Report of the General Secretary to the WCC Central Committee, June 2025

Daring to Hope in the Context of Struggle and Pain

Introduction

1. I take special pleasure in welcoming you to this central committee meeting since it is taking place in the country of my birth and where I have lived all my life until January 2023 when I started as general secretary and relocated to Geneva. This is home for me, and I am proud of my beautiful country despite its numerous challenges. The reason we are in South Africa is because the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe decided that a meeting of the central committee should take place in South Africa since it was not given the opportunity to host the assembly in 2022. I am glad we are here; there is so much that can be learnt from this country and its transition from an apartheid regime to a democratic state without a bloody revolution. Through these days, we will gain more insights into this country and be able to relate them to your own contexts and realities. 

2. The decades-long struggle in South Africa for liberation from state-sponsored policies of apartheid is well-known. Apartheid – a policy of separate development based on racial privileges for whites – disadvantaged and dehumanized the majority black people in the country. Whites exercised political, economic, and social dominance at all levels. But, in 1994 with the first democratic election in South Africa, transitional justice became a matter of priority to redress the evils and injustices of the past apartheid regime. 

3. South Africa’s transition from an apartheid state to a democracy included several national processes meant to address the violent and painful past and to transform the country into a stable and peaceful state. The larger transitional justice measures employed included amnesty for crimes committed during apartheid that were linked to the truth and reconciliation process, prosecutions of certain crimes, reparations for victims, and institutional reform. 

4. Important to transitional justice in South Africa is the significant role played by civil society. Non-governmental organizations contributed to the drafting of the constitution, provided expertise and advice to the peace process, and were called upon to implement the National Peace Accord structures. 

5. In this context, I want to especially underline the role and contributions of churches and other faith communities to dismantle apartheid. The marvellous thing that happened was that religious leaders and community-based organisations stood together to fight against the apartheid regime. Such unity provided strength, energy, and determination to end apartheid. Churches were able to engage the international community for solidarity, support, and actions against the apartheid regime. 

6. And, as most of you may know, the WCC played a very significant role in dismantling apartheid in South Africa. The council stood in solidarity with oppressed South Africans, supported sanctions, and after the landmark 4th WCC Assembly in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1968 established the Programme to Combat Racism. Though quite controversial at the time, it brought church leaders together, mobilized the international community to act against apartheid, and supported churches in Southern Africa in their struggle for liberation. For two decades it provided funding and scholarships to train black leaders, many of whom have led the liberation struggle in South Africa and have since become leaders in politics, religion, society, business, and other sectors in the country since the advent of democracy in 1994. I take great joy in serving the WCC currently as general secretary, perhaps because it is an opportunity to give back to an organization that continues to join in the struggles of many others in seeking unity and just peace in the world. 

7. I must admit, however, that I feel a deep sense of sadness in seeing that South Africa continues to struggle for economic liberation and that political liberation has not delivered the goods to establish a fully stable and peaceful country. Far from it. The country is saturated with unemployment, especially among its youth, corruption at all levels, economic and social inequalities, gender-based violence, load-shedding of the electrical supply that hurts the economy, the state capture of the formal apparatus for policy and decision-making to benefit a few, and of course enduring racial and ethnic conflicts. 

8. In South Africa we seem to have detoured from the legacy that Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress once stood and fought for. Thus, the 2024 general elections saw a massive loss of support for the African National Congress, a party that once enjoyed more than two-thirds of the majority vote reduced to 40 percent and forced to form a Government of National Unity. Indeed, the people of South Africa have spoken and in this, church leaders played a very significant role. Transitional justice is not a once-off quest to right the wrongs of the past; it must be a continuous endeavour to ensure that justice prevails even after transition to a democratic state. In the South African context, churches not only played a role to end apartheid but an even greater role in the reconstruction, development, and reconciliation processes of the country. 

9. This is South Africa, but the experiences, lessons, and encounters here can be associated to similar experiences across the globe. I am sure that you would agree that we are living in very challenging and turbulent times. Times of violence and volatility. Times in which we fluctuate between distress and deliverance, despair and hope, fear and faith, trouble and peace. We tend to live in one extreme or the other, if not, perhaps, in between. The point is that stability, security, and peace are hugely disturbed. 

10. All of these are brought about by the state in which the world is in right now. In this present moment, the world grapples with poverty, violence, conflicts, wars, ethnic cleansing, climate emergency, forced migration, trade wars, and much more. Major governments are reducing their foreign aid budgets, redirecting funds inward, or reprioritizing their commitments based on geopolitical interests rather than human need. These decisions, made in distant political chambers, have very real, immediate, and devastating consequences on the ground. The loss of funding means empty clinics, closed schools, empty food stores, and shattered hopes for millions of families who already live on the margins. Crises – violent conflicts, deepening poverty, climate disasters, forced displacement, and economic instability – describe a disturbing and alarming global landscape.

11. In such a global and local context, people of faith are called to have resilience and hope. We must dare to hope even when hope is diminished, exhausted, extinguished and evasive. And, in many contexts, this is a reality. Hope is not only built on resilience but on resistance. A resistance to refuse to accept the world as it is with all its injustices, violence, and oppressive structures. 

12. This precisely is what we did in South Africa. In my growing up years in school and at university we resisted apartheid. We protested, spent time on the streets instead of the classroom even though we believed that education was liberation. We had resistance and hope. We sang “We shall overcome someday” even added that “Nelson Mandela shall be king and wear the crown” hoping and believing that it would happen even though it seemed impossible and unobtainable at that time. But it did. Hope requires not only resistance but persistence. 

13. Yet the basis of our hope was not the context but our faith in God. We prayed, believed and acted together and God won the day. Like faith and love, hope is an eschatological gift. The scriptures make clear that we should put our hope in God. Hope in God, though, is not passive resignation but working with God as agents of transformation and change. It is working for justice, peace, and love on earth. In the context of receding hope Christians are called to redeeming hope. Hope that is grounded in the redemptive work of Jesus who through his death and resurrection has given us a new hope, a reconciling hope, a hope that brings and holds all things together in the Risen Christ. Reconciling us with God the Father, the Son also reconciles us with one another and with all creation. 

14. It is this kind of hope that we have and share as people of faith. It is this inspirational hope that drives the work and witness of the WCC. So, despite the context we DARE to HOPE. I shall now outline how the WCC lives, witnesses, and works in hope. 

From Geneva to Johannesburg

15. The past two years since the central committee last met have gone by very fast. Indeed, they have proved to be a very busy period with demanding work responsibilities, building and advancing the WCC office team, addressing governance matters, getting to know the member churches, addressing global peace-making issues, working with ecumenical partners and donors, and connecting with nongovernmental organizations.

16. While working on staff and office matters, I made intentional efforts to strengthen the fellowship, lift the profile of the WCC, and build personal relationships with church leaders and ecumenical partners. The past two years were directed to many visits to churches, conferences, church assemblies, major anniversary celebrations, and visits to key events and ecumenical gatherings. I received numerous invitations to be a keynote speaker at church assemblies and conferences of national councils of churches in most of the regions. These gave me access to a large number of member churches, international guests, and even to churches that are not members of the WCC. As a result of these visits there are applications for membership from churches that did not know much about the WCC or did not want to have anything to do with the WCC in the past.

17. In June 2024, the WCC moved to the new offices in the Kyoto building. This too was a mammoth task overseen by the general secretary whilst key staff members were undertaking the required tasks of moving. I applaud the work undertaken by staff to make the move smooth and easy. There were staff members not too pleased to lose their private space and move to a more open-space work environment, as expected. I am pleased to say that most staff have adapted well to the new work environment and settled in well. 

18. The central committee in June 2023 approved the WCC Strategic Plan (2023-2030) for the next eight years which continues until the next WCC 12th Assembly in 2030, and the executive committee endorsed the Implementation Plan in November 2023. Over the past two years since the last central committee meeting, we have provided reports to the executive committee and a monthly accountability report to the central committee, all of which have indicated how we have been implementing the current WCC Strategic Plan. 

19. The WCC Strategic Plan centres on four strategic objectives: strengthen the fellowship and deepen solidarity and community; witness together as transforming disciples; encourage spirituality, reflection, and formation; and foster innovative and inspiring communication. In my May 2025 report to the executive committee, I focussed on the four strategic objectives, in this report to the central committee, I will centre on the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity which also embodies the WCC strategic objectives.

20. As you know, the WCC 11th Assembly affirmed the pilgrimage as an ongoing strategic and integrative direction to guide the work of the WCC. The assembly referred to the pilgrimage as a powerful expression of “companionship” with the potential to strengthen the relationship among and between churches. It is an invitation, a direction and a methodology that seeks to engage the fellowship of member churches and ecumenical partners. It enhances the relevance of the WCC and the visibility of the fellowship in living out a common calling. 

21. Most parts of this report are intended to share how the WCC has been living out the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity. It offers programme activities, actions, reflections, analysis, and contributions to WCC work and witness in daring to hope amidst contextual and global challenges. Although all WCC work is no longer done in silos but has a fully integrative and collaborative approach at all levels, I shall reflect on each part of the pilgrimage separately to provide a detailed body of information on what is being done in the areas of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity, of course, bearing in mind that it all works together and this is what we will see in the information that follows. 

Pilgrimage of Justice

22. It is appropriate that we meet in the context of South Africa, a country that has travailed through racial, political, gender, social, and economic injustices effected through the apartheid policy which dehumanised and denied black people their human rights and human dignity. In the central committee meeting here we will learn more about their struggles and strife for justice, which also amplify similar struggles on the African continent and the rest of the globe. 

23. The pilgrimage of justice in South Africa and the African continent has been informed and sustained by deep theological reflections and foundation. The Kairos Document helped Christians to understand their role and responsibility in campaigning for justice. The Kairos Document, adopted 40 years ago, drew a distinction between state theology, church theology, and prophetic theology. It concluded that in the face of apartheid and injustices in South Africa, the church must embrace prophetic theology, a theology that stands for God`s truth and justice in the world. A theology that is not neutral but sides with the poor, oppressed, and marginalised. 

24. The Belhar Confession adopted by the Uniting Reformed Church in 1986 and now accepted and adopted by many churches across the globe, challenged racisms and all forms of discrimination, calling the Christian church to stand up and be counted, to be on the side of God as it works for justice in the world. This confession or statement of faith provided the theological foundation for reconciliation, restorative justice, and unity. 

25. The WCC work and witness in justice is enormous and though it is not possible to do everything, yet we strive to do our best to address the most pressing issues. I will now refer to some of the key justice issues in which the WCC is engaging. It is important to note that justice issues cannot be separated into neat blocks. All of them are interconnected and in many instances stem from common roots. However, in this section, to manage information overload, I shall categorise them into five (5) specific areas: climate justice, economic justice, racial justice, gender justice, health justice. This work is primarily done through the WCC department on Life, Justice, and Peace which is the new name for Public Witness and Diakonia approved by the executive committee in November 2024. 

