WCC communications in 2025: sharing impactful stories

From major events such as the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, to participation in global gatherings such as COP30, to opening doors for youth voices, WCC Communications interpreted, amplified, and connected people through coherent narratives, accessible resources, and coordinated communication across global audiences.

WCC news: what was most read?

During 2025, the WCC website attracted the interest of more than a million visitors worldwide. 

Providing extensive communication coverage of the WCC governance work, WCC programmes, and the worldwide fellowship in multiple languages, the WCC published 900 news stories online, producing on average 75 stories per month. WCC news stories were distributed to the media and news subscribers, as well as shared in the WCC social media channels.

The most-viewed story of 2025 covered applications opening for studies at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. Also widely read during 2025: WCC news stories covering the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; the WCC condemning a drone attack in Ethiopia; and the WCC central committee calling for an end to apartheid, occupation, and impunity in Palestine and Israel.

Social media: increased engagement

In 2025, the WCC’s social media channels continued to show increased engagement, confirming Instagram as the main channel for young audiences.

For specific key events in the ecumenical year 2025 – such as the World Conference on Faith and Order, the Berlin conference on the Anti-Racist Ecumenical Vision, and Life and Work Centenary Conference in Athens — social media engagement demonstrated the growing effectiveness of inclusive and hybrid communication strategies. Alongside traditional written content and platform-specific social media posts, live on-camera sessions with guest speakers were streamed throughout the event, attracting notably high online attendance.

The news published in July and August in relation to Ecumenical International Youth Day was the strongest performer across the website and social media in terms of youth-targeted news. Building on the momentum created by earlier coordinated social media efforts across WCC global channels and partners, the content benefited from strengthened collaboration and shared visibility.

Connecting with youth

On the WCC website, altogether, news related to the Sixth World Conference and the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) reached more than 14,000 views during October 2025, marking the strongest communication moment of the year across WCC platforms. Together, they generated exceptional visibility, engagement, and media reach.

WCC Communications lifted up in inspiring ways the voices of GETI participants. The use of WCC social media channels was crucial both in the preparations and during the 2025 edition of GETI.

The impact of WCC Communications was particularly evident in its outreach to diverse audiences through digital channels. Analytics from WCC platforms demonstrated increased engagement with ecumenical content, including higher levels of interaction with online events and multimedia materials. Qualitative feedback from churches, youth networks, and partners highlighted the value of inclusive and participatory communication approaches, which enabled broader representation of voices from different regions and traditions.

Case examples include the use of resources by churches for prayers, education and formation, and advocacy contexts, as well as positive testimonies from participants in online dialogues and events such as the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, GETI, Stockholm 2025, Ecumenical international Youth Day, and the formation of the Ecumenical Voices of Youth Ambassadors which opened up a doorway to more youth voices.

High-profile, inclusive communication

In 2025, major initiatives included the coordination of high-profile webinars, GETI, COP30, online dialogues, and symposia on justice, reconciliation, and digital ethics, in collaboration with WACC, ACT Alliance, and regional ecumenical networks. Multilingual interpretation and translation were integrated into all major events to increase participation from member churches worldwide. Workshops and internal training sessions focused on inclusive communication, storytelling, and digital media skills, strengthening the capacity of both WCC staff and church communicators globally.

Strategic storytelling and multimedia campaigns highlighted ecumenical achievements, theological reflections, and the WCC’s ongoing work on peace, justice, and human dignity. The department also continued with universal sign language support, and inclusive language guidelines, expanding accessibility for diverse audiences.

Implementation of the guidelines for inclusive communication continued in 2025. During the central committee meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa, which included deaf participants, sign language interpretation was provided. EDAN also hosted a webinar in November 2025, which similarly included sign language interpretation.

Growing media attention

In 2025, the WCC received significant and growing media attention worldwide, with more than 7,000 media mentions, exceeding 2024 results by 42%. Coverage focused on ecumenical milestones, global justice issues, and WCC public statements. 

Among the most popular topics covered by media in 2025 were the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order along with other Nicaea 2025-related activities, the WCC central committee statement on Israel and Palestine, coverage of the UN Climate conference COP30, and the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Media sentiment remained largely neutral to positive, confirming sustained interest and credibility despite engagement with sensitive and contested global topics.

Journals commemorate major milestones

In 2025, The Ecumenical Review focused on the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, with an issue on “Where Now for Visible Unity?” containing reflections on the theme of the conference. The focus on the conference and the Nicaea anniversary was also picked up in International Review of Mission with an issue initiated by the late Rev. Dr Peter Cruchley on “Women at the Council of Nicaea,” and coordinated with the WCC Just Community of Women and Men programme. 

The 2025 issue of Current Dialogue, to be published early 2026, will focus on the 60th anniversary of the Vatican II declaration Nostra aetate and its implications for Christian engagement with other faiths today. An issue of Ecumenical Review reviewing the 2025 Ecumenical Year is in preparation. 

The journals are published on behalf of the WCC by Wiley and also available in the Wiley Online Library. 

Milestone publications

In 2025, in addition to the regular governance publications, particular focus was placed on publications for the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order and on the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute. In programmatic resources, new material and translations of earlier materials were published on a common date for Easter, climate and climate justice, with a focus on children, digital justice, HIV, obstetric fistula, and Indigenous rights. The 29 publications in the year included 16 translations. In addition to the WCC working languages, materials were translated into Arabic, Malagasy, Hausa, and Portuguese.

All the publications were also uploaded to the WCC website as downloadable PDFs, making them accessible for the worldwide fellowship. 

Growing translations

During 2025, WCC Language Services (LS) provided translations of more than 360 documents and news stories, 12 translated and revised publications, two major events needing translation and interpretation, and five webinars requiring online interpretation. The LS also saw successful cooperation with local interpreters in South Africa and Egypt.

Responding to advances in AI, LS evaluated machine translation software and piloted it for central committee documentation. The pilot showed promise, though human translators remain essential for public-facing materials to ensure terminology precision and consistency.

Diverse visitors 

The WCC welcomed over 600 visitors in 2025 from all around the world, representing diverse countries, regions, and religious backgrounds. 

Visits were held at the Ecumenical Centre, the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, and alternative venues around Geneva due to limited capacity at the temporary premises.

Despite these constraints, the WCC successfully hosted church leaders, representatives of other faiths, diplomats, students, and ecumenical partners through introductory sessions, leadership-focused visits, and exchanges with other organizations. These efforts strengthened relationships with key stakeholders, expanded the WCC’s global reach, and generated increased positive feedback from visitors.

Additionally, the WCC media email address received more than 4,000 emails, with particularly high volumes during August, September, and October. These elevated numbers coincided with the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order held in Egypt in October. Requests were mainly for assistance and partnership, they included questions about WCC programmes and numerous media enquiries throughout the year.

WCC Archives deeply appreciated

In 2025, the WCC Archives released the Life and work Digitization project, which received expressions of gratitude from WCC member churches, ecumenical partners, and scholars around the world. 

In addition, during 2025, 13 researchers visited for the WCC Archives for 22 visit days. One-hundred-twenty requests were treated and digital copies provided whenever possible. The WCC Archives also spent time consolidating or planning consolidation of various sections, such as the photo database. 

WCC Communication Strategy

WCC Strategic Plan 2023-2030