News
Delivered by Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba, WCC programme director for Unity, Mission, and Ecumenical Formation, on behalf of WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, the message extended deep sympathies and condolences to the entire family.
“You loved Peter best, and you will miss him most,” said Nalwamba. "It is with a heart both heavy with loss and uplifted by gratitude that I pay tribute to our dear friend and colleague, Peter Cruchley.”
She also reflected that his legacy is woven deeply into the fabric of the WCC.
“Peter was not merely a staff member; he was a pilgrim, a prophet, and a passionate advocate for the unity that is both God's gift and our calling,” Nalwamba said. “His journey with the WCC, particularly through his leadership of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, was marked by a profound understanding: that authentic mission cannot be separated from the pursuit of justice, peace, and the healing of creation.”
She outlined the vital dimensions of his contributions.
“Peter helped us reimagine evangelism not as a conquest, but as a conversation,” she said. “He challenged us to turn our missionary gaze upside down - to listen before we speak and to recognize God's spirit already at work in the world.”
Cruchley was also as a bridge-builder, continued Nalwamba. “Peter had a remarkable gift for connection,” she said. “He built bridges between different theological traditions, fostering dialogue where there was often discomfort.”
A third dimension of Cruchley’s work was that he was a nurturer of community, Nalwamba said. “For those of us who worked alongside Peter, we knew him as a man of deep personal faith and genuine kindness,” she said. “He was a mentor to many young ecumenists, patiently sharing his wisdom and encouraging our passions.”
The WCC gives thanks for his life, his witness, and his unwavering commitment to Christ's call for a reconciled and healing world. “We commend his spirit to the God of all mercy, trusting in the promise of resurrection,” concluded Nalwamba. “To his family, we offer our deepest condolences and our enduring gratitude for sharing Peter with us. His work here has ended, but the seeds he planted in the ecumenical garden will continue to grow.”