Climate Justice

26. Many professional scientists, theologians, politicians, and humanitarian organizations express a sense of hopelessness in the current climate catastrophe we are facing. Climate emergency denialists need only to look at the changing trends in weather patterns across the world and listen to the stories from different communities, countries, and continents to realize that these real experiences speak for themselves. Climate advocates tell us that it is already too late unless we do something urgently to turn things around. Yet, in such a context of hopelessness, we dare to hope. 

27. But hope comes with the responsibility to care, nurture and sustain God`s creation knowing that the “earth and everything in it is the Lord`s” (Psalm 24:1). The first statement of the Apostle`s Creed is that God is the Maker of heaven and earth. This is an affirmation of divine sovereignty, universal providence, creaturely dependence, human responsibility, and good stewardship. Understood correctly, it means that we cannot continue to abuse the earth. We need a new awareness of the social responsibility of property and of the generational accountability of whatever we do. Good life is no good life if it has disastrous consequences for nature, for me and for the generations to come. This good creation belongs to God whose glory it displays. It can never be the private possession of finite human beings. The goodness of creation places the ethical demand on humanity to respect and even reverence creation. 

28. This creation is suffering. There are thousands and thousands of examples: ozone depletion, climate change, land degradation, water pollution, deforestation, habitual destruction, species extinction, use and misuse of biotechnology. Every day seems to bring news of some new environmental deterioration. 

29. Against this background of current realities and theological understanding, it is no small wonder why the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022, identified climate justice and sustainable development as one of the key priorities for the council`s work. This focus is not new; it has been with the WCC for a long time, but the current climate emergency has prompted a renewed emphasis and priority. Consequently, a commission was established to take this work further. I am pleased to report that the new commission addressing the climate catastrophe is already well at work. 

30. At this central committee meeting we will launch the WCC Decade on Climate Justice and Action campaign. We give thanks for all the work so many of our member churches are already doing in addressing climate justice, ranging from eco-congregations, recycling, education and awareness, biblical teachings, and other transformative activities. This decade on climate justice hopes to bring all these together, strengthen global and local efforts, and encourage and mobilize member churches who still need to get teeth into this and work with other nongovernmental organizations, governments, and professionals to further address the climate catastrophe. Our task is to hold out hope and responsible actions in caring, loving, and sustaining God`s earth. 

31. Hosted by the Anglican Church of Panama (Iglesia Episcopal de Panama), the Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development underwent a training on climate litigation for churches in Panama City from 3-5 February 2025. Commissioners were empowered to use legal mechanisms to hold governments, corporations, and financial institutions accountable for their contributions to the climate crisis. An immersion programme enriched the training. The commission met with Indigenous Guna leaders, visited the Guna Council, Guna Baptist Church, and the Kuna Nega community, and engaged with the executive director of Panama’s National Climate Commission.

32. The Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development met online from 2-3 April to develop and finalize the concept and call to action-in-unity for the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action to be launched at the WCC central committee meeting. I would like to request the central committee to enthusiastically support the launch and assist in mobilizing congregants to participate in these endeavours. We are thankful for the work that is already being done by member churches and congregations and trust that we can all work together to protect mother earth. 

33. In a conference co-convened by the WCC, 50 church leaders, representatives of various faith traditions, ecumenical organizations, Indigenous communities, and climate experts gathered in Brazil’s capital of Brasilia from 18-20 March to coordinate efforts for meaningful engagement in the lead-up to the UN Climate COP30 and to ensure that local voices are heard. The gathering issued “A Call to Action towards COP30” which was delivered to the Brazilian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva. 

34. To prepare for and develop an interfaith call on the UN Climate COP 30, a series of webinars were run in the month of March by the Interfaith Liaison Committee to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is co-chaired by the WCC. Focusing on topics such as nationally determined contributions and climate finance, the webinars will lead this interfaith initiative to develop a unified Talanoa Call to Action that bridges spiritual values with climate justice imperatives.

35. The WCC, together with ecumenical partners, will engage in the UN Pre-Climate COP Conference later in June in Bonn, convening an in-person Interfaith Talanoa Dialogue as well as a side event focusing on “Non-economic Loss and Damage and Faith Determined Contributions.”

36. The WCC, together with the Anglican Communion, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches, World Methodist Council, and Middle East Council of Churches, held an ecumenical conference from 5-7 May that will continue the conversation begun in March 2024 about establishing “Creation Day” (1 September) as a liturgical feast/festival in Western denominations. The conference explores the potential of this celebration in light of the 1700th anniversary of Nicaea, grounding discussions in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed’s proclamation of our faith in the Triune God as Creator. 

37. Last December, the WCC launched the inaugural edition of the Living Planet Monitor (LPM) publication, which monitors our commitment to sustainable food systems, conservation of land, ecological biodiversity, and water justice in the African region. 

38. For the first time, the WCC participated as an accredited organization at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which took place from 2-13 December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The WCC advocated for faith-based solutions to land restoration.

39. The WCC participated also for the first time in the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity held in Cali, Colombia, from 21 October to 1 November. The conference, under the theme “Peace with Nature,” drew 23,000 participants from 196 countries.

40. In January, the WCC, with the India Peace Centre, launched an Interfaith Coalition on Land, Water, and Food, the first such initiative in India. 

41. The WCC Ecumenical Water Network ran the annual Seven Weeks for Water campaign from 5 March to 14 April, urging faith communities to act on glacier preservation.

42. I have highlighted only events that WCC has embarked on in recent months and much more has been accomplished since the central committee met in Geneva in 2023. Also, in the WCC office we are seeking to work towards the 11th WCC Assembly mandate of moving to zero emissions by 2030. It is a tall order, but we have reduced staff travel days, encouraging online meetings and webinars, planted trees to offset carbon emissions, and monitored our carbon footprint, adapting to eco-friendly practices in the Green Village environment. 

43. No doubt, the accelerating global climate crisis, and declining political will for the increased global cooperation so urgently necessary to address it, engenders despair in the hearts of many in our fellowship who have worked long and passionately to protect God’s precious and unique creation of which we are an integral part. And indeed, in this year that should see the plateauing of global CO2 emissions and rapid reductions in subsequent years if we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C, we are confronted with a reality that continues to drive our living planet to a terrible precipice. 

44. Nevertheless, even in this critical context, I draw hope from the commitment and determination of so many in our constituency and beyond, who continue to believe that “another world is possible” and who continue to work for it. The establishment of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development is an expression of this determined hope and provides a framework for consolidating and strengthening the ecumenical movement’s capacities for climate action at this pivotal moment.

45. I also draw hope, once again, from the mobilization of the instruments and mechanisms of international law which generations of people of faith and good will have worked to establish, and which now – in the evident absence of the needed political will and responsibility among the governments of the world – become important drivers of climate responsibility and action. I welcome the commitment and engagement of young people, elderly people, and other concerned citizens in resorting to the courts to hold their governments, fossil fuel companies, and other actors accountable for the harm being done to current and future generations of life on Earth. There is agency and hope in such actions.

46. Accordingly, I commend to you the initiatives now being taken through the WCC to encourage and accompany churches, ecumenical partners, and members of our global constituency to use legal tools and forums for climate and environmental accountability and action. Hope for Children Through Climate Justice 

47. I welcome the fact that this is being done with a very specific eye to our responsibility to children, in the framework of the Churches’ Commitments to Children. Churches’ Commitments to Children

48. Further to the launch of “Hope for Children Through Climate Justice,” the new handbook for churches on climate justice, innovative engagement with media included an article in The Guardian and a On BBC Sunday show, WCC highlights “Hope for Children Through Climate Justice”. A flyer about the content was prepared by theologian Kevin Maina. The song “Path of Justice” was created by a musician from a church in Epsom, UK, who read about the handbook in the newspaper. It is based on the handbook’s introductory poem, written by 13-year-old deaf person Faith Sebwa from Kenya, and a video will be produced in due course. An animation video, explaining the project and promoting the handbook has been created.

49. I am pleased to note that the WCC’s focus on children and climate has gained much attraction and interest. Several theological faculties and Christian communities have requested interventions about the Churches’ Commitments to Children, with focus on its resources for responsible financial choices as one of the key child protection measures of our times, in light of the climate emergency. 

50. Although much must still be done to turn the climate catastrophe around, we are pleased that the WCC fellowship is not sitting back but actively generating and daring hope in its work and witness in the world. 

Economic Justice

51. Economic injustices continue to pervade the world. Economic systems largely benefit the rich and further affect the poor; the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Even in places of political transitions, like South Africa, they are not usually accompanied by economic transformation. The quest for economic justice is probably going to be in greater demand given the current trade wars and how it may impact affected countries – the poor will always be at the receiving end of economic downturns. The WCC continues to hold out hope and witness as transforming disciples as we strive to work for economic justice; below are some examples of what we are doing.

52. The WCC is part of the “Turn Debt into Hope” campaign. At the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council in March in Geneva, the WCC in a statement called on the Human Rights Council to fully support the proposals of the Independent Expert on the Effects of Foreign Debt to cancel unjust and unsustainable debt without harmful austerity condition, support a transparent debt restructuring framework and a UN Debt Convention, and to promote a fairer system of taxation in line with the Biblical Jubilee tradition. 

53. The 6th Meeting of the Ecumenical Panel on a New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA) – comprised of church leaders, economists and social scientists convened by the WCC, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Lutheran World Federation, World Methodist Council, and Council for World Mission – was held in Geneva from 25-27 March. The meeting produced a communique, calling in the short-term for an urgent renewal of global solidarity and recommitment to democratic values, international human rights frameworks, and multilateral processes addressing global economic and ecological governance; as well as practical measures to end the hyper-concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few individuals and their business entities, including through a range of progressive tax policies. It is important that faith communities not merely criticize economic policies but provide alternate just solutions. This is the task of NIEFA which we celebrate and recognize with joy and thanksgiving. 

54. Rooted in the legacy of the 1925 Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work – a founding pillar of the ecumenical movement – the WCC continues to weave theology and advocacy into a tapestry of transformative justice. In May 2025, the WCC, through the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) convened a landmark consultation in Athens, hosted by the Church of Greece, to mark the centenary of this historic gathering. The event, framed by the 2024 Ecumenical Review’s reflection on ”100 Years of Ecumenical Social Ethics and Action,” rekindled the urgency of Stockholm’s original vision: confronting war, poverty, and exploitation with the radical hope of the Gospel.

55. Against today’s crises – climate collapse, rising authoritarianism, and the unravelling of multilateralism – the Athens consultation, though organised by the CCIA, forged synergies between all the WCC commissions of (Churches on International Affairs, World Mission and Evangelism, Faith and Order, Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, Health and Healing, and Youth). The conference also addressed the failing multilateral system and the human rights system upon which much of the WCC justice work is connected. The conference reaffirmed that theology must both inform and be reshaped by advocacy, ensuring the church’s witness remains “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-14) in a world yearning for moral clarity.

56. Guided by Isaiah’s charge to “seek justice, correct oppression” (Isaiah 1:17), the WCC champions human dignity through advocacy that spans local communities and global forums. Partnering with churches, ecumenical networks, and interfaith allies, we confront systemic inequities with a resolve rooted in the Gospel’s preferential care for the marginalized. Central to this vision is the Ecumenical Office to the United Nations in New York, a space for amplifying faith voices in global governance. Yet as the UN grapples with its own crises – paralyzed by geopolitical divisions and eroded trust – the WCC has embarked on a process to reimagine its presence there. The WCC is reimagining how the ecumenical movement can effectively and prophetically witness in the age of a fractured multilateral system.

