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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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Posted: Sept. 2, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12411
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: Christian unity, WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 2 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12411
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : Christian unity, WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Sept. 2, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12421
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 2 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12421
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Sept. 1, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12390
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: climate change, creation, WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 1 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12390
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : climate change, creation, WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Sept. 1, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12388
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: creation, WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 1 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12388
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : creation, WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Sept. 1, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12403
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 1 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12403
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Sept. 1, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12386
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: climate change, WCC, WCC Assembly, youth
Transmis : 1 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12386
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : climate change, WCC, WCC Assembly, youth

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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Posted: Sept. 1, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12423
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: creation, WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 1 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12423
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : creation, WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Sept. 1, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12425
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: creation, ecology, WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 1 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12425
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : creation, ecology, WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Sept. 1, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12384
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: Pope Francis, WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 1 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12384
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : Pope Francis, WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Sept. 1, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12382
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: Bartholomew I, creation, WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 1 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12382
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : Bartholomew I, creation, WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Aug. 31, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12370
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 31 aoüt 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12370
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Aug. 31, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12427
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 31 aoüt 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12427
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Aug. 31, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12377
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 31 aoüt 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12377
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

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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Posted: Aug. 31, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12375
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 31 aoüt 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12375
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

As the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly opened on 31 August in Karlsruhe, Germany, WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca shared a report that touched upon the climate crisis, COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and many other challenges in the world.

“In responding to the hardships of our times, we need one another, we depend on one another, and we can advance only if we walk together, not in separation,” he said. “Therefore, I would dare to say that if the WCC did not exist, we would have to invent or reinvent it today.”

Sauca’s report showed the breadth of the WCC’s work related to the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, the climate crisis, racial justice, the wounds caused by the war in Ukraine and other conflicts in the world, and advancing human rights in the Holy Land.
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Posted: Aug. 31, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12367
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 31 aoüt 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12367
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

World Council of Churches (WCC) moderator Dr Agnes Abuom called on assembly delegates to “let Christ’s love move us,” as she delivered her opening report at the WCC 11th Assembly on August 3st.

Abuom reflected on the challenges facing members since the last assembly eight years ago and shared her hopes for this assembly. “At its best, the assembly is a spiritual celebration of the power of God’s love to renew our minds and hearts so that we may become a countercultural force driven by solidarity with the most vulnerable people and God’s creation,” she said.

“Listen carefully to youth among us,” urged Abuom, noting that many young people are anxiously struggling as they voice their fears about justice, peace, and the future of the planet. “They are the generation that is experiencing the first catastrophes of climate crisis and the last generation that can take any action to stop global warming.”
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Posted: Aug. 31, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12364
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 31 aoüt 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12364
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

An opening press conference for the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly was held on 31 August as the assembly began in Karlsruhe, Germany. Hundreds of media representatives were present both in person and online to listen to and interact with a panel comprised of WCC leadership and local hosts.

Among the panellists for the press conference were Dr Agnes Abuom,  moderator of the WCC  central committee; H.E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Nifon of Targoviste, vice moderator of the WCC central committee; Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, vice  moderator of the WCC central committee, WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca; Bishop Petra Bosse-Huber, Evangelical Church in Germany, moderator of the local host committee; Bishop Prof. Dr Heike Springhart, Protestant Church in Baden, moderator of the local host committee; and Dr Frank Mentrup, mayor of Karlsruhe.
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Posted: Aug. 31, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12361
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 31 aoüt 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12361
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

During the World Council of Churches (WCC) Indigenous People’s Pre-Assembly, Prof. Anne Pattel-Gray shared the reflections below.

What spoke to you during this pre-assembly?

Prof. Pattel-Gray: The importance of recognising Indigenous people speaks to the integrity of the WCC to ensure a continuing platform for the voices of First Nations People—to not only be heard but to also participate, and to have the opportunity to share our theological views and social-political struggles with each other.
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Posted: Aug. 30, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12379
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 30 aoüt 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12379
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, WCC Assembly

At the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe Germany, Jackcilia Salathiel Ebere will be carrying the voices of women from South Sudan who are crying for peace and justice.

