scott Sharman, the Anglican Church of Canada’s animator for ecumenical and interfaith relations.
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“The WCC puts unity before justice!” This was the complaint of one Canadian participant in the World Council of Churches’ 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany. The 65 Canadian participants gathered recently to debrief their experience of the August 31st to September 8th gathering of churches from around the world. The theme of the Assembly was “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”

Back in May, Sr. Donna Geernaert wrote about the Assembly theme in her blog post “An Ecumenism of the Heart.” Over 3,750 church delegates, observers, advisors, visitors, and media came from around the world to Karlsruhe. WCC assemblies are only held every 7 or 8 years, so it was an excellent opportunity for me to attend along with my wife, Rev. Amanda Currie, one of the delegates from the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
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The World Council of Churches Central Committee approved the release of two statements proposed at the recent Karlsruhe Assembly that had not been completed during the Assembly. In the introduction to the first statement, “Statement on Confronting Racism and Xenophobia, Overcoming Discrimination, Ensuring Belonging”, the WCC stated simply that, “(t)he World Council of Churches, at its 11th assembly, in Karlsruhe, Germany, abhors the perpetuation of all forms of racism, xenophobia and related discriminations against humanity and the pervasive suffering it causes.”
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“For the first time in a long while, this 11th assembly provided safe spaces for serious engagement, reflections, prayer, challenging one another, [and] encounters.” said Dr Agnes Abuom, moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee. She spoke of her take-aways from the WCC assembly, including the “commitment to the search for unity – common vision and understanding,” which she referred to as the cornerstone of the WCC.
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The World Council of Churches held its 11th Assembly in the German city of Karlsruhe with the theme “Christ’s Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity.” Over 3,750 participants from all Christian traditions and almost every country around the world came together for 9 days of prayer, reflection, discussion, and decision. The following news articles trace the Assembly from the gatherings of the pre-Assembly to the final plenary and the gathering of the new Central Committee. The principle texts of the Assembly are also included further below.
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee has elected Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria as its new moderator.

The central committee also elected two vice moderators, Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley, Jamaica Baptist Union; and H.E. Archbishop Dr Vicken Aykazian, Armenian Apostolic Church, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

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A statement from the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly, “The Living Planet: seeking a just and sustainable global community,” raises an increasingly urgent voice of concern and demand for action.

“We are all interdependent in God’s whole creation,” notes the statement’s introduction. “We are running out of time.”

We must repent from our continuing human selfishness, the statement urges. “Christ’s love calls us to deep solidarity and a quest for justice for those who have contributed to this emergency the least, yet suffer the most, physically, existentially, and ecologically,” reads the statement.
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A statement from the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly, “War in Ukraine, Peace and Justice in the European Region,” denounces “the illegal and unjustifiable” Russian invasion of Ukraine and renews the call for a ceasefire as well as the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.

“We appeal to all sides in the conflict to respect the principles of international humanitarian law, including especially with regard to the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and for the humane treatment of prisoners of war,” the statement reads.
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly says it is hearing the pleas of the heads of churches in the Holy Land more than ever before in relation to mounting intimidation, violations, limiting access to places of worship, and attacks by radicals.

In a statement from the assembly, the WCC noted that authorities are squeezing the Christian presence in Jerusalem, threatening the Status Quo and the multi-religious and multi-cultural identity of the city, along with displacing Palestinians.
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The WCC 11th Assembly has recommended increasing youth participation in the global ecumenical fellowship.

The assembly received, affirmed, and endorsed a Youth Statement signed by 38 youth members of the assembly, including 12 delegates and nine advisers. The assembly is referring to the WCC central committee for action, noting “the need for full youth involvement in all commissions, committees, advisory groups, and reference groups of the WCC, but also the apparent reluctance of some member churches to nominate young people to the central committee and other committees.”
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At times of world crisis, the “habits of division” between Christians must end, the Archbishop of Canterbury said on Wednesday. He was addressing the 11th World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly, meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany (Comment, 2 September).