57. Through all these engagements and more, the WCC works with member churches, ecumenical partners, Christian communions, ACT Alliance, nongovernmental organizations, and other stakeholders to work for just economic systems, taking and championing the rights of the poor and needy. This is where Jesus stands. This is where we choose to stand as we stand together in hope and praxis.

Racial Justice, Equity, and Inclusion

58. Racism, discrimination, and colonization continue to prevail in many parts of the world. Racial and ethnic violence claims many lives and disrupts communities daily. Many people live with a sense of hopelessness in their situations. The WCC continues to engage in intentional work and witness in challenging racial injustices and decolonization. 

59. Two resources, the Anti-Racist Churches Bible Studies and the Anti-Bias Churches Toolkit were published in October 2024. The Anti-Bias Churches Toolkit has since been translated into French, German, and Spanish. They are available both in print and electronic versions for access and use by all. The toolkit, paired with Bible studies on racial justice, empowers churches to repent of complicity in systemic racism and embody Christ’s radical inclusivity.

60. The Reference Group on Overcoming Racism, Xenophobia, Casteism, and All Other Forms of Discrimination met in Ghana in December 2024 and, based on their pilgrimage encounters and discussions, observed increasing instances of racial discrimination, caste discrimination, and xenophobia around the world. Racially prejudiced treatment of migrants continues to be a worrying development that requires structured interventions by churches and people of goodwill. 

61. The reference group affirmed the need for and applauded the United Nations for declaring the years 2025-2034 as the second International Decade for People of African Descent. In alignment with this, the WCC is mobilizing churches to confront slavery’s enduring legacies – from structural inequity to cultural erasure. This decade calls for reparations; truth-telling; the amplification of African-descended voices in ecumenical spaces, reflecting Isaiah 61:1: “The Lord has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives;” and recommends that we embrace this decade and intensify our efforts at racial justice in churches, workplaces, and the wider society. This decade provides us with a “people platform” through which to live the pilgrimage of justice, and to seek reconciliation with our racially estranged sisters and brothers for us to be one.

62. As part of WCC racial justice and anti-discrimination work, we continue to promote the Week of Prayer for Overcoming Racism, Xenophobia, Casteism, and All Other Forms of Discrimination between 19 and 25 March every year. The week covers the two international days – for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March) and for the Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (25 March).

63. The recent ecumenical Berlin conference on Colonization and Racism in May 2025 brought together several ecumenical actors from around the world, and reminded us of the intersections between politics, economies, religions, inequalities, injustices, and racism. Theologians, activists, and ecumenical policymakers dissected a litany of faith-challenging experiences ranging from systemic to interpersonal racism, xenophobia, Afrophobia, casteism, classism, and other forms of discrimination. Racism remains a major fault line in the world today, with experiences of and outcomes for Africans and people of African descent often determined by racially prejudiced policies, laws, systems, structures, and practices. 

64. The Berlin conference 1884-1885, following as it did the abolishment of the chattel enslavement of Africans, had the effect of legitimizing the continued exploitation of Africa, Africans, and African lands and resources, which sadly continues to this day. 

65. The conference acknowledged that some churches, mission agencies, and specialized ministries have started the processes of redressing the historic harms and traumas committed against Africans and people of African descent and many other racialized peoples from around the world. The solidarity shown by some European and North American siblings, who are descendants of communities that enslaved and exploited was acknowledged and appreciated during engagements throughout the conference. That enslavement and colonization were partly informed and legitimized by theological constructions that assigned Christian virtues, vices, and qualities to some people based on skin pigmentation demonstrates how theology and biblical interpretation can be weaponized. The experiences of racialized people globally reflect a deeper problem of distorted and distorting theologies and biblical interpretations that challenge the WCC to take leadership in addressing toxic theologies and approaches to mission, theology, ecclesiology, and biblical interpretation. 

66. The conference affirmed the WCC 11th Assembly’s call to embrace decolonization and anti-racism, including intentionally taking stock of our own histories as churches, mission agencies, specialized ministries, and as the WCC. The conference invited us to constantly remind governments and states to uphold the dignity of all people in their territories, not least, refugees and migrants, especially at a time when people are forced to migrate due to conflicts, economic opportunities, and climate emergencies. Through these endeavours, the WCC continues to hold out hope and transformation as the struggle against racism and all other forms of discriminations continues.

67. Human rights and human dignity. In addressing injustices, it is imperative to champion the cause of human rights and human dignity. The WCC is involved in several such activities. I name just a few here. 

68. In January, a visit to Jamaica took place in conjunction with the programmes on Just Community of Women and Men; and Racial Justice, Equity, and Inclusion. Jamaica will go through its Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Council in November, and the visit included workshops to raise awareness about the process and seek the views of participants to inform a WCC submission to this process, and advocate for Jamaica within the UN system. Concerns highlighted included gender-based and sexual violence, and human rights implications of climate change and environmental degradation. 

69. In addition to the submission of Jamaica, in March Universal Periodic Review submissions were finalised for the upcoming reviews of the US and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Constituents in the US – including the United Church of Christ, and the Pennsylvania Council of Churches – raised concerns about the situations of health, refugees, and migrants and solitary confinement, seen particularly through the lens of racial inequality and calls for justice. The report on RMI was based on the on-going concerns relating to the nuclear legacy, which were raised during the 2023 WCC visit to the country. 

70. In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the WCC turned advocacy into accountability. Following a 2023 visit to communities still suffering from Cold War-era nuclear testing, the WCC spearheaded a UN Human Rights Council resolution addressing this legacy. In October 2024, alongside the Republic of the Marshall Islands president, the WCC condemned the ongoing health and ecological devastation, declaring with Job: “The cry of the poor reaches the ears of the Lord” (Job 34:28). A second resolution, adopted that year, marked a milestone in the pursuit of reparative justice.

71. Central to this work is the True Freedom initiative, developed by the WCC together with the Anglican Communion’s Clewer Initiative. Grounded in Galatians 5:1 (“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”), this resource equips churches to identify trafficking victims, disrupt exploitation networks, and offer sanctuary.

72. The 58th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC 58) took place from 24 February-4 April. WCC engaged through delivering, or co-signing partners statements on climate change, obstetric fistula, Armenia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and West Papua. The WCC cosponsored a side event organised by the World Evangelical Alliance on the “Registration and Legal Status of Places of Worship: Negative Impacts on Religious Minorities.”

73. A particular impact from a visit to Angola in 2024 was noted and welcomed on 27 March, when the Council of Christian Churches in Angola convened a National Conference on the Prevention of Obstetric Fistula. The WCC staff visit (Human Rights, Just Community of Women and Men, and in conjunction with the health team) a year earlier had engaged with the council and member churches on this issue, launched a Portuguese language version of the WCC Guide to the Prevention of Obstetric Fistula, and encouraged national ecumenical follow-up. 

74. From 1-2 April, the human rights programme, in conjunction with and hosted by the Peace in Africa Programme, joined the Africa Network on Environmental and Economic Justice to run a human rights workshop with representatives from churches in Ogoniland/Niger Delta, who have suffered decades of human rights violations in connection with the environmental degradation of their lands by oil companies, from which they receive no economic benefits. The workshop presented the UN human rights system and the opportunities to engage, and introduced different ways to engage in data collection and carry out advocacy. The heads of the Nigerian churches attended the opening ceremony.

75. The WCC declared that land, water, and food are divine gifts, not commodities, essential to human dignity and survival. Rooted in Psalm 24:1 (“The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it”), our work has continued to champion agroecology, seed sovereignty, and Indigenous rights as acts of spiritual resistance against corporate exploitation.

76. In India, the Interfaith Coalition on Land, Water, and Food united Hindus, Muslims, and Christians to resist land grabs threatening rural communities. By reviving traditional farming practices and defending ancestral territories, faith leaders also advocated for policies recognizing Indigenous knowledge as vital to ecological resilience, countering extractive industries that “devour the poor” (Proverbs 22:16).

77. The WCC unequivocally condemned the development of autonomous weapons (“killer robots”), declaring them a moral betrayal of Isaiah’s vision: “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and nation shall not lift up sword against nation” (Isaiah 2:4). In alliance with interfaith partners at the United Nations, the WCC denounced AI-driven warfare as a violation of the sanctity of life, affirmed in Genesis 9:6: “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.” Advocating for binding international treaties, the WCC challenges nations to prioritize human dignity over military expediency. This work is not merely political – it is a spiritual rebellion against the idolatry of violence, testifying to the God who “executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry” (Psalm 146:7).

78. Arms control and disarmament. Also, during HRC 58, the annual Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day commemoration took place, organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This was supported by WCC, and the director of the WCC CCIA spoke at the event, urging the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Earlier in the week, the Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, H.E. the Hon. Kalani R. Kaneko met with the WCC general secretary. 

79. Outreach has now begun to engage the Republic of the Marshall Islands diaspora based in the US, to bring their voices and particular concerns – especially in relation to access to adequate healthcare, and protection from racial injustice – to the attention of the Human Rights Council as it continues its focus on addressing the legacy of nuclear testing in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. 

80. All the above are incredible indications of how the WCC is working in the areas of economic justice and human rights. The task of the churches is not only to make noise about injustices but to actively seek transformation and creation of a better and just world for all people and creation. To achieve this, the WCC works with several other organizations realizing that teamwork and different expertise and skills are needed if we are to have any significant impact. I am deeply moved by the appreciation of the WCC contributions in these areas of justice. 

Gender Justice: Just Community of Women and Men

81. The WCC’s commitment to gender justice took global shape in October 2024, when ecumenical partners gathered in Geneva for the annual Women’s Human Rights Training. Five women from West Papua, a region grappling with violence and occupation, joined this transformative forum. Their participation, supported by the WCC, echoed Deborah’s leadership in Judges 4-5, affirming women’s vital role in shaping just societies.

82. In anticipation of the Beijing 30 global commemorations in faith and civil spaces, the Just Community of Women and Men not only hosted JUST Talks based on the Beijing Platform for Action’s 12 Critical Areas themes, but the themes were also the source for ecumenical morning prayers during the 16 Days of Activism beginning 25 November. The prayers were formulated by theologians in the wider Ecumenical Advocates of Global Advocates for Gender Justice. Despite time zone challenges, we were able to ensure participation from a variety of writers.

83. In keeping with the WCC 11th Assembly mandate to constitute the Gender Justice Reference Group, the team met in-person in Harare, Zimbabwe, to contribute content to the strategic plans they helped to shape for 2025 and beyond. The Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity provided the general framework for the meeting, with intentional field visits (pilgrimages) to the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, our hosts, three of their member denominations, and a Baptist community farm project on the outskirts of Harare, as well as a one-stop shelter for persons facing abuse – Musasa. Additionally, the reference group was able to receive reflections posited by Zimbabweans working at the grassroots as well as at the decision-making levels in the churches, through a JUST Talks session. 