Ebere is the national women coordinator at the South Sudan Council of Churches, an ecumenical grouping of seven member churches and associate churches, including the Roman Catholic, Episcopal (Anglican) and Presbyterian churches.

Ebere, a human rights lawyer, stresses in an interview that women are the victims in the country’s civil war, interethnic violence, and widespread insecurity.
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Posted: Aug. 26, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12451
Categories: Conferences, WCC NewsIn this article: South Sudan, WCC, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 26 aoüt 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12451
Catégorie : Conferences, WCC NewsDans cet article : South Sudan, WCC, WCC Assembly

Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay was elected as the new general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

He is the eighth general secretary in the WCC’s history since the fellowship of churches was founded in 1948.

Pillay is currently dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria. A member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, he is from South Africa.

Pillay was one of two candidates standing for election to the WCC’s highest administrative post. The other candidate was Dr Elizabeth Joy. Pillay will replace outgoing acting general secretary Rev. Prof Dr Ioan Sauca, who began serving in that position in April 2020, when the previous general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, was appointed as the presiding bishop of the Church of Norway.
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Posted: June 17, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11759
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Jerry Pillay, WCC
Transmis : 17 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11759
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Jerry Pillay, WCC

Le pasteur Jerry Pillay a été élu secrétaire général du ConseiConseil œcuménique des Églisesclass=’c2c-text-hover’ title=’Conseil oecuméniques des églises’>COE).

Il est le huitième secrétaire général de l’histoire du COE depuis la création de la communauté fraternelle d’Églises en 1948.

Le pasteur Pillay exerce actuellement les fonctions de doyen de la Faculté de théologie et de religion de l’Université de Pretoria. Originaire d’Afrique du Sud, il est membre de l’Église presbytérienne unifiante d’Afrique australe.

Le pasteur Pillay était l’un des deux finalistes à l’élection aux plus hautes fonctions administratives du COE, pour laquelle il était opposé à Mme Elizabeth Joy. Il remplacera le secrétaire général par intérim sortant, le père Ioan Sauca, qui était entré en fonctions en avril 2020, lorsque le secrétaire général précédent, le pasteur Olav Fykse Tveit, avait été nommé primat de l’Église de Norvège.
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Posted: June 17, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11792
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Jerry Pillay, WCC
Transmis : 17 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11792
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Jerry Pillay, WCC

The joint publication, “Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia,” available online from now on, offers resources to strengthen the diaconal capacity of the churches and to advance the cooperation with specialized ministries.

“Writing of this document was a recommendation of the Malawi consultation in September 2014, when churches and specialized ministries’ representatives from all the continents gathered to reflect on the work they are supposed to do together,” said Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, WCC deputy general secretary, presenting the publication.

Besides adding the geographic and confessional contexts of practicing diakonia, the study document also addresses the diaconal response to COVID-19 pandemic, including examples of diaconal ministry from every continent.

“With this publication, we now have a common understanding on diakonia – and that should take churches and their partners toward the next level of ecumenical cooperation in diakonia,” said Phiri, adding that after receiving the document in 2022, the WCC central committee has recommended that churches and specialized ministries all over the world use it.
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Posted: June 9, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11738
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: ACT Alliance, diakonia, service, WCC, witness
Transmis : 9 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11738
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : ACT Alliance, diakonia, service, WCC, witness

As the World Council of Churches’ first substantial digital publication and its largest free collection, the Faith and Order Papers open a new frontier for scholars, ecumenists, and anyone interested in traversing the twists and turns of the path towards Christian unity.

“This is a digital library of more than one century of ecumenical theology,” explained Rev. Dr Odair Pedroso Mateus, WCC interim deputy general secretary and director of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order. “By ‘ecumenical theology,’ I mean theology focused on overcoming divisions among Christian churches.”