Archbishop Welby spoke of the Lambeth Conference meeting in Canterbury over the summer (News, 19 August), at which participants had expressed “huge differences” over matters such as human sexuality. “We found our way forward through, not by solving the issues but by living in the light of Christ, by saying we do not agree, by being honest without excluding one another.”
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Recognizing the deep need for, “renewed dialogue within the ecumenical movement,” the WCC 11th Assembly released a statement “strongly affirming the commitment of the WCC and its member churches to peacemaking through inter-religious dialogue and cooperation at all levels,” and calling for a global ceasefire in all armed conflicts around the world.
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All are called by Christ’s love to repentance, reconciliation, and justice in the face of war, inequality, and sins against creation, delegates at the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Karlsruhe, Germany, have stated in a message issued on 8 September.

“We will find a strength to act from a unity founded in Christ’s love, for it enables us to learn the things that make for peace, to transform division into reconciliation, and to work for the healing of our living planet,” delegates stated in their message, titled “A Call to Act Together.”
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In a report released 7 September, the World Council of Churches (WCC) assembly proposed inviting member churches and ecumenical partners to commit to working together as a fellowship in “A Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity,” as a way to go even further on the “Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace” initiated at the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan.

“The beginning of our work has relationship building at its heart, but we want to go even further and revive a sense that the fellowship is a movement, even a prophetic movement,” reads the report. “We do not want to lose the sense that we are ‘moving’ and that we are on a journey of justice and peace, prepared to struggle for them.”
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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 resulted in reduced income for the World Council of Churches (WCC) and led to an adaptation in ways of working, the 11th Assembly of the WCC has heard.

The WCC assembly presented its report during the 31 August to 8 September Assembly hosted in the German city of Karlsruhe.

“When the assembly met in Busan in 2013, in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, there was concern over both the decreasing levels of income, and the loans taken to refinance the pension fund,” the report said.
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At a World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly press conference held 7 September, Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox voices joined a WCC Faith and Order member to explore the meaning of Christian unity.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told journalists that ecumenical unity begins with the nature of one God omnipotent.

Welby, the Church of England leader, shared a platform with Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, the permanent representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the WCC; and Rev. Prof Dr Sandra Beardsall, member of the WCC Faith and Order Commission.
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Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby addressed the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly on 7 September.

The archbishop spoke of how the theme of the WCC assembly—“Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”—resonates with the theme of the Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops, held in August under the theme “God’s Church for God’s World.”
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Speakers during a World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly plenary under the theme “Christian unity and the churches’ common witness” on 7 September reflected on unity, mission, and reconciliation in the fellowship and ecumenical movement. The plenary theme included conversation on accomplishments and challenges to Christian unity and mission since the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, and mutual accountability and witness to the love of Christ in a changing landscape and looking forward.
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Archbishop Justin today addressed the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches. The WCC Assembly is the highest governing body of the World Council of Churches, and normally meets every eight years. This year’s conference took place between 31st August – 8th September 2022. It is the only time when the entire fellowship of member churches come together in one place for prayer and celebration. The theme of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches is “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”.
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Message from the WCC Indigenous Peoples Pre-Assembly 28-30 August 2022 We were welcomed to this land in song, scripture, and ceremony by the Sami people and members of the Ecumenical Indigenous Peoples Network. We acknowledge the Sami of Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Russia and the Inuit of Greenland as Indigenous peoples of Europe.
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly elected its 150-person central committee on 6 September during a session at its proceedings in Karlsruhe, Germany. The WCC central committee serves as the main decision-making body of the WCC between assemblies.

The new 150-person central committee is comprised of 41% women, 59% men, 13% youth, 13% Indigenous persons, 3% persons with disabilities, 29 percent laypeople and 71 percent ordained.
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At a press conference held on 6 September as part of the ongoing World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, global ecumenical leaders spoke about the needed response from churches regarding gender justice, persons with disabilities, and the rights of the earth.

Rev. Dr Karen Georgia Thompson, associate general minister and vice president for Wider Church Ministries and Operations of the United Church of Christ (USA) brought attention to and raised awareness of gender justice challenges and issues that must be prioritized in the fellowship of churches and on a global level. According to her, the “quest for gender justice must include identifying challenges facing women, global advocacy, and women’s empowerment.”
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Witnessing a spectacular display of movement and grace through para-dance, the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly was challenged to boldly proclaim the truth about injustices, show a commitment to transformation, and be agents of reconciliation by recognizing complicity.