84. The year 2025 began with a series of meetings on human rights, gender, racial, and climate justice in Jamaica. This was organized with the respective programmes in collaboration with the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Jamaica Council of Churches, Jamaica Baptist Union, United Theological College of the West Indies and the Caribbean, and North American Council for Mission. The joint meeting raised awareness about WCC and member church programmatic work, and resulted in recordings on the United in Faith programme during international women’s month. We were also blessed to have WCC vice moderator Rev. Merlyn Hyde-Riley share lunch with the team during our visit to Bethel Baptist in Half Way Tree. 

85. International Women’s Week was filled with internal activities: ecumenical morning prayers organized jointly by the ACT Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, World YWCA, and the World Council of Churches, using the World Day of Prayer liturgy, and honouring WCC female staff with a tree planting at Bossey during the Staff Planning Days. The Gender Justice Reference Group offered a statement for the day, and the programme executive made contributions to events organized by partners in Africa (All Africa Conference of Churches) and Asia (The Church of North India). The WCC was also represented by a small delegation at the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women, in New York from 10-22 March. 

86. The WCC Ecumenical Diakonia Reference Group convened online from 31 March to 1 April. The beginning of 2025 has seen changes in the global landscape with profound implications for ecumenical diakonia such as heightened conflicts and militarization, a retreat from climate and environmental governance and policies, and weakening of international cooperation and reduced international aid. Amidst these challenges, the reference group stressed the importance of localisation and building community resilience; stronger collaboration, resource-pooling, and the development of new funding structures among churches, diaconal institutions, and communities to address the issues; and prophetic advocacy in supporting vulnerable populations and promoting justice. 

Health Justice: Holistic Health and Healing

87. Accessibility to basic health and affordability of good healthcare is a matter of justice, especially in the attempts in many countries to privatize healthcare. The WCC focus on holistic health and healing is supporting member churches’ capacity for effective, efficient, and sustainable contributions to the overall wellbeing of people in their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions and advocating against all barriers that inhibit access to it. 

88. The WCC Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing, created 30 years following the dissolution of the Christian Medical Commission, has brought together global ecumenical expertise that contributed to prioritizing the work of health and healing. The commission has formed working groups where commissioners can give specific advice on four priorities selected for focused work – 1) Access & Health Systems; 2) HIV & Reproductive Health, 3) Mental Health, and 4) Faith & Science. The WCC also formally worked with the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations programme on HIV and AIDS, bringing the voices of the faith communities to the international arena. 

89. Access & Health Systems: With shifts in international policies, there has been a precipitous reduction in health, development aid, humanitarian support, and international cooperation, as well as a stark decline in support for international institutions, research, monitoring, and coordination of many global processes. The work involves mobilizing religious leaders and communities to discuss, analyse and co-design strategies to respond to the crisis and reflect theologically on the moment we live and develop joint messages, calling for actions and messages supporting the sustainability of public health initiatives and HIV responses, and demonstrating the need and the possibilities at the country level. The work is encouraging churches to prayerfully mobilize the contribution of the church to build healing communities, starting with our personal lives, our families, and our congregations and also equipping member churches to engage in direct advocacy – to meet with government representatives to call for increased funding and action on health, climate, and social justice issues.

90. As part of equipping the churches to be “Health-promoting Churches,” the WCC continues to conduct training sessions along with theological institutions and Christian health associations at the country level to support the implementation of health programmes in their churches.

91. HIV & Pandemics: HIV-specific work has amplified the voices of the vulnerable communities the needs of children living with HIV and young people living with and affected by HIV at the national level (in Uganda, Nigeria, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Barbados, Cambodia, Thailand, Colombia, and Bolivia) and global spaces (using the International AIDS Conference, the Communities of Faith Prayer Breakfast alongside the UNGA and the World AIDS Day). The WCC has contributed to the reprioritization of HIV in the discussions on development. We did this in two ways: using the local secular media and connecting HIV to wider topics (sexual reproductive health, pandemics, human rights). The WCC has also published a new discussion document, “Good News about HIV Treatment, Cure, and Healing: Conversations between Faith Leaders and Communities in Nigeria,” and is also publishing four HIV theological manuals focusing on different contexts: prevention, mental health, migration, and interfaith relationships. 

92. The Health and Healing team worked both in the international arena and the local context, bridging the constituencies with the policy. WCC demonstrated the ability to rapidly adjust to outbreaks affecting the countries prioritized, such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda. and Malawi, with the Mpox outbreak in 2024. The WCC immediately produced several resources to respond to the Mpox outbreak and to guide faith communities on concrete actions.

93. Reproductive Health & Human Dignity: The WCC published, in a participative and consultative manner, a critical resource for churches to engage various reproductive health issues in their own contexts – “Love, Justice, and Reproductive Health: A Framework for Churches.” A series of consultations is assisting churches in unpacking and utilising this resource. 

94. The WCC has conducted a webinar to explore “Safe Spaces for young people in faith communities,” reviewing key practices of “safe spaces,” as well as discussing their definition, characteristics, and purposes. In addition, the WCC has facilitated regional online “Listening to Young people” sessions, which are closed-door listening sessions for working groups to understand how young people in East Africa navigate sexual and reproductive health challenges from Eastern Africa. 

95. The WCC has also organized annual Menstrual Hygiene Day webinars emphasizing the crucial links between menstrual health, access to water, and sanitation, and the role of faith-based initiatives in tackling menstrual health taboos, working on preventing obstetric fistula. WCC has also put a theological lens on cervical cancer prevention, working with the World Health Organization (WHO) on cervical cancer elimination, emphasizing the critical role of faith leaders in addressing health challenges, including cervical cancer and HIV, within their communities. The WCC and WHO have also worked collaboratively to promote the role of self-care in reducing maternal mortality.

96. Faith and Science: In the domain of deepening the churches’ understanding of health and healing holistically from scientific and theological perspectives, it has brought expertise to faith communities around key topics in the intersection of faith and science. This includes facilitating a small four-week online workshop on Faith and Genetics and leading on to a 10-module course in collaboration with the Department of Bioethics, Christian Medical College in Vellore, India. In 2024, the WCC co-hosted an online webinar panel on Theology and Artificial Intelligence, which explored how generative AI and trans-humanism challenge our understanding of personhood and the image of God. In May 2025, a follow-up one-day seminar was conducted, incorporating a global webinar on Health and AI, bringing international experts to dialogue with theologians on the topic.

97. Mental Health and trauma healing: Significant work in mental health with a deep emphasis on youth was done with strong youth representation from staff and the Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing, and close work with the Youth Commission. This included: 1) Conducting training programmes for 1,200 youths in North America and sub-Saharan Africa; 2) Lifting the medical and mental health challenges in regions of conflict, especially among youth; and 3) WCC commission releasing a message, “A call for cross-generational action on the Mental Health of Youth,” on International Youth Day. The WCC continues promoting the Campaign of Hope and strengthening the peer learning platform, which includes a repository of online resources and documents for mental health, leading to a portal in different languages, organized into separate folders—for fact sheets, good practices, and resources, Bible studies and reflections, and published scientific literature. Support is being extended to denomination-wide training in mental health – in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and the WCC is in the process of launching a 10-module online course on “Mental Health and Faith Communities” in October. The other key stream of work is the development of a faith-based framework of action addressing trauma healing, helping faith communities become equipped or strengthened to respond specifically to accompany their communities in trauma healing.

98. Equipping Churches to address the impact of Climate change on Health: On 28-29 April, an innovative one-and-a-half-day training programme was conducted to equip churches to address the impact of climate change on Health, including climate litigation lifting up the experiences and expertise of two of the most impacted countries in Africa and Asia—the Republic of Chad and the Philippines. The training educated 60 church leaders and members on the intersection of climate change and public health, and empowered churches to advocate for and implement climate-resilient health initiatives. The exercise fostered community partnerships to build resilience against climate-related health challenges. The training incorporated a joint 2-hour online training session connecting the two countries with international participants – including members of the Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing, and members and leadership of African Christian Health Associations Platform, Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network, All Africa Conference of Churches, and Christian Conference of Asia (CCA).

Peace and Reconciliation

99. Over the past two years since I started and much before, we have worked extensively on peace-making initiatives. Given the wars in Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel we led delegations to these countries to work with our member churches and others to promote dialogues for peace, calling for ceasefires and an end to the wars, and asking for humanitarian aid and access to the suffering masses. We planned a roundtable with Ukraine and Russia, bringing together all potential stakeholders but eventually the churches in Ukraine found it difficult to participate for various reasons. We met with the presidents in Israel and Palestine to let them know where the WCC stands in the quest for just peace. 

100. During these visits to different countries, we had the opportunity to meet with several presidents and key government officials; some of these countries include Cuba, South Korea, South Africa, South Sudan, Colombia, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and others. Through these engagements the WCC was able to mark its presence, play a role, and establish ways in which we can be of assistance to countries in need. We have started projects and deployed staff or appointed new staff in Colombia, Nigeria, and Malawi to address issues of peace, health, and climate issues. 

101. Much of the WCC’s time, effort, and resources go into peace-making initiatives. And rightly so as you consider the violence, conflicts, and wars that pervade our world currently. The WCC is clear in its document Things that make for Peace that violence is not the way to solve problems, but that peace is establish through dialogue. The WCC embraces reconciliation as a sacred mandate rooted in Scripture. Jesus’ declaration – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9) – and Paul’s affirmation that “God has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18) guide the WCC work. Grounded in these teachings, the WCC has pursued healing in fractured communities, fostering dialogue where division persists, and upholding the dignity of those wounded by conflict.

102. As followers of the Prince of Peace, we yearn for justice and for mutual recognition of the God-given human dignity of all, upon which true and lasting peace is founded. However, looking around our world today the picture seems so terribly bleak, full of injustices, escalating confrontation, and violence, and the most egregious violations of the dignity invested in every human being by our Creator. We see people and nations seemingly determined to pursue a self-destructive path of environmental vandalism and climate catastrophe in this our common home, the living planet of God’s exquisite creation. We see so little of compassion, cooperation, dialogue, and responsibility to which we are called and for which we advocate.

103. But look behind the dark clouds of human cruelty, venality, stupidity, and indifference, and there, always, is the permanently shining sun of hope, and the source of our faith. Christians are people of hope, and the ecumenical movement is a counter-cultural movement of hope. Inspired by the hope we have through our faith in God, we seek justice in the midst of injustice, compassion in the midst of cruelty, accountability in the midst of impunity, responsibility in the midst of careless consumption, and peace in the midst of the most brutal violence.

104. In our work for life, justice and peace, the World Council of Churches seeks to express and to inspire hope in this suffering wounded world, very much in the spirit and tradition of the Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work – the centenary of which we celebrate this year. In many contexts around the world, we seek to promote dialogue and cooperation for the resolution of conflicts and divisions. 

105. An emblematic case in point is our engagement in the peace process in Colombia, as an official “permanent accompanier” of the dialogue table between the Government of Colombia and the EMBF, a faction of the FARC-EP. At that table, we join the UN, the Organization of American States, and the Roman Catholic Church as fellow permanent accompaniers, and the guarantor States, in support of the search for sustainable peace between the Colombian government and an armed guerrilla group. Our work is done in close collaboration with local church actors such as the Presbyterian Church, DIPAZ, and some Pentecostal churches, which have been a source of hope for the civilian population during so many years of violence.

