Racism has been identified as one of the most significant challenges facing the North American region in the United States and Canada, a World Council of Churches (WCC) meeting has heard. Members of the North American region of the WCC’s Central Committee, its highest governing body between Assemblies, met during its 21-27 June meeting in Geneva.

“North America or Turtle Island, which is the Indigenous name for North America, is one of three continents that make up ‘The New World.’ The continent was new to 15th-century European explorers but old to the Indigenous peoples already living there,” said Rev. Dr Angelique Walker-Smith, WCC president from North America.
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) is planning a year of activities in 2025 to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325, a key moment in the history of Christian faith and for the ecumenical journey today.

“The anniversary offers an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the outpouring mission of God’s triune love and the implications this has for the common witness and service of the churches, it gives us the opportunity to ask afresh with others what Nicaea means for us today.” said WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay.

The first Ecumenical Council was a gathering of Christian bishops in Nicaea, now İznik in present-day Türkiye, as the first attempt to reach consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom.

“Then, as now, the call to unity was heard within the context of a troubled, unequal, and divided world,” recalled Pillay.
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Leaders from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity convened on 9 May to plan for the period 2023-2030.

The leaders met in a prayerful and collegial atmosphere to evaluate past collaboration between the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church during the 2013-2022 strategic period. They then went on to share the 2023-2030 WCC strategic objectives, and to reaffirm and refine future ways of working, with particular reference to the work of the Joint Working Group, WCC commissions, and collaboration with other dicasteries and Catholic organisations with reference to the current ecumenical and global landscapes.
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At least 494 religious buildings in Ukraine have been destroyed, damaged, or looted as a result of the Russian invasion—and seizure of religious buildings for use as Russian military bases increases the scale of destruction of religious sites in Ukraine, reports the Institute for Religious Freedom.

The Institute for Religious Freedom (IRF Ukraine), a non-governmental human rights organisation founded in 2001 in Kyiv, Ukraine, presented the data on the impact of the war on Ukrainian religious communities during the Summit on International Religious Freedom in Washington, DC on 1 February.
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Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church; Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, UK; and Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields, moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland; will travel to the world’s youngest nation on 3- 5 February on a spiritual and peace mission.
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Jews, Christians and Muslims up to the age of 35 years are invited to apply for the 2023 Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Interreligious Studies course. Final submission date for applications is 28 February 2023.
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On 24 November, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas formally received the acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca for a meeting to discuss just peace in Palestine and Israel.

The Palestinian president extended words of gratitude to all the churches for their ongoing support for Palestinian people. “We are one people,” said Abbas. “All churches are all our holy places.”
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In an historic meeting to discuss just peace in the Holy Land, Israeli president Isaac Herzog formally received World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca on 23 November. This marks the first meeting between WCC leadership and an Israeli president.
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World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca joined other faith leaders in signing a collective message calling on world leaders and their representatives at COP27 to make the bold decisions necessary and ensure that there are clear and concrete outcomes from this COP.
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, elected during the WCC 11th Assembly, has concluded its first meeting, held 7-12 November at the Ecumenical Institute Bossey and at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The governing body focused on follow-up from the assembly, planning for 2023—including the budget and programme plans—and statements that respond to critical situations affecting the fellowship of WCC member churches.
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“COP27 is a critical occasion for governments to together re-envision, develop, commit to and implement a roadmap towards a fossil fuel-free, post-growth, equitable and sustainable tomorrow,” said Bishop Arnold Temple of the Methodist Church in Sierra Leone, representing the interfaith liaison group, to the High-Level Ministerial Segment of the 27th Session of Conference of the Parties (COP27).
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) has appointed Dr Andrej Jeftić as the new director of the Commission on Faith and Order. Jeftić, from Serbia, an Eastern Orthodox theologian, has been serving as a research fellow at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory at the University of Belgrade. He also served as a theological consultant for the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe.
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As the study groups of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Faith and Order Commission convened this week, the paper “Towards a Global Vision of the Church Volume I: Explorations on Global Christianity and Ecclesiology” was released.
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The study groups of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Faith and Order Commission are convening from 14-16 November at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute. Participants are sharing their reflections on what has been achieved theologically, ecumenically, and methodologically, as well as their views about relevant ecumenical theological work to be done.
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As Christians we confess that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it” (Ps 24). We acknowledge our responsibility as stewards and caretakers of God’s unique and abundant Creation of which we human beings are part. And yet we look around our world today, and see that due to our greed and negligence the entire living planet is threatened by accelerating climate change. “The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers…”, “The earth is defiled by its people…” (Isaiah 24:4-5).
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World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca delivered a lecture during the first edition of the “Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence” held 3-4 November.
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The Bossey Ecumenical Institute is inviting prospective students to apply for the autumn semester 2023-24. Applicants interested in ecumenical formation at Bossey will explore the opportunity to combine academic and experiential learning within a diverse global cohort.
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As the world prepares to gather for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt from 6 to 18 November 2022, Christian organizations from Africa, Europe, and North America have committed to work together to end the persistent hunger crisis, worsened by climate change.

Leaders from nearly 40 churches and organizations signed the commitment at the end of a two-day convocation in Nairobi on 21 October. The meeting—on climate change and hunger—was organized by the U.S.-based Bread for the World and hosted by the All Africa Conference of Churches.
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Patriarch Kirill and World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Fr Ioan Sauca met on 17 October in Moscow, discussing how churches are called to be peacemakers.

Also attending the meeting, which took place at the Patriarchal Residence in St Daniel’s Monastery, were Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman; Fr Mikhail Gundyaev, representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the WCC and international organisations in Geneva; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations; and Rev. Prof. Dr Benjamin Simon, WCC programme executive for Church Relations.
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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 World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee elected the WCC executive committee on 8 September during the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe.

The central committee elects 20 of its members to serve as the WCC executive committee of the WCC, along with the leadership of the central committee, which includes the moderator, two vice-moderators, and the WCC general secretary, as well as the moderators of its programme and finance committees.
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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 (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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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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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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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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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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