Rev. Dr Henriette Hutabarat-Lebang, delegate from the Toraja Church, was part of 5 September’s thematic plenary focusing on the intersection of human dignity and justice through the lens of gender, disability, race, and youth.
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The International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations told the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly that its meeting in Karlsruhe coincides with the Hebrew repentance month of Elu.

Rabbi David Fox Sandmel, chair of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, sent greetings to the 31 August to 8 September assembly, meeting in the southern German city with the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly elected eight new presidents, six regional and two from Orthodox churches, in a vote on 5 September with 574 delegates present.

At the start of the day’s plenary session in Karlsruhe, WCC moderator Dr Agnes Abuom said, “We will present eight WCC presidents for election. We will also take action on the recommendations of the nominations committee.”

According to the WCC Constitution the role of the WCC presidents is to promote ecumenism and interpret the work of the WCC, especially in their respective regions. The presidents are ex-officio members of WCC central committee.
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In a special greeting to the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly, Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, presiding bishop of the Church of Norway an

“It is a miracle that we all are able to gather here. Knowing how much work it is behind such an event, I will particularly commend all staff members and all involved in the preparations in so many ways that we are here,” he said. “The world is already deeply into challenges that humanity has not seen before, through climate change and all its effects on the whole world.”
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Unless the efforts of youth are mobilized for institutional change, their efforts to live sustainably, ethically, and mindful of consumption will not have an impact, warned Ruth Mathen, delegate of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, during a WCC assembly press conference on 5 September.

Her comments came following a thematic plenary on “Affirming the wholeness of life,” about challenging indifference and systemic injustices so that we can more deeply interconnect the world in which we live.

“Bodies like this,” she said referring to the WCC assembly, “churches as a whole, Christians as a faith community, can make a statement and make an impact.”
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During a plenary session held 5 September as part of the ongoing World Council of Churches 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, women, men, youth, Indigenous peoples, and people living with HIV and AIDS challenged ecumenical leaders to counter injustices and affirm wholeness of life.

Iemaima Jennifer Vaai, an Indigenous person, spoke at the session, which was modeled after a dialogue practice from Fiji and across the Pacific known as Talanoa. “The whole of life is a process of transformation and changing the story. A story that is ours, not someone else’s, results in being the only story. One that acknowledges a bottom-up approach of striving for justice, that is affordable, sustainable, and resilient.”
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The commitment of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) to gender justice—with the ordination of women as a particular focus—was the topic of a workshop at the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly.

Dorcas Gordon, of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, introduced the WCRC’s Declaration of Faith on Women’s Ordination, adopted at the 2017 General Council, as “a definitive statement on women’s ordination, and not a decision the WCRC has taken lightly.”
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Ukrainian archbishop Yevstratiy of Chernihiv and Nizhyn, in a press briefing at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly, told journalists that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has applied to become a full member of the WCC and the Conference of European Churches.

Ukrainian archbishop Yevstratiy of Chernihiv and Nizhyn, in a press briefing at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly, told journalists that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has applied to become a full member of the WCC and the Conference of European Churches.
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“Lord, who may abide in your tent?” asked a reading from Psalm 15 at the start of morning prayers on Saturday 3 September during the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany.

A symbolic “protest march” of picketers for truth, justice, love, reconciliation and unity provided an illustration for the biblical response to the question, which begins, “Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart”. Accompanied by an ancient Greek Orthodox liturgical chant and a traditional African American song of liberation, the psalm set in motion a service dedicated to the theme “Christ’s love moves us to share”.
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Ushered into the venue of the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, one finds a sanctuary, a safe space under the canopy of yellow leaves. Under the shade of trees with leaves slowly going through the withering process is the springing of hope for a better world engaged in conversations and dialogues that promote life at its fullness.

Under the canopy of yellow leaves, this gathering appears to represent the entirety of humanity. People dress vividly, speak in a variety of languages and dialects, carry a variety of faith traditions and confessions, and are shaped by diverse cultures, narratives, and contexts. After the serious sessions involving the life and mission of the fellowship of churches, the tables set under the shade of the colorful trees are free spaces for people to settle and converse, rest, and seek refreshment.
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“If you’re for climate justice, say ‘AMEN!’” was the chant as young people led a protest marching through the Brunnen exhibition zone at the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe, Germany on September 2, 2022.