106. While progress in the peace process is slowing – a ceasefire agreement has not been renewed and the dialogue agenda has not made progress on issues of justice, the transition of guerrilla fighters to civilian life, protection of the civilian population, and territorial transformations, the political window for the current peace process is drawing to a close. Yet, the fact that such a process exists at all after so many years of bitter and bloody conflict in Colombia remains to be a powerful sign of hope, first of all for the people in Colombia.

107. In addition to our role as a permanent accompanier at the dialogue table, WCC is also a committed advocate for peace in Colombia, and for the social and economic transformations required in the lives of communities throughout the country to ensure that any peace is sustainable. Through previous changes in government and among the armed actors in Colombia, international support for and commitment to peace in the country has been a key factor in preventing a complete reversal of the trajectory towards peace. That is likely to become important again, following elections next year. Whatever changes may take place, WCC will, together with many others around the world, continue to be a persistent voice in the international community for staying on the way of peace in Colombia. The WCC executive committee was pleased to meet in Colombia in June 2024.

108. The rubble to which Gaza has been reduced since 7 October 2023 is an unlikely place to find hope. Indeed, following the almost total destruction of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure and the repeated displacement of almost the entire population, Israel’s complete blockade since 2 March 2025 of assistance essential for the survival of Gaza’s people seems designed to crush all remaining vestiges of hope. And yet hope pushes through the rubble. Listen to the words of Dr Suhaila Tarazi, director of the Christian-operated Al Ahli Arab Hospital, one of the very few remaining hospitals operating in Gaza: “this is what our Christian faith tells us: always after a dark night, there will be another shining tomorrow… We can continue our mission of healing, our mission of reconciliation, our mission of peace.” Director of Gaza hospital: “our faith tells us, aways after a dark night, there will be another shining tomorrow”.

109. Though key political actors seem either determined to wipe Gaza clean of its people, or indifferent to their fate, hope is also to be found in the mobilization of the principles and mechanisms of international law. Churches and people of faith have over many years advocated for and contributed to the establishment of these principles and mechanisms, for the protection of people and communities against violence and oppression by the powerful. WCC welcomes the role and engagement of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court in this context. I call again on all responsible members of the international community to respect and abide by the rulings of these courts, as the appropriate independent judicial authorities to determine these fundamental questions of international law. Efforts by the powerful to undermine or destroy these institutions and the legal foundations on which they are established must be denounced and resisted.

110. It is also a profound expression of hope that the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme for Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) is able to continue, although in constrained circumstances, its ministry of accompaniment, protective presence, monitoring, and reporting on the situation for Palestinian communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. I am not sure that everyone in the WCC fellowship fully understands and appreciates how unique and precious a contribution EAPPI makes to sustaining the persistent determined hope for just peace in the Holy Land. Let me make it clear to you now. This programme, operated by the WCC on behalf of the worldwide ecumenical movement, is now essentially the last remaining permanent international monitoring and solidarity presence in the communities of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It is no small miracle that EAPPI continues to serve this cause, when almost all other such presences have been closed down or obliged to leave. It is worthy of our continued and increased support, in order to help sustain hope for justice and peace in the land of Christ’s birth. I am pleased to report that the WCC very successfully started its Pilgrimage Visits to Palestine and Israel last month with the United Methodist Church. We plan to lead more of these visits to “come and see” what is happening in this context.

111. Hope is to be found even in the midst of such a catastrophically brutal war between rival warlords as is still afflicting the people of Sudan. Recent reports of massacres in Salha, Omdurman (WCC expresses outrage over Salha massacre in Omdurman) have illustrated once again the depths of human cruelty, and the apparent indifference of the international community to the suffering of fellow human beings. But from the small and powerless Christian minority community in Sudan, voices of hope are raised. In his Easter message to his flock – many of whom are displaced or refugees – Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo of the Episcopal Church of Sudan proclaimed a message of hope, that though “Sudan is yet to be liberated from death, destruction and hatred”, “[l]et us rejoice, trusting God that all will be well again.” For “Christ overcame death, and so all who believe in him will live as He is alive today”. (Easter message from Sudan: “Let us rejoice trusting God that all will be well again”)

112. I believe that this message plants a seed, not only in the hearts of members of Archbishop Kondo’s scattered congregation, but – God willing – in the hearts of all those in Sudan and around the world who pray for and seek peace for the Sudanese people. 

113. WCC seeks to nurture that hope, through its support and accompaniment of the Sudan Council of Churches, and through the establishment of a new Ecumenical Network for Sudan, as a framework for consolidated and increased international ecumenical solidarity with the churches and people of Sudan. I was pleased to lead a Solidarity Visit to Sudan with other ecumenical partners. We are monitoring the situation very closely and we are working with the National Council of Churches in Sudan to work for stability and peace, especially now that the situation has evolved into a very volatile experience. 

114. Likewise, in Ukraine, faced with the ongoing existential threat posed by Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of its sovereign neighbour, WCC seeks to encourage solidarity rather than division, and unity of purpose among the churches of the country as they minister to the Ukrainian people in the midst of this national crisis. Easter on the frontlines in Ukraine: “Resurrection is our hope”

115. While we insist, as we do in all contexts of conflict and conflict-risk, that dialogue is the only viable path towards sustainable peace, dialogue that is imposed and excludes attention to the fundamental issues of justice and responsibility that underly the conflict is no true dialogue and cannot lead to true and sustainable peace. 

116. Meanwhile, repeated attacks on civilian communities, even on worshippers during Easter, should outrage the consciences of all people of faith and good will, and must entail legal and personal accountability for all those responsible.

117. I continue to believe that there is a role and indeed a responsibility for the WCC fellowship to engage in a deep dialogue among us on the Christian calling to be peacemakers in such concrete contexts as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I deeply regret that despite many efforts to discern it, the path to such dialogue has not yet appeared. But I fervently hope and believe that God will yet show us the way. The WCC attempts at holding a roundtable did not materialize for many reasons, but we continue to pursue the path of encouraging dialogue, and this does not come without prophetic engagement. 

118. Above all, I draw hope from the fellowship of the WCC, from the ministry of the churches in so many difficult contexts, and from their commitment to ecumenical unity in the midst of all our diversity, differences and divisions. The Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity is a distillation of this hope. In all of the contexts I have mentioned and in so many others, we are ecumenical pilgrims of hope. That is our witness to a suffering, fragmenting, divided, and anxious world. Let us amplify it.

119. The unexpected overthrow of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and his flight to Moscow on 8 December 2024, marked a historic turning point for Syria, raising hopes among Syrians and the international community for a new era of freedom, reconciliation, and inclusive nation-building. In this context, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Syria issued a joint statement on December 29, 2024, articulating a shared Christian vision for the future of the country — one grounded in national sovereignty, the rule of law, equal citizenship, and the rejection of foreign domination and sectarian fragmentation. However, the early promise of the transition has been severely tested. In March 2025, a series of retaliatory massacres in the coastal region – mainly targeting the Alawite community – shocked the nation, as armed groups loyal to the former regime carried out brutal reprisals against civilians and government forces following ambushes and attacks. These acts of violence appear to be part of a broader effort to destabilize the country and reignite sectarian tensions. The WCC condemned the massacres unequivocally in a public statement, affirming its solidarity with the victims and calling for the protection of all civilians, accountability for perpetrators, and a steadfast commitment to peaceful political transformation.

120. In response to the evolving situation on the ground, the WCC has launched a new initiative aimed at reinforcing an inclusive dialogue approach and building safe spaces for engagement among key faith-based, civil society, and community actors, while promoting inclusive narratives and mutual protection commitments. The project also includes local consultations and the accompaniment of churches and local partners in their efforts to mediate tensions and advocate for the protection of human dignity and cultural heritage. Grounded in the ecumenical values of justice and peace, this intervention represents a continuation of the WCC’s longstanding commitment to the people of Syria in their pursuit of a shared, inclusive, and secure future.

121. The current crisis in Syria cannot be viewed in isolation. The WCC should develop a programmatic approach that takes into account the wider regional reality, where authoritarian entrenchment, military occupation, instrumentalization of religion, religious nationalism, impunity, corruption, and social fragmentation continue to undermine prospects for justice and peace. These are compounded by the plagues of protracted displacement, economic collapse, foreign interference, sectarian incitement, environmental degradation, shrinking civic space, the erosion of public trust in institutions, and the normalization of savagery and fear, reinforced by narratives that dehumanize and demonize the “other” across sectarian, ethnic, and political divides. Yet amid these daunting realities, the WCC must work closely with Christian communities and their ecumenical partners – alongside other civil society actors – to seek ways of resisting despair and building the foundations for a just peace. We believe that, across the region, inclusive citizenship, interreligious solidarity, and the safeguarding of human dignity are essential struggles that can transform societies into more just and inclusive communities. Through prophetic diakonia, dialogue, and grassroots peace initiatives, Christians are called to offer both a moral compass and a prophetic witness, inviting all people of goodwill to imagine and strive for a future marked not by fear and exclusion, but by justice, reconciliation, and shared belonging. 

122. Korean Peninsula. At the end of 2023, the foundations upon which 40 years of ecumenical engagement for peace on the Korean Peninsula had been based were profoundly shaken. Since the 1984 Tozanso Consultation, WCC’s support for and facilitation of encounters and cooperation between the National Council of Churches of South Korea (NCCK) and the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) of North Korea were predicated on the North’s longstanding policy priority for Korean reunification. However, in December 2023 North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un declared this policy a failure and described South Korea as enemy number 1. This dramatic policy shift came after a long period of relative non-responsiveness from the KCF, since the collapse of the Hanoi Summit in 2019, and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. 

123. WCC leadership attended the NCCK’s centenary events in September 2024, which provided an opportunity to reflect on both the NCCK’s noble history of advocacy for human rights, democracy and for peace in the region, as well as on the new challenges in the relationship with North Korea.

124. At the end of 2024 and in early 2025, however, communications have been received from KCF which – though giving no sign of willingness to re-engage with South Korean partners – may indicate the possibility of partially reopened channels of communication and cooperation.

125. In the meantime, South Korea has undergone its own political crisis, in particular following former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed attempt on 3 December 2024 to impose martial law, the subsequent proceedings in the Constitutional Court, and the recent election. WCC has accompanied and expressed its ecumenical solidarity and support to NCCK and to the churches of South Korea through these tumultuous months, which have sadly left the country more polarized. 

126. Tensions and conflict risks – including especially of nuclear conflict – remain acute. In this context, WCC continues to offer our support to WCC member churches and ecumenical partners on the Korean Peninsula, in the persistent and determined hope of a permanent peace regime for the people of the peninsula, South and North.

127. The subsequent election of a new President in South Korea provides hope and assurance of reviving the quest for peace and reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula. The WCC will continue to work and accompany the NCCK and the Korean people in their quest for peace and reconciliation. 

128. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Though WCC’s current resources and staffing levels have not allowed for a continuous programmatic engagement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we have followed with great concern the recent resurgence of conflict and crisis especially in the eastern regions of the country. Escalating armed conflict has driven mass displacement and exacerbated humanitarian needs. The M23 armed group now controls Goma following intense clashes with the Congolese army, that forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee. According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), across the country more than 21 million people already required humanitarian aid before the latest escalation of the crisis, one of the highest figures worldwide. Approximately one million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, while escalating violence in the east threatens to deepen the crisis. Since early January, escalating conflict and intensified M23 attacks in North and South Kivu have displaced hundreds of thousands, worsening the humanitarian crisis and straining already scarce resources. Among other impacts of the ongoing crisis, summary executions and cases of sexual and gender-based violence are being reported. 

129. WCC has begun discussions with Interpeace, a Swiss-based community-level peacebuilding organization, with a view to possible collaboration in working with local church leaders for the promotion of peace in the region. WCC is planning a Solidarity Visit to the DRC in the near future. 

130. The CCIA consultation in Athens on 18-22 May (generously hosted by the Church of Greece) marked the centenary of the 1925 Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work. CCIA acknowledged that the context of the Stockholm Conference 100 years ago looks remarkably like our own. Mounting tensions between states, an escalating arms race, rising populist nationalism, spiralling economic inequality, and technological disruption... CCIA affirmed that by the simple act of coming together, as well as by their discussions, the participants in the Stockholm Conference provided an example and a message of encounter, dialogue, and cooperation as the path to peace, justice, and reconciliation. But they also recalled that it was also in 1925 that Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” was published, charting a very different trajectory for the world, leading to an even greater and more catastrophic conflict, to the Holocaust, and to the development and first use of nuclear weapons. As the CCIA message notes, “In our current global situation, we perceive that the world’s peoples once again face the same choice of radically diverging paths.”

131. Against such division and fragmentation, CCIA underscored the Stockholm Conference’s recognition of Christianity “as a global community, transcending denominational, national and other human boundaries,” and stressed the importance in our own times of the ecumenical movement as a voice for and example of unity amidst diversity, and cooperation in the face of challenges – including the unprecedented challenge of the climate crisis. While acknowledging the threats to the United Nations and the post-World War II international order, CCIA also highlighted the importance of the principles and mechanisms of international law that have been established in the intervening years to protect people from the abuses of the powerful, and to impose constraints on State violence. I strongly agree with CCIA that those principles and mechanisms must be cherished, defended, and asserted. With this message, CCIA has made an important contribution to our ongoing reflection and action during this special ecumenical year.

132. Artsakh/Nagorno- Karabakh. In response to an urgent call from the His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and in strategic collaboration with the Protestant Church in Switzerland, the WCC convened a landmark international conference in Bern in May 2025 on the preservation of Armenian religious, cultural, and historical heritage in Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh. This high-level gathering brought together senior church leaders, prominent public figures, UN representatives, international legal experts, and interfaith leaders from Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Yezidi traditions, as well as academics and civil society actors. It served as a collective moral response to the forced displacement of over 120,000 Armenians and the alarming destruction of sacred sites, churches, cemeteries, and cultural institutions. Rooted in the principles of human dignity, religious freedom, and cultural rights, the conference reaffirmed the role of churches not only as witnesses, but as mobilizers of conscience, policy, and action. The WCC pledged concrete follow-up through sustained advocacy, international legal engagement, and coordinated solidarity initiatives – working with its member churches and global partners to uphold international humanitarian and cultural heritage law, support the right of return, and ensure international accountability. The Bern conference also stood as a model of how the WCC can work effectively and efficiently with its member churches, combining collective moral authority, expertise, and resources to respond swiftly and meaningfully to emerging needs and urgent priorities articulated by its fellowship. I am very pleased that member churches are reaching out to the WCC to journey with them in their struggles and it is our profound joy to be able to do this, mustering a global platform to create awareness and impact in places that are often not talked about. This is something that the WCC does well and we will continue to strengthen this cause. 

133. The West Papua Council of Churches, amplified by the WCC in global forums like the UN Human Rights Council, continues to advocate for justice amid violence by the government of Indonesia. In October 2024, the WCC supported five West Papuan women at the annual Women’s Human Rights Training in Geneva, equipping them to address gender-based violence and systemic oppression – a testament to Deborah’s leadership in Judges 4-5.

134. In Nigeria, where interreligious violence has claimed countless lives, the WCC convened Christian and Muslim leaders to draft a joint action plan against hate speech and attacks on worship sites. Their collaboration, rooted in the shared command to “love your neighbour” (Mark 12:31; Surah An-Nisa 4:36), has led to early-warning systems that prevent bloodshed. One community leader noted, “These dialogues turned suspicion into solidarity.” The WCC executive committee met in Abuja in November 2024 and since then we remain very active in the country, establishing an office there and embarking on WCC peace work from that context.

135. The WCC recognizes that true peace blossoms only when wounds are healed and dignity restored. Guided by Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds” – the WCC developed a faith-based trauma healing framework deployed in conflict zones like South Sudan and Myanmar. Through storytelling, art, and psychosocial support, survivors of violence begin to process grief, transforming pain into resilience. In Myanmar, for instance, women’s circles use traditional weaving as a medium to narrate stories of loss and hope, stitching fragmented communities back together.

136. We meet in the context of South Africa, a country where we have seen many attempts at peace and reconciliation, and mostly successful. It is a testimony of hope that as people work together and by God`s grace they can find healing, restoration and reconciliation even though it is, admittedly, extremely tough. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission worked to this end, although it lacked in taking reconciliation to the full extent of correcting wrongs, reparations and policy changes yet it unified the nation. People of faith have a great role to play in working towards truth, reconciliation, unity and hope in the world. It is the call of God for transforming disciples to make a difference, creating harmony and peace in the world.

Pilgrimage of Unity

137. Church Unity. The South African context is notable for Christians working together to resist apartheid. Not only Christians but other religions and civil society joined hands and effort to keep hope alive. Most Christian churches put aside their differences to fight a common enemy, apartheid. In unity they found their strength and movement. While we recognize other movements and factors that helped to dismantle apartheid, it is commonly known that religious leaders played a very essential role; they were forced to step in and fill the gap in the absence of political leaders who were in prison or exile. The power of hope is fuelled by unity and witnessing together in solidarity. When people of faith gather in strength and hope they can be God`s presence and power in the world. We rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to keep us in unity and hope. 

138. It is wonderful that 352 member churches of the WCC can work and witness together in the world, in the different context and communities in which we are found. We give thanks to God and our member churches for their efforts in affirming unity and seeking to fulfil the prayer of Jesus in John 17:21 that we may be one. In unity is our strength and witness of hope to the world in the Risen Christ. 

139. I recognize that it is not always easy to sustain and strengthen Christian unity. We are often influenced by political, geopolitical, Christian nationalism, wars, and conflict and these can challenge Christian unity, and we already see how this is at work. Christian unity is also threatened by theological, doctrinal, and socio-ethical factors, and these are real. However, what gives me joy is that despite all these concerns there is goodwill amongst us to sustain and affirm unity within the fellowship. While we may have our eyes on the context in which we live, we must, as people of faith, always keep our eyes of faith on Christ who is our redeeming and reconciling hope. Christian unity empowers us to raise, sustain, and live hope in a struggling and suffering world. The WCC 11th Assembly made this point abundantly clear:

140. We affirm the vision of the WCC for the visible unity of all Christians, and we invite other Christians to share this vision with us. We also invite all people of faith and goodwill to trust, with us, that a different world, a world respectful of the living earth, a world in which everyone has daily bread and life in abundance, a decolonized world, a more loving, harmonious, just, and peaceful world, is possible. In a world weighed down with so much pain, anguish, and fear, we believe that the love we have seen in Christ brings the liberating possibilities of joy, justice for all, and peace with the earth. Moved by the Holy Spirit, compelled by a vision of unity, we journey on together, resolved to practice Christ’s love, following his steps as his disciples, and carrying a torch for love in the world, trusting in the promise that Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.

141. WCC programmes and activities continue to build the unity of the fellowship and strengthen the pilgrimage. Let us look at some of these:

142. Theological unity. The Commission on Faith and Order plays a pivotal role in promoting theological reflection and ecclesial convergence, advancing the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity. In preparation for the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, the commission has facilitated thematic consultations and webinars addressing ecclesiology, visible unity, and shared witness. Central to its efforts is the question, “Where now for visible unity?” This inquiry has guided engagements with churches, scholars, and ecumenical partners. Through seminars, collaborative writing projects, and spiritual reflection, the commission enables churches to deepen theological understanding and foster visible expressions of unity. The World Conference on Faith and Order, set to convene alongside GETI 2025, emphasizes multigenerational, multicultural participation and theological discourse rooted in historical affirmations such as the Nicene Creed. Resources such as the Common Date of Easter booklet and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are fruits of this ongoing journey. Faith and Order thus contributes to the pilgrimage by enabling dialogue, grounding unity in theological inquiry, and encouraging churches to live into the gift and calling of oneness in Christ. 

143. I am pleased to report that the WCC continues to deepen its relationship and partnerships with churches that are not members of the fellowship. The WCC moderator was pleased to attend the funeral service of the late Pope Francis and then the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo`s continuation on the foundation of Francis is noted with joy and appreciation. His focus on being a missionary church, peacebuilding, and commitment to full communion and visible Christian unity resonate very well with what WCC believes and does. 

144. Recently I spoke at the Pentecostal World Fellowship in Helsinki. What a great joy it was to see thousands of Christians gather to praise God and express zeal for serving Jesus in the world. I am deeply inspired by their passion for the Great Commission and their strategic plans to lead people to Christ, to plant churches and spread good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. I am grateful to their leaders for inviting the presence of the WCC into their spaces and the realisation that Christians need to work together even if we emphasise different aspects of the Christian faith. We look forward to further engagement and collaboration as we move the JC 2033 celebration, the year in which we celebrate two thousand years since the resurrection of Jesus. We are also thankful that many Pentecostal churches are applying for or inquiring about membership with the WCC. Hope is generated in such wonderful developments of Christian unity and cooperation as we serve God together in the world. 

145. The Ecumenical Education and Formation (EEF) Commission continues to shape the future of ecumenical theological engagement. Its first in-person meeting at Yonsei University (2024) cantered each study day on a pillar of the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity. This pedagogical approach foregrounds the integration of formation and the WCC’s strategic vision. The commission’s ongoing work includes a short video series, online ecumenical learning modules, and preparatory work for GETI 2025. Ecumenical Theological Education remains central, with three Regional Ecumenical Theological Institutes held across Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East during 2023-2024. These gatherings contextualize theological reflection and promote intergenerational dialogue on justice, reconciliation, and unity. The EEF’s engagement bridges academic formation with grassroots experiences, enabling theological education that is critical, inclusive, and transformative. The synergy between theological reflection and social context continues to be a hallmark of the EEF’s work, and a vital contribution to nurturing ecumenical leaders prepared for today’s challenges in faith, hope, and love.

