News
The WCC now comprises 356 member churches across the globe.
The WCC central committee also accepted the application of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim (Nigeria) for membership in the WCC, for an interim period of participation in the work of the WCC and for interaction with the local fellowship of member churches until the next central committee in 2027.
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine has maintained close contact, and invited the WCC to visit with a delegation in May 2025, which was not possible. The visit is postponed and will hopefully take place later in 2025 or 2026.
The WCC central committee acknowledged churches in the process of applying for membership: Congregational Minahasan Protestant Church (Indonesia), a Reformed church with over 80,000 members; South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church, a Reformed church with over 50,000 members; and Evangelical Church of India, an Evangelical church with over 1 million members.
Membership visits, with delegations of central committee members, will be planned for 2026.
Related to preparations for the WCC 12th Assembly, the WCC central committee asked the general secretary to solicit invitations to host the assembly, received the timeline for preparations, strongly suggested changes in the timeline, and requested that the executive committee monitor the planning process.
The central committee also recommended that discernment on the assembly’s purpose and structure should precede logistical planning. Fundamental questions such as the purpose of the assembly, the kind of experience it should offer, and its intended impact should be addressed at the outset.
The WCC governing body also suggested that the assembly strike a balance between decision-making and ecumenical celebration. It should empower delegates to not only be informed, but to also be actively engaged, inspired, and equipped to carry the ecumenical vision forward. The assembly should foster curiosity, spiritual renewal, intercultural encounter, and ecumenical learning – even for those not involved in decision-making.
The WCC central committee also supported a comprehensive evaluation of the previous assembly, to be conducted by the Assembly Planning Committee, in order to identify areas requiring improvement and to establish clearer goals for the next assembly.
Report of the Policy Reference Committee, 2025
WCC Central Committee, June 2025
WCC general secretary reflects on daring to hope amid struggle (WCC news release, 18 June 2025)
Welcomed by African churches, WCC central committee opens (WCC news release, 19 June 2025)
Image
23 June 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa: New member churches are welcomed into the WCC, during the 2025 Central Committee meeting of the World Council of Churches taking place in Johannesburg (South Africa) from 18 to 24 June 2025 on the theme ’Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity’.
Albin Hillert/WCC