“The protest was organized by people from around the world,” said Helena Funk of Germany, one of the organizers. “They were all different ages, from a variety of confessions.”
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In a process described as, “a journey of walking together, praying together, and working together,” Dr Agnes Abuom, WCC moderator, began the second business plenary with a review of the assembly decision-making process. “The decisions of the assembly are expressed through the final reports of the assembly committees,” she said, noting the distinction between earlier messages and final messages, which are expected to come to assembly next week.

During the plenary, the assembly received the second report of the nominations committee. At the time of the report, over 163 nominations had been submitted for 150 seats on the WCC central committee, with more nominations still expected. Part of the work of the nominations committee will be to ensure a balance of representation with respect to youth, gender, lay, as well as Indigenous persons and persons with disabilities.
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On a glorious Friday morning, the prayer tent at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe burst with enthusiastic singing of hymns, liturgical responses and praise songs in German, English, Spanish, Arabic, Maohi, Estonian, and Xhosa.

“Christ’s love moves us to love” was the theme of the service of morning prayer on 2 September. Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) provided a narrative core to the devotions. Jesus told the parable after being asked, “Who is my neighbour?” In response, he spoke of solemn religious officials neglecting an innocent traveler who had been physically assaulted and robbed. Once the self-professed holy people had passed by, a Samaritan stopped, took him to shelter and paid to have his wounds tended. Which of these, Jesus asked, was the traveler’s neighbour?
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Reformed participants at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly gathered Thursday evening to hear about the work of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), share concerns and priorities, and bless WCC General Secretary-elect Jerry Pillay.

“The Communion is alive and active,” said Philip Vinod Peacock, executive for justice and witness as part of the Collegial General Secretariat (CGS). He presented the WCRC’s upcoming activities to the several hundred people gathered, also noting that the next General Council will be held in 2025 in Thailand.
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“One in every eight persons you meet at the World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly is likely to be a Lutheran,” said The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Anne Burghardt at the opening of a Lutheran confessional meeting at the 11th World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly in Karlsruhe earlier this week.

Lutherans from churches all over the world came together for the meeting to share their joys, concerns, and hopes and reflect on the assembly theme from a perspective of Lutheran churches and theology.
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1st September press conference at the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly drew diverse questions from journalists directed at three panelists who celebrated the earth’s gifts as the Season of Creation opened—but tempered the joy by warning that those gifts will perish if people don’t draw together globally.

Joy Kennedy, moderator of the WCC working group on climate change, offered a very personal perspective on why we should all care about the future. “I’ve been with the WCC climate change working group for many years. I’m a grandmother and I focus on intergenerational justice because climate change is affecting everyone—but more so particularly affecting those who are young and to yet born,” she said. “As a grandmother, I feel we must change our way of living on this planet so we have a survivable future.”
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Opening to the sounds of nature reverberating through the speaker system, World Council of Churches 11th Assembly delegates took part in the first thematic plenary, “The purpose of God’s love in Christ for the whole of creation – reconciliation and unity,” on 1 September, the first day of Season of Creation.

Throughout the session, the image of a cedar tree from the Middle East, embraced and hugged by children from different parts of the world, was present on the main screen. Plenary moderator, Dr Agnes Abuom, moderator of the WCC central committee, explained how cedar trees are known for their strength and resilience. “They remind us of the bonds of our life over generations,” she said.
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Opening the first business plenary of the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly on 1 September, WCC moderator Dr Agnes Abuom acknowledged the contributions of three former WCC general secretaries, as well as acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, and general secretary-elect Dr Jerry Pillay.

She acknowledged former general secretaries, Rev. Sam Kobia (Methodist Church of Kenya), Rev. Prof. Dr Konrad Raiser (Evangelical Church in Germany), and Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, presiding bishop of the Church of Norway, referring to them as “stalwarts of the movement,” adding that “we have drawn a lot of knowledge from you in our work.”
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In the midst of the Ecumenical Youth Gathering (EYG), a group of young people from around the world have organized a strike for climate justice.

In the midst of the Ecumenical Youth Gathering (EYG), a group of young people from around the world have organized a strike for climate justice.

