In a world often marred by religious strife and intolerance, there is an oasis of hope and understanding in Kaduna, Nigeria—the International Center for Inter-Faith Peace and Harmony (ICIPH). Established in 2016, this centre stands as a beacon of unity, dedicated to fostering dialogue, understanding, and cooperation among people of diverse faith backgrounds.
Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches director of Public Witness and Diakonia, returned from Sudan with what he described as “a broken heart” after witnessing the plight of the people. Yet he also shared signs of hope that a pact for peace can end the suffering.
As the latest set of World Council of Churches (WCC) ecumenical accompaniers left Palestine and Israel, ushering in a new set who will take the mantle, a handover ceremony brought heartfelt prayers for a just peace in the region.
As the Global Christian Forum closed in Ghana on 19 April, the gathering shared a message focusing on moving beyond a posture of “us” and “them,” and on how we can be inspired to act together for the restoration of the world.
The Global Christian Forum, with its fourth global gathering underway in Ghana, is marking its 25thanniversary at a time when the world is in dire need of justice, reconciliation, and unity.
A group of church leaders from Sweden met with the World Council of Churches (WCC) to prepare for the year 2025, with a focus on commemorating 100 years since the beginning of the Life and Work movement as well as the commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where bishops representing the whole of Christendom gathered together for the first time to discuss the faith and witness of the church.
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay sent a pastoral letter to Haitian brothers and sisters whose lives are lived in a land with hatred, violence, and suffering. “Although we might be physically distant, we are close to you in heart, in the spiritual sense,” wrote Pillay. “We all are children of God. We belong to one family, as Jesus Christ himself said.”
Mount Zion, located just outside the current walls of the Old City, via Zion Gate, is of great importance to Christians because this is the area of Dormition Abbey, the Cenacle (the traditional spot for remembering the Last Supper and washing of the Apostles’ feet), and where the Holy Spirit descended upon them in the event of Pentecost.
Recent years have witnessed a seismic shift in the global landscape of climate litigation, with youth activists taking center stage in the fight for environmental justice.
Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and H.E. Archbishop Dr Vicken Aykazian, moderator and vice moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee, respectively, traveled to New York City on 3-4 April to deepen the WCC’s engagement with the United Nations.
Ecumenical leaders, including World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, gathered with several hundred people, filling St Pierre Cathedral in Geneva with the sounds and songs of Easter joy.
With an intervention delivered by Max Weber, a student at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, the World Council of Churches expressed deep concern for human rights in Haiti.
En una presentación dirigida al Tribunal Penal Internacional (TPI), el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) acogió con satisfacción la iniciativa de política para establecer la responsabilidad por los delitos medioambientales.
Dans un document remis à la Cour pénale internationale (CPI), le Conseil œcuménique des Églises (COE) s’est félicité qu’une politique générale soit mise en place pour imposer de rendre des comptes en matière de crimes contre l’environnement.
Der Ökumenische Rat der Kirchen (ÖRK) spricht sich in einer Vorlage an den Internationalen Strafgerichtshof (IStGH) für eine Politik aus, die eine Rechenschaftspflicht für Umweltverbrechen vorsieht.
The World Council of Churches (WCC), in a submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC), welcomed a policy establishing accountability for environmental crimes.
Churches in South Sudan are appealing for humanitarian assistance, amidst fears that the consequences of climate change, macro-economic shocks, and the war in Sudan could sink the country further into the worst humanitarian crisis since independence.
As World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay began a visit to Lebanon on 20 March, his agenda included a private meeting with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia.
Our series of interviews with Thursdays in Black ambassadors highlights those who are playing a vital role in increasing the impact of our collective call for a world without rape and violence. Rev. Sally Azar is a pastor at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and currently serves as a pastor in Jerusalem for both Arabic and English-speaking congregations.