146. Mission unity. The Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) continues to support transformative discipleship, decolonial mission, and public witness. Through “Mission Matters,” the CWME fosters conversations around contextual mission practices and theological grounding in justice and reconciliation. The Ecumenical Indigenous Peoples Network and the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network engage historically marginalized voices in the mission of God, contributing to reconciliation and inclusion within the broader ecumenical community. In the review period, regional and global consultations have amplified voices from the margins and advanced theological education on mission rooted in community, care, and dignity. CWME’s work emphasizes the role of discipleship in resisting oppression and fostering hope. Its ecumenical commitment is evident in collaborative work across denominations and regions, reflecting unity in mission. The theological framework of mission from the margins is increasingly embodied through regional missional networks and advocacy for justice at the grassroots. CWME thus ensures that mission remains integral to the pilgrimage, strengthening the prophetic and reconciling witness of the church in diverse global contexts.

147. The Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI2025), is the flagship event of the WCC’s Ecumenical Theological Education programme and a major contribution to the pilgrimage. Hosted by the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, it will bring together 97 young theologians from across the world for a three-week immersive programme in conjunction with the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order. The curriculum fosters deep theological engagement on issues of justice, reconciliation, and unity, through lectures, ecumenical worship, intercultural exchange, and community living. The program balances gender and regional representation, ensuring a diverse and participatory learning environment. Rooted in the historic legacy of early Christianity and Coptic spirituality, GETI 2025 will cultivate theological reflection that bridges local and global contexts. By equipping emerging ecumenical leaders with tools for contextual ministry, theological depth, and ecumenical openness, the programme affirms the role of youth in shaping the future of the ecumenical movement. GETI 2025 embodies the pilgrimage spirit – journeying together in faith and learning toward visible unity and collective discipleship.

148. The Bossey Ecumenical Institute remains a cornerstone of ecumenical formation and a global learning community. Each September, it welcomes a diverse cohort of approximately 35 students from member and non-member churches. The curriculum, cantered around the pilgrimage themes, invites students into deep theological study, inter-confessional dialogue, and communal living. Courses and seminars explore justice, reconciliation, and unity through biblical, historical, and contextual lenses. Bossey’s core course anchors the programme, offering a shared theological foundation and ecumenical ethos. The Interfaith Summer School, held annually in July or August, further expands Bossey’s contribution to the pilgrimage by fostering interreligious understanding and cooperation. Bossey continues to produce alumni who serve as ecumenical leaders in churches, institutions, and grassroots movements across the world. It is a space where identities are deepened and transformed through encounter, dialogue, and critical theological reflection. Bossey’s commitment to nurturing unity in diversity makes it a vital node in the WCC’s pilgrimage journey.

149. Spiritual Unity. The WCC’s Spiritual Life desk anchors the movement in prayer, worship, and theological reflection. It supports the rhythm of the pilgrimage by offering liturgical and spiritual resources that animate ecumenical life. A key annual highlight is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, held from 18-25 January in the Northern Hemisphere and around Pentecost in the South. The 2025 theme centres on the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and its affirmation of the Nicene Creed. Prepared by the ecumenical community of Bose, Italy, this year’s resources included, for the first time, dedicated materials for children and youth. In Geneva, ecumenical staff gathered for worship at the Temple de Grand Saconnex, where Rev. Andreas Fourge offered the reflection. Across the globe, churches engaged the resources to renew their commitment to unity and deepen their shared confession of faith. The Spiritual Life programme thus contributes to the pilgrimage by grounding ecumenical work in prayerful communion and liturgical expression, ensuring that theological engagement is rooted in worship and spiritual practice.

150. Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation. The Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation (IRDC) desk fosters mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration across faith traditions, contributing significantly to the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity. The IRDC Reference Group guides this work, which includes interfaith consultations, capacity-building workshops, and joint advocacy initiatives. The Interfaith Summer School at Bossey is a recurring highlight, enabling participants to explore shared ethical commitments and deepen theological literacy across religious boundaries. In the review period, the IRDC desk organized regional consultations and partnered with religious leaders to address issues such as peacebuilding, environmental justice, and human dignity. The desk also contributed to the WCC’s voice in global interreligious platforms, ensuring Christian witness remains dialogical and inclusive. A focus on youth and women in interfaith engagement has further broadened participation and diversified perspectives. Through dialogue, the IRDC desk helps build resilient relationships, prevent religiously-motivated violence, and promote a shared vision of justice and peace. It reinforces the conviction that unity within the church is enriched by engagement with religious others. Thus, interreligious dialogue within UMEF serves as both a theological imperative and a practical expression of the pilgrimage.

151. Young People in the Ecumenical Movement. Young people remain central to the vitality and future of the ecumenical movement. The Youth Engagement desk within UMEF coordinates intentional spaces for ecumenical encounter, leadership development, and intergenerational exchange. Through regional youth consultations, internships, and collaboration with networks such as the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe (EYCE) and Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI), the programme nurtures emerging leaders. In the period under review, youth participation was integrated across all commissions and events, including Bossey, RETI, and the planning of GETI 2025. A key feature has been the emphasis on empowering youth from historically marginalized communities, ensuring inclusivity and contextual relevance. Pilgrimage-themed initiatives have enabled young people to explore their own faith identities while engaging in justice, peace, and reconciliation work globally. Young ecumenists have contributed to public theology forums, interfaith initiatives, and worship life, reaffirming their role not just as participants but as co-creators of the ecumenical journey. The Youth Engagement desk advocates for youth representation in governance structures, and for mentoring pathways that prepare young people for sustained leadership. In this way, the youth dimension of UMEF embodies the pilgrim spirit – hopeful, prophetic, and committed to walking together toward unity in a fragmented world.

Communication

152. Communication is an essential tool to encourage and stir hope. The WCC gains impact and movement through the work of innovative and inspiring communication. The WCC is an effective communication actor and a platform for sharing stories and voices from member churches and ecumenical partners working together on the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity, and raising the fellowship’s visibility and public role.

153. The WCC seeks to be a catalyst for change – for a world with unity, justice, and peace at its heart. Its communication must consequently reflect this mission and continue to play a key role as a powerful driver of change. The WCC aims to inspire and invite its member churches to work together, actively lending weight to the churches’ common voice. The member churches are the heart of the council. Communications from the WCC must thus be inclusive and have participation and hope at their core, both in content and in methodology. The WCC task is to ignite and sustain hope for a better world where human dignity prevails. Human dignity and equality must permeate all communications.

154. In the beginning of the year, Geneva Engage recognized the WCC for 10 years of shaping, engaging, and connecting people. The WCC has been a “pillar of the Geneva Engage Awards, consistently standing out as top contributors to digital diplomacy and global collaboration,” wrote Geneva Engage. The WCC joins prominent groups such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and World Health Organization in this top tier of groups who have spent a decade or more engaging and connecting people. The WCC was specifically recognized by Geneva Engage for “fostering global unity and interfaith dialogue with a strong digital presence.”

155. The Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity is an invitation to the WCC global fellowship, and to all people of goodwill, to address the most pressing concerns and deepest aspirations of our one human family. The main focus of pilgrim-related communication will always be to invite, to inspire, and to be a catalyst for change – fostering a world with justice, reconciliation, and unity at its heart. The coverage based on storytelling reflects the most pressing concerns and deepest aspirations of people in the churches and beyond. Justice, reconciliation, and unity begins among churches and communities themselves; if churches move together toward justice, reconciliation, and unity, and share their stories, they become a catalyst in inviting – and leading – the rest of the world.

156. We look upon communication needs for the pilgrimage from a different perspective – the receiver-end perspective – where objectives, substance, relevance, and quality are key elements. Our main tool must continue to be storytelling, to provide space for local voices and to put the most vulnerable at the heart of communication.

157. Communication from the World Council of Churches in 2024 and in the beginning of 2025, through storytelling via many channels, fostered unity in unprecedented ways across the world. From the largest global prayer gathering, to 2.3 million engagements on social media, to large numbers of young visitors both in-person and online, WCC communications connected with more people, in more ways than ever. During 2024, the WCC website attracted the interest of 1.6 million visitors worldwide, an 8% increase compared to 2023. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January was the week with highest number of visits (over 50,000) during the year.

158. The WCC maintained a strong presence in global media throughout the year, with more than 5,000 mentions. Coverage predominantly focused on the WCC’s advocacy for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as its work on Faith and Order. This widespread media attention underscores the WCC’s ongoing commitment to promoting justice, reconciliation, and unity within the global ecumenical community.

159. A comprehensive capacity building programme, covering most aspects of communication, is offered to support church leaders, programme executives, and communicators across the globe. Communication workshops and trainings online, in Geneva, and elsewhere have often been arranged on topics such as strategic communication, media relations, crisis communication, storytelling, social media, and other channels. Communication is gaining ground as a powerful catalyst for change. WCC Communication is also providing coaching regularly for many other ecumenical and regional organizations, specialized ministries, nongovernmental organisations, and member churches.

160. The goal and purpose of WCC communications are to raise the profile and impact of the work of the WCC. This is done through a variety of means which reflect the core Christian and ecumenical values of the WCC. Communication is an important strategic tool for the WCC and its member churches and ecumenical partners to sustain influence, gain visibility, and promote good causes. Ensuring relevant, credible, transparent, and well-coordinated communication in a timely manner is a pivotal task for WCC Communication. The WCC audience is international, including the WCC membership, its committees, commissions, and the churches and the public at large.

161. Resilient, hopeful, engaging, and collaborative, we continue with the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity. And we cannot do this alone. We need all our WCC member churches to faithfully commit to the pilgrimage. We need you, we need others, all partners to make the world a better place for all people and creation. 

162. We need to keep the faith, spread the faith and we do it best by living the faith as we serve Jesus in the world with unity and justice. Let us dare to hope amidst hopelessness. Let us keep hope alive in our hearts, actions, and lifestyles.

Finance and Green Village

163. Finance Report. I am pleased to report that despite challenges WCC ended the financial year 2024 with an overall slight surplus. We reported CHF 23.4 million in revenue and CHF 22.8 million in expenditure, ending the year with a surplus of CHF 0.5 million. This surplus was gained from our Green Village real estate development project, specifically, behind the economies of construction from the buildings that were finalized and accounted back to WCC. However, programmes fell shortly by CHF 0.3 million but, at the end of the year, the general reserves remained strong at CHF 7.6 million. The finance director will give further updates at the central committee meeting.

164. Membership and programme contributions were CHF 13.5 million, a decrease of 4% (CHF 0.5 million) compared to the previous year. This drop was due to a combination of fewer contributions and currency exchange losses due to a stronger Swiss franc.

165. 2024 was a good year in the financial markets and in our investment gains. Thanks to favourable conditions – like strong consumer spending and falling interest rates – our investments, currency gains, and asset revaluations resulted to CHF 1.5 million. These gains helped support our programmes and other activities.

166. Restricted funds added CHF 0.5 million to our overall surplus. Most of this came from CHF 0.8 million in investment returns from our endowment funds. However, as already indicated, programme activities showed a shortfall of CHF 0.3 million, partially offsetting these gains.

167. While we have successfully maintained a steady financial position in 2024, this would be more challenging in 2025 as we continue with the special ecumenical year events. The meeting of the central committee is expected to cost around CHF 600,000 and the Faith and Order Conference around CHF 800,000. Of course, these are huge costs, and it does not even include the other activities which, fortunately, are mostly funded.