“It’s very important for me to raise awareness about climate change,” said Subin Tamang, a 25 year-old from Nepal. “I see the effects in my country.”
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Recalling believers’ mandate to act as stewards and beneficiaries of God’s creation, the World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly gathered in morning prayer on the first day of September, the Orthodox Day of Prayer for Creation and the start of an ecumenically observed Season of Creation. At the heart of the liturgical action was a combining of vessels of water from each inhabited region of the earth, a “gathering of the waters” reflecting the earliest act of creation in Genesis 1:9.
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September 1 marks the beginning of the Season of Creation, five weeks in the liturgical calendar recognized by the fellowship of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and, since 2015, by the Catholic Church. It is an especially religious demonstration of concern for the planet and for threats to the survival of Earth as we know it.

The agenda of WCC assembly events on September 1 also highlights the WCC’s emphasis on Climate Justice. In an interview prior to the Assembly, Rev. Prof Dr Ioan Sauca, WCC acting general secretary, explained that the climate “is a theological issue. God’s plan in Christ was also the reconciliation and healing of the whole creation.”
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Pope Francis, sent greetings to the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly as it opened.

The Pope wished the representatives of the churches at the 31 August to 8 September assembly “a meaningful and fruitful meeting that deepens and strengthens the bonds of communion between the Churches and the ecumenical organizations present.”

The pontiff said in advance greetings that he has a “pastoral interest in the work of the Assembly.”

Pope Francis also noted that the Catholic Church has sent “delegated observers” to WCC assemblies since the WCC 3rd Assembly took place in New Delhi in 1961.
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His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew offered greetings and a pointed message to the delegates and participants at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany.

He began his remarks with the teaching and the belief that “the light of Christ shines more brightly than any darkness in our hearts and in our world,” offering this idea as the underlying premise to the theme of the assembly, that “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”

Yet, we have fallen short of this ideal, he suggested. Asking each of us the question, “how can we reconcile our magnificent faith with our manifest failure?”
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As the bells of Karlsruhe, Germany rang out across the city, thousands of Christians gathered on Wednesday, 31 August in the prayer tent at the heart of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Representatives from each of the eight geographical regions in which the WCC is active brought gifts and concerns reflecting their own cultural and historical contexts. The international congregation prayed in thanksgiving to God, adding their expectation for the coming nine days of the Assembly, “We share the hope of meeting each other in the warm embrace of Christ’s love that moves us to reconciliation and unity.”

Solemn observance was interpreted through colour, movement, words, sights and sound drawn from the breadth of the global Christian movement. Ancient liturgical chants, hymns, traditional dance and modern song stirred believers. The opening prayers noted the contemporary setting of this assembly, lamenting, “We share the burden and the pain of this time of the Covid pandemic. We share the burden and the pain of armed conflicts and their consequences in deaths, destruction and forced migration. We share the burden and the pain of the pre-existing plagues of injustice, structural poverty, violence and a creation that suffers. We bring to you the memory of the victims of all these pandemics.”
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The Rev. Mary Chipoka, 37, ordained pastor from Zimbabwe, faces much adversity because of her gender, and because she is deaf.

Back home, Chipoka preaches and teaches in sign language and is an advocate for women in leadership in churches. Though her role is one of teaching and administration, Chipoka wants people to know that she is also a worshiper. Her love for singing is often met with surprise because of her disability. She uses her hands as a voice unto God, often proclaiming through song, “I praise the Lord my Savior for the wonderful gift of life he has given us.”
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The World Council of Churches 11th Assembly began its assembly in the German city of Karlsruhe on 31 August, with Dr Agnes Abuom opening the gathering, her last as moderator.

Abuom, moderator of the WCC central committee, started the session on 31 August, calling for a minute of silence by paying tribute to the late Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima, who died on 1 June while he was vice moderator of the central committee.

Abuom has served as moderator since 2013.
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Karlsruhe, a city built over 300 hundred years ago without walls, open to friends and guests — at a time where other cities still hid behind their fortifications — welcomed people from all over the world to four pre-assemblies that are bringing forward powerful calls to the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Indigenous Peoples, the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network, the Just Community of Women and Men, and the Ecumenical Youth Gathering were the fora for in-depth analysis and debates on issues challenging the global family of churches represented in the WCC.

All the pre-assembly participants gathered together in a closing session on August 30 to share highlights from the messages each is taking forward to the Assembly.
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