In fact, Pedroso Mateus added, it’s a library of ecumenical theology “in the making” because it documents not only the theological results of studies and conferences, but also the processes whereby studies of conferences were conceived, implemented and concluded.
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Posted: June 7, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11745
Categories: Documents, WCC NewsIn this article: theology, WCC, WCC Commission on Faith and Order
Transmis : 7 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11745
Catégorie : Documents, WCC NewsDans cet article : theology, WCC, WCC Commission on Faith and Order

With the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly less than four months away, anticipation for the historic gathering of faith and fellowship is growing. The foundation for the assembly—including the business aspects, spiritual life, or open dialogue—is the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” The assembly is also rooted in common faith as a gathering of the fellowship of churches that confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour. All of this will occur amid today’s stark global realities: wars and conflicts, COVID-19, the climate emergency, racism, authoritarian politics, digitization, militarization. As the world cries for hope, the WCC 11th Assembly promises to bring a multi-faith approach.
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Posted: May 18, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11264
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Karlsruhe, WCC Assembly
Transmis : 18 mai 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11264
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Karlsruhe, WCC Assembly

Global religious leaders and leading scientists issued a joint statement on 4 October calling on the international community to raise their ambition and step up their climate action ahead of COP26.

Almost 40 faith leaders signed the joint appeal, which was presented by Pope Francis.

Signatories included World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, along with representatives from across the Christian denominations, Sunni and Shi’a Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism and Jainism.

The appeal calls for the world to achieve net-zero carbon emissions as soon as possible, and to limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
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Posted: Oct. 4, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10908
Categories: Documents, Vatican News, WCC NewsIn this article: climate change, COP26, environment, interfaith statements, Pope Francis, WCC
Transmis : 4 oct. 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10908
Catégorie : Documents, Vatican News, WCC NewsDans cet article : climate change, COP26, environment, interfaith statements, Pope Francis, WCC

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) met on 25 August in Geneva to explore and discuss possible areas of future cooperation.

The two organizations shared current plans and discussed possibilities for closer collaboration on thematic areas such as advocacy and peace building, the climate emergency, and membership matters.

The WEA is a network of churches in 143 nations that have joined to give a worldwide identity, voice and platform to more than 600 million evangelical Christians.

The WEA has six programmatic departments: Global Advocacy, Global Theology, Global Witness, Alliance Engagement, Church Engagement, and Public Engagement.
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Posted: Aug. 30, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10889
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, World Evangelical Alliance
Transmis : 30 aoüt 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10889
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, World Evangelical Alliance

A collection of documents and publications from the World Council of Churches (WCC) is now available through its longstanding partner organization Globethics.net. The WCC collection, updated weekly, reflects a growing and longstanding electronic bridge between the organizations’ websites.

For many years, the Globethics.net Library has hosted a variety of collections on behalf of the WCC, an active member of the Globethics.net Consortium on Ethics in Higher Education, as well as co-founder of the former Global Digital Library on Theology and Ecumenism (GlobeTheoLib).

The institutional “World Council of Churches collection” has recently been updated with new content collected from its website, including documents and publications published at www.oikoumene.org/resources. Thanks to an electronic bridge between the two sites, new resources are automatically added to the collection on a weekly basis.
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Posted: June 1, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10903
Categories: Documents, Resources, WCC NewsIn this article: WCC
Transmis : 1 juin 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10903
Catégorie : Documents, Resources, WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC

A webinar on how churches make moral decisions—and what causes divisions—brought a lively discussion attended online by more than 100 people on 29 April.

Basing their remarks on a World Council of Churches Faith and Order Commission publication, “Churches and Moral Discernment. Volume 1: Learning from Traditions,” the speakers shared insights from very different church perspectives.

As the foreword of the publication says, “The hope is that necessary prerequisites are fulfilled, allowing for constructive conversations within traditions. This will prevent divisions over moral issues and provide solid ground to engage in fruitful ecumenical dialogues that appreciate and attribute appropriate relevance to moral issues.”
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Posted: May 6, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10901
Categories: Resources, WCC NewsIn this article: moral discernment, WCC Commission on Faith and Order
Transmis : 6 mai 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10901
Catégorie : Resources, WCC NewsDans cet article : moral discernment, WCC Commission on Faith and Order

At the end of its biannual meeting, the World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order, in February, reported from its three study groups, which continue to look to future activities and dialogue with a sense of hope.

The first study group is working on a plan for a World Conference on Faith and Order in 2025. The last such conference organized by Faith and Order was in Compostela, Spain in 1993. In the proposal, the study group reflected on purpose, theme, format, partners, promotion and finances of a conference.

The study group on ecclesiology announced the publication of 78 responses to The Church: Towards a Common Vision. To address the divisive topics coming from the responses, a volume of 16 key theme papers written by the commissioners will be published ahead of the WCC 11th Assembly in 2022.

The Faith and Order Commission also mapped a path toward enlarging its work in order to better reflect the challenges raised by independent, evangelical and pentecostal traditions to the search for visible unity.
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Posted: Mar. 4, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10899
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: WCC Commission on Faith and Order
Transmis : 4 mars 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10899
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC Commission on Faith and Order

A 9 March webinar – the third in a series of seven on bilateral dialogues – will focus on “Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue: History, Results, Reception” as well as the Canterbury Statement “Stewards of Creation: A Hope-Filled Ecology,” a statement on ecology jointly published by the Anglican Communion and the Orthodox Churches in October 2020.

Presentations will be offered by the two co-chairman of the International Commission for Anglican–Orthodox Theological Dialogue.
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Posted: Mar. 3, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10897
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Anglican Communion, Orthodox
Transmis : 3 mars 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10897
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Anglican Communion, Orthodox

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Faith and Order published two new volumes that collect responses received to The Church: Towards a Common Vision between 2013 and 2020.

The responses address the church’s mission, unity, and its being in the trinitarian life of God in order to encourage and advance the churches’ growth in communion with each other in apostolic faith, sacramental life, mission, and ministry for the sake of God’s world.
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Posted: Feb. 23, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10905
Categories: Documents, WCC NewsIn this article: ecclesiology, WCC Commission on Faith and Order
Transmis : 23 févr. 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10905
Catégorie : Documents, WCC NewsDans cet article : ecclesiology, WCC Commission on Faith and Order

The World Council of Churches (WCC) will host a webinar on 18 February from 14:00-15:30 (GMT+1) entitled “Common witness on environmental justice and religious pluralism” that will explore two recent papers released by the WCC Commission on Faith and Order.

The two publications are “Cultivate and Care: An Ecumenical Theology of Justice for and within Creation” and “Love and Witness: Proclaiming the Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ in a Religiously Plural World.”
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Posted: Feb. 11, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10895
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: justice, peace, WCC Commission on Faith and Order
Transmis : 11 févr. 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10895
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : justice, peace, WCC Commission on Faith and Order

In a world crying out for justice and peace, the theme of the 2022 assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity,” speaks of hope for a future in which resources are shared, inequalities are addressed and all can enjoy dignity, according to a new publication reflecting on the assembly theme.

The result of the work of an international group drawn from different regions and confessional traditions, the text is intended as a resource for churches and Christians worldwide in advance of the WCC’s 11th Assembly, to take place in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 31 August to 8 September 2022.

The assembly, according to the text, is an opportunity to find inspiration in the love of God, the Holy Trinity; a love that has been revealed in Christ; and that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is moving in and through all humankind and all creation.
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Posted: Jan. 28, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10893
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: WCC Assembly
Transmis : 28 janv. 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10893
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC Assembly

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) have released a joint document, “Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: A Christian Call to Reflection and Action During COVID-19 and Beyond.” Its purpose is to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the importance of interreligious solidarity in a world wounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The document offers a Christian basis for interreligious solidarity that can inspire and confirm the impulse to serve a world wounded not only by COVID-19 but also by many other wounds.

The publication is also designed to be useful to practitioners of other religions, who have already responded to COVID-19 with similar thoughts based on their own traditions.

The document recognizes the current context of the pandemic as a time for discovering new forms of solidarity for rethinking the post-COVID-19 world. Comprised of five sections, the document reflects on the nature of a solidarity sustained by hope and offers a Christian basis for interreligious solidarity, a few key principles and a set of recommendations on how reflection on solidarity can be translated into concrete and credible action.
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Posted: Aug. 27, 2020 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10818
Categories: Documents, WCC NewsIn this article: Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, interfaith, justice, solidarity, WCC
Transmis : 27 aoüt 2020 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10818
Catégorie : Documents, WCC NewsDans cet article : Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, interfaith, justice, solidarity, WCC

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC ) have met formally on 25-27 June in Paris.

This meeting, under the theme “The normalization of hatred: challenges for Jews and Christians today,” took place at a time of challenges both to religious life in general and to each of our communities in their various contexts,” reads a communique released by the two groups.

“Among the issues that informed this gathering were: the rise of xenophobic nationalist movements in much of the world; suspicion of the agendas of religious communities and institutions, especially in Europe; the resurgence of overt antisemitism; the prevalence of Islamophobia; newly emerging anti-Christian attitudes; the continuing non-resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; worldwide hostility to vulnerable minorities; and the shocking erosion of civil society in many places and ways.” reads the communique. “We are particularly horrified by the recent increase in murderous attacks on places of worship in different parts of the world.”
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Posted: June 28, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10676
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Christian, Christianity, IJCIC, Jewish, Judaism, WCC
Transmis : 28 juin 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10676
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Christian, Christianity, IJCIC, Jewish, Judaism, WCC

At a conference with the theme “Promoting Peace Together” held in Geneva on 21 May, religious leaders focused on two historic documents related to peace-making. The first, “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” was jointly signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Abu Dhabi in February. The second, “Education for Peace in a Multi-Religious World: A Christian Perspective,” jointly prepared by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the World Council of Churches (WCC), was officially launched at the conference.

Anne Glynn-Mackoul, moderator of the opening session and a WCC Executive Committee member who represents the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (USA), expressed her appreciation for those gathered who are inspired by a common vision to promote peace together. “Today we will explore together two documents which affirm, each with compelling fervor, the possibility of peace,” she said.

The two documents, Glynn-Mackoul added, “help us, each in its own way, to think of religions not as fortresses to be defended but as wellsprings for the flourishing of all life.”
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Posted: May 21, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10825
Categories: Documents, WCC NewsIn this article: Al-Azhar, dialogue, Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, interfaith, peace, WCC
Transmis : 21 mai 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10825
Catégorie : Documents, WCC NewsDans cet article : Al-Azhar, dialogue, Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, interfaith, peace, WCC

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee has decided upon the theme for its 11th Assembly, to be held in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2021. “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity” will be the theme used in development of programmes and other preparations. The WCC Assembly Planning Committee is currently meeting in Cyprus to develop central building blocks for the assembly. “The theme will help to focus on the ecumenical movement as a movement of love, seeking to follow Christ and witness to Christ’s love – expressed in the search for justice and peace, and unity based on that,” commented WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and added “The one human family needs love and needs to love to face our future together.”
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Posted: Jan. 10, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10436
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: WCC Assembly
Transmis : 10 janv. 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10436
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC Assembly

Church and political leaders have marked the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Reformation in Wittenberg, Germany where on 31 October 1517 he published his 95 Theses denouncing church abuses.

“It was an act of liberation when, 500 years ago today, the Augustinian monk Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in Wittenberg, perhaps even a few metres from here, on the door of this church,” Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, chairperson of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, said in his sermon at the 31 October service at Wittenberg’s Castle Church.

“A spiritual renewal went out from Wittenberg, to people in Germany, Europe and worldwide. To men and women from all social classes,” said Bedford-Strohm.

The service opened with the singing of Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” whose words are inscribed around the tower of the Castle Church, and included music by 18th century composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and chancellor Angela Merkel joined church leaders at the service, including Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German Bishops’ Conference, and the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit.
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Posted: Oct. 31, 2017 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9799
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Germany, Martin Luther, Reformation
Transmis : 31 oct. 2017 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9799
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Germany, Martin Luther, Reformation

The next World Mission Conference is to be held in Arusha, Tanzania, 8-13 March 2018. The proposal to hold the conference was approved today by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee at its meeting in Trondheim, Norway. Bishop Geevarghese Mor Coorilos, Moderator of the WCC’s Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME), presented the proposal. The conference theme is “Moving in the Spirit: Called to Transforming Discipleship.” More than 700 delegates from churches worldwide are expected to gather for the event hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. The conference is the first to be held in Africa since 1958, when it was hosted in Ghana. “CWME recognizes that the African continent is one of the most vibrant regions of world Christianity,” CWME Director, Dr Jooseop Keum explains. “It is important that the spirit of Africa pervade the conference from planning through to delivery. A significant numbers of speakers and participants will be from the region.” The mission executive adds that holding the conference in Africa will allow participants to learn about African ecumenical mission initiatives.
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Posted: June 29, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9490
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: evangelism/evangelization, mission, WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism
Transmis : 29 juin 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9490
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : evangelism/evangelization, mission, WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism

On the occasion of US President Barack Obama’s visit to the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 27 May, WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit sent greetings, noting that this is a time when signs of peace and justice are sorely needed.

“We pray that you will be able to talk with the aging survivors of the atomic bombing – the hibakusha – who live to tell their story in the determined hope that no one will ever again suffer their fate,” Tveit wrote. “They speak for the hundreds of thousands of people from Japan, Korea and other countries whose lives were shattered by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

Tveit urged Obama to share his vision of a world without nuclear weapons. “The World Council of Churches was founded in 1948, in the shadow of the atomic bombings,” Tveit wrote. “We believe that the case for the elimination of nuclear weapons is grounded in the responsibility to protect and care for goodness of all that God has created and for the dignity of all human beings, made in the image of God.”

Using the energy of the atom in ways that threaten and destroy life is a sinful misuse of the fundamental building blocks of God’s creation, Tveit added in the letter. “Churches in every region of the world refuse to accept that the mass destruction of other peoples can ever be a legitimate means of protecting one’s own people.”
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Posted: May 27, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9117
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Barack Obama, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, peace
Transmis : 27 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9117
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Barack Obama, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, peace

“There is a remarkable change towards acknowledging the role of faith-based communities and their resources to address humanitarian needs,” said Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), during the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), held in Istanbul, Turkey, 23-24 May.

“This is promising for those who need more assistance, and it is promising for the constructive cooperation needed,” he added.

The summit was the first of its kind in the 70-year history of the United Nations. The motivation came from the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, who called for humanity to be placed at the heart of global decision-making.

The framework of the summit was built upon the principle that, in order to deliver for humanity, stakeholders must act on five core responsibilities: preventing and ending conflict; respecting rules of war; leaving no one behind; working differently to end need; and investing in humanity.

The WCC was represented at the WHS by the general secretary Tveit and the council’s representative to the United Nations in New York, Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, as well as by several member churches, national councils of churches and partner organizations, such as ACT Alliance and its members.
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Posted: May 26, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9115
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: advocacy, justice, peace, WCC
Transmis : 26 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9115
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : advocacy, justice, peace, WCC

The leadership and representatives of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) met in the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland to explore and discuss possible areas of future cooperation.

The 20 May meeting featured introductions to the work of the WEA and the WCC, and participants reflected together on current developments in society and churches, and on evangelical and ecumenical movements. The WCC general secretary and WEA secretary general took part.

The two organizations shared current plans and discussed possibilities for closer collaboration on thematic areas such as “public witness and peace-building in inter-religious contexts” and “theological reflection, education and formation.”

This was the second meeting with the leadership and representatives, although it was the first meeting with both heads of the organizations present and where perceptions about both the WEA and WCC were discussed.
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Posted: May 26, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9113
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: WCC, World Evangelical Alliance
Transmis : 26 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9113
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : WCC, World Evangelical Alliance

Starting preparations for a Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) in the context of the 2018 World Mission Conference in Africa was a tangible result of a meeting of 20 ecumenical educators from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. They met from 22-24 May in Halle (Germany) at the invitation of the World Council of Churches project on Ecumenical Theological Education (WCC-ETE).

Together they discussed ways of networking to enhance ecumenical theological education, which include curriculum development, sharing of learning models and new forms of partnerships between theological institutions and churches.

The meeting was motivated by the need to strengthen ecumenical education so theological institutions do not become more inward-oriented. To make the cooperation concrete, the group agreed to start the process for the formation of a network of ecumenical educators by contributing to preparations for GETI, planned for March 2018 in close collaboration with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) and the Mission and Evangelism team of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
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Posted: May 25, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9111
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: mission, theological education, WCC, WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism
Transmis : 25 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9111
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : mission, theological education, WCC, WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism

From 24 May to 21 June, the Christian Council of Norway (CCN) is promoting a pilgrimage from the Norwegian capital Oslo to Trondheim, an important Christian pilgrimage site and the location of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee meeting from 22-28 June.

CCN’s general secretary Rev. Knut Refsdal will walk the entire 29-day, 638.6-kilometer route, and is inviting local church leaders and congregations to join part or all of the pilgrimage. Several meetings and dialogue spaces are being organized at stops along the way.

“The main message we want to share along the way is that religious and philosophical leaders of each community can help promote mutual understanding and respect for shared values and therefore deplore violent extremism and hate speech,” said Refsdal.
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Posted: May 24, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9109
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: pilgrimage, spiritual ecumenism, WCC
Transmis : 24 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9109
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : pilgrimage, spiritual ecumenism, WCC

A global gathering in the German city of Halle has called on churches to be inspired by the tradition of the Reformation to become agents of transformation.

“We came from different confessional and denominational traditions and together we sought to discover the transformative power of Reformation today, not as a past event but oriented to the future,” participants said in a statement at the end of the 18-22 May consultation.

Halle, in eastern Germany, lies in the heartland of the 16th-century Reformation of Martin Luther and his followers.

The Halle meeting gathered more than 120 people from 40 countries and was the second stage of a “Twin Consultation” on “Reformation – Education – Transformation” that began with a conference in São Leopoldo in Brazil in November 2015.
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Posted: May 23, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9107
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Reformation, WCC
Transmis : 23 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9107
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Reformation, WCC

More than 120 people from throughout the world have gathered in the eastern German city of Halle to reflect on how insights from the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago can contribute to transforming the world today.

“We want to initiate and encourage a truly ecumenical and global dialogue on the achievements, current challenges and new learnings about the relevance of Reformation principles,” said the Rev. Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, president of the German Protestant development service Bread for the World, at the opening of the 18-22 May conference.

The Halle gathering is the second stage of a “Twin Consultation” on “Reformation – Education – Transformation” that began with a conference in São Leopoldo in Brazil in November 2015.

In advance of the Reformation Jubilee in 2017, the project aims to examine the contribution of Reformation traditions and theology to strengthening and transforming civil society to promote justice, peace, sustainability and human rights, both locally and globally, with a special emphasis on the role of education.

“2017 will not be an event that looks back historically but an occasion to reflect where reform and reformation is needed today in church and society,” the Rev. Margot Kässmann, ambassador of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) for the Reformation Jubilee, told the Halle meeting.

The idea of holding two consultations in Brazil and in Germany – with some participants attending both meetings – is to reflect on the same thematic areas in two different global contexts as a contribution to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and its impact on society.
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Posted: May 19, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9102
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Reformation, WCC
Transmis : 19 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9102
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Reformation, WCC

The 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 should be a profoundly ecumenical, as well as European and international celebration, according to Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).

“With this clear distinction from all other commemorations of past centuries, we are sending a signal of reconciliation and a new beginning,” Bedford-Strohm said at a 9 May press conference in Berlin announcing events leading up to the anniversary on 31 October 2017.

The commemoration marks the day in 1517 on which Martin Luther is said to have posted his 95 theses denouncing church abuses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

Luther’s actions set in motion events that led to the Reformation and the division of western Christianity into Roman Catholic and Protestant churches.

In recent years, however, Roman Catholics and Lutherans have reached agreement on the doctrine of justification, a key dividing issue between the papacy and Luther and his followers, and many doctrinal differences should no longer have a church-dividing character, said Bedford-Strohm.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: May 12, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9100
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Reformation, WCC
Transmis : 12 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9100
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Reformation, WCC

After travelling to Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv in the last week for a climate justice meeting, World Council of Churches (WCC) staff and partners were detained or deported in a manner that WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit terms both unprecedented and intolerable.

“The WCC protests the excessive, unreasonable and wholly unwarranted treatment by the Israeli authorities of these representatives of WCC member churches and staff travelling to engage in discussions on climate change and environmental stewardship, at the invitation of and hosted by WCC’s member churches in the region,” he said.

Members of the WCC’s Working Group on Climate Change from as many as 13 countries reported they were held for hours of interrogation, including tough intimidation and detention in prison-like conditions for up to three days — a very difficult experience, Tveit said. “We react in different ways emotionally to experiences like this. For all of them, I think it was totally unexpected and very disturbing, for most of them shocking, as they have never experienced anything like this before.”

Although there have been small incidents in the past, there has been nothing approaching this level of intimidation, Tveit added.
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Posted: May 9, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9089
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Israel, WCC
Transmis : 9 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9089
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Israel, WCC

“We had heard that racism continues to be an issue in the United States,” said Dr Agnes Abuom, moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC). “But we did not expect to find it so deep, so wide and so pervasive.”

Abuom spoke at a closing conference of the WCC’s US racial justice accompaniment visit, which she led from 19 through 25 April on an itinerary that included the cities of Charleston, South Carolina; Ferguson, Missouri; and Chicago, Illinois.

The team of WCC visitors who made the journey will now collaborate in preparing a report on their experience and findings, with recommendations for the next steps in a renewed and reinvigorated response to the sin of racial hatred, violence and discrimination in the early 21st century. The report will be submitted in May to the WCC Central Committee for consideration at its June 2016 meeting in Trondheim, Norway.

After due deliberation, the Central Committee will determine appropriate action for the WCC and its partners in the United States and throughout the world.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: Apr. 30, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9120
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: racism, USA, WCC
Transmis : 30 avril 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9120
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : racism, USA, WCC

What has contributed to the idea of a “European identity?” And, within a broad-minded vision of secularism, how can churches and other religious communities contribute? In this context, what is the role of Switzerland?

A panel of religious leaders, policymakers and journalists met on 20 April at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva to discuss these questions and others. Thoughts were also fielded from the audience. The event was organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Focolare Movement, an international organization that promotes the ideas of unity and universal brotherhood.

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, WCC general secretary, spoke about how the WCC’s pilgrimage of justice and peace links the work of churches with the roots of their faith. “We see the pilgrimage as an openness, a willingness to move,” he said.

Tveit recently returned from an ecumenical advocacy event in Washington, DC, where he met with Christians from a wide constituency of US churches to define racism in our time.

“Racism is tearing the United States apart,” he said, citing a conversation he had with Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners and author of “America’s Original Sin,” a book about racism. Tveit then raised the question: “If you ask the same question of Europe — what is Europe’s original sin?”
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Posted: Apr. 26, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9122
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Europe, Focolare Movement, WCC
Transmis : 26 avril 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9122
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Europe, Focolare Movement, WCC

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