168. Given the financial constraints, and with the request of the November 2024 executive committee, I had to exercise stringent measures to encourage members of the central committee to contribute financially to their travel and accommodation costs. I am very pleased to report that some of the participants responded positively to the request. It is becoming increasingly evident that the WCC will not be able to cover full subsidies to delegates. My appeal to member churches is that they budget money to cover costs for the participation of their members serving on the governing bodies of the WCC. Such financial contributions are also signs of commitment to the ongoing work of the WCC.

169. Green Village Project. Over the past months, we have experienced major developments in this complex project – both in our ongoing negotiations with Implenia but also due to shifting conditions in Geneva’s real estate market, including budget cuts affecting almost all international organizations.

170. The steering committee met with Implenia to discuss our concerns about the project and tabled specific requirements which included reduction on the profit share percentage, land-lease options rather than sale of land, increased selling price on the land, priority in building the ecumenical centre, and a new agreement.

171. Implenia responded to our concerns and presented an addendum that included some of the items we negotiated: an increase in land value from CHF 1,000 to CHF 1,700 per m² and a higher WCC profit share – from 78% to 80%; with these changes to result in an additional CHF 3.4 million for WCC. However, the addendum raised serious concerns because there was no reference to land lease options which we had requested, they added several new fees payable to Implenia, requested new (faster) decision-making processes that are against WCC governance (not aligned with WCC’s processes), and, finally, to our major surprise, included a clause prohibiting WCC in future renegotiations of key terms.

172. The steering committee rejected Implenia’s addendum. Given the budget cuts impacting Geneva’s international sector and the uncertainty of donations, the steering committee decided that WCC should halt the project and discuss a mutual way forward, and expressed a willingness to look at a new contract if Implenia was open to this. This decision was communicated to Implenia on 8 April 2025.

173. We are currently in discussions with Implenia on the way forward. In a meeting on 6 June, Implenia agreed to consider proposals the WCC made. We are hoping to secure a new deal with Implenia that would give assurance of WCC’s financial security and stability. Should this not happen other alternatives should be considered but we are pleased to report that the developer is working with the WCC in a very positive manner and spirit. We will report on any further progress.

Governance and Other Matters

Working Group on Palestine and Israel (WGPI)

174. At the WCC 11th Assembly held in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2022, the WCC adopted a statement Seeking Justice and Peace for All in the Middle East. That statement said that

175. “…we recognize the threat to the future of the indigenous Christians and of all the people of the Middle East. We affirm that the best means of averting this threat is equal rights, inclusive citizenship, justice and dignity for all, without religious or racial discrimination. We commit to the guiding principles of “God’s justice and love for all of creation, the fundamental rights of all people, respect for human dignity, solidarity with the needy and dialogue with people of other faith” (CC Feb 2011) that remain the foundation of our ecumenical response to the region.”

176. The statement drew attention to the realities that challenge this vision; the continued displacement of Palestinian people from their homes; the expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory; and the escalation of violence in Gaza. It named the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967 as illegal. It affirmed that any resolution can only come by peaceful means in accordance with international law. The statement also affirmed the place of the state of Israel within the community of nations and, at the same, affirmed the right of Palestinians to self-determination. These affirmations found consensus. However, the statement also says:

177. “Recently, numerous international, Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations and legal bodies have published studies and reports describing the policies and actions of Israel as amounting to “apartheid” under international law. Within this Assembly, some churches and delegates strongly support the utilization of this term as accurately describing the reality of the people in Palestine/Israel and the position under international law, while others find it inappropriate, unhelpful and painful. We are not of one mind on this matter. We must continue to struggle with this issue, while we continue working together on this journey of justice and peace.”

178. Considering the failure to reach consensus on this matter, the assembly called for the WCC to “examine, discuss and discern the implications of the recent reports by B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, and for its governing bodies to respond appropriately.” In addition, the assembly called on the world ecumenical fellowship of churches to “consult and reflect on an alternative policy, perspective and comprehensive solution for Palestine/Israel where all people have equal rights before the law, as opposed to the current systems of control, exclusion and discrimination.”

179. In response to these calls from the Assembly, a working group on Palestine and Israel was elected at the 2024 June executive committee. The working group was convened in Athens from 16-18 September 2024. It met, two years since the assembly, in the aftermath of the events of the attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023, and of the ensuing retaliation by the Israel government in Gaza, leading to the loss of tens of thousands of lives, including many children. On the final day of the meeting in Athens, news came in of exploding pagers and phones in Lebanon, as a new phase of violence began to unfold.

180. The purpose of the working group was defined as: to advise the general secretary on how best to address issues upon which the assembly had called for further reflection, namely the “apartheid” designation of Israel and its implications for the WCC’s overall position on the Palestine-Israel question.

181. The general secretary presented the report of the WGPI to the executive committee in November 2024 for further discussion and direction. The report was received, and the general secretary was requested to make the full report available to the central committee for discussion and decision.

182. The full report is attached as an appendix, but the recommendations are presented below for discussion and decision at this central committee meeting. I suggest you read the full report before you look at the recommendations. I include the recommendations here because we will need to decide on them.

Recommendations of the Working Group of Palestine and Israel

Immediate/shorter-term actions

Apartheid issue

183. This working group advises that the use of the term apartheid by WCC is appropriate and prophetic to the situation in Palestine and Israel, in light of the conclusions of the three reports mentioned in our terms of reference, the latest conclusions of the International Court of Justice, and especially the lived experience of our Palestinian sisters and brothers.^[1]

184. The issuance on 19 July 2024 of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the “Legal Consequences Arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” has brought fresh clarity to the interpretation and application of the relevant principles of international law in this context. 

185. We took particular note of the court’s finding that “Israel’s legislation and measures impose and serve to maintain a near-complete separation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem between the settler and Palestinian communities” and its conclusion that such legislation and measures constitute a breach of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination – which condemns racial segregation and apartheid.

Changing the narrative

186. WCC must play a role in changing the international narrative by communicating the reality of 76 years of oppression of the Palestinian people and to actively promote the narrative of the imperative for freedom and self-determination of an oppressed people based on international law and religious and moral obligations.

187. Though it is acknowledged and affirmed that the WCC policy and advocacy on the situation in the region has always been based on the fundamental values of justice, peace, and equal rights for all, the group believes that the present established WCC language is not adequate to describe or frame the situation now experienced. There were clear calls, in some respects, for new language and framing, both for description and response. 

188. In particular,

• the use of the terms “conflict” and “negotiated settlement” assumes a symmetry between parties and is naïve about the reality of a colonial imbalance of power;
• the focus on a “two-state solution” to end the occupation has obscured and diverted attention from the essential foundational principle of self-determination for the Palestinian people. We must return to this foundation in our future policy and advocacy;
• the language of “just peace” has lost its power for Palestinians, when lived experiences of occupation, settler violence and harassment, confiscation and demolition of properties, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and genocide remain unchallenged and when there is no action for justice.

189. In simple terms the specific ethical actions required of us are: ending the death and oppression, attending to the immediate and direct causes of suffering and injustice while working to dismantle the systems and structures in order to create the necessary conditions for full Palestinian self-determination and peace. Such peace is founded on justice as understood both in the framework of international law and biblical-theological moral obligations.

190. In the current context we affirm and reiterate WCC’s calls for:

• Complete fulfilment of International Court of Justice demands
• Humanitarian access to the suffering people
• An immediate and comprehensive ceasefire
• Complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza
• End of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

191. In addition, we recommend WCC promotion of:

• Rebuilding infrastructure for health, education, and social wellbeing
• Support for a Palestinian-led national development plan.

192. In a context in which the established principles of international law regarding the situation in the region have not been respected, WCC advocacy and action must be focused on promoting accountability and the implementation of those principles, especially with regard to equal human rights/non-discrimination, occupation, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, the right to return, the protection of civilians etc.

193. With regard to the issue of genocide, we note the International Court of Justice interim ruling confirming a plausible case of genocide, but whose provisional protective measures have not been respected or implemented. We reaffirm the general secretary’s call for all members of the international community to respect and implement these measures as a matter of accountability to international law. In addition, we propose to extend the focus on educide and ecocide.

194. We highlight concerns about the institutionalization of discrimination against Palestinians and of Jewish supremacy as in the Nation State Law. 

195. We call for an immediate shift in WCC communication strategy and messaging based on the above analysis.

196. We recommend challenging theological interpretations that seek to support oppression and colonialism. WCC should invite churches to call one another to account to the biblical mandate. We encourage theological studies and materials, which promote public prophetic theology.

197. We further encourage solidarity with Palestinian communities, including:

• Defence and preservation of the Palestinian Christian community and presence
• Protecting Palestinian cultural and religious heritage
• Supporting local churches and Palestinian Christian organisations.

198. We recommend the establishment of a WCC global programme/forum for freedom and self-determination of oppressed peoples – with a first focus on the Palestinian people. We encourage fundraising for and/or seeking co-opted dedicated staff capacity.

199. We affirm the re-operationalization and adequate resourcing of the Palestine-Israel Ecumenical Forum re-constituted by the WCC governing bodies.

200. WCC could consider the establishment of a small group of non-staff ecumenical advisors to the general secretary for rapid discernment and response on emerging issues.

201. A further global ecumenical and interfaith consultation on the situation in the region would also be a valuable initiative.

202. We emphasize and encourage the use of targeted economic measures in accordance with existing WCC policy (sanctions against productions from illegal settlements).

203. We support the general secretary’s call for WCC to participate in international campaigns for arms embargo.

204. We suggest engaging in interfaith alliances for justice, working with those of other faiths around the theme of justice, as part of or in addition to WCC’s existing interfaith work.

Policy change

205. We recommend to the general secretary that the WCC moves towards policy changes through the appropriate governing body processes in order to reflect developments in international law (e.g., on apartheid, genocide, etc.), as well as the radically changed circumstances in the region, and above all the biblical imperative for justice for all and the liberation of the oppressed.

206. In light of the recent International Court of Justice findings, we recommend to the general secretary and WCC governing bodies WCC’s active engagement in the divestment, boycott, and sanctions call as nonviolent resistance. (not approved by consensus)

207. The ecumenical movement should confront Christian Zionism and other “State”^[2] theologies that seek to justify apartheid, colonialism, occupation, and genocide. We should engage church theologies that seek to focus on love, peace, justice, and reconciliation, but fall short in standing with the oppressed peoples in the dismantling of systems, structures, and ideologies of oppression and death. WCC should enable and encourage the building of theological understandings that support and empower the oppressed, exposing and critiquing theologies and biblical interpretations that justify colonialism, oppression and genocide.

General Secretary’s Remarks on Working Group on Palestine and Israel Report

208. Whether we choose to use the word “apartheid” or not, the matter of fact is that thousands of innocent people and children have lost their lives, properties, loved ones, and livelihoods. In fact, the deplorable and unacceptable situation in Gaza with over 55,000 people killed is beyond words and far exceeds the level of debate on words. It calls for a clear and strong message from the WCC as we value and uphold the sanctity of God-given lives. As the WCC responds to the Israel and Palestine situation and other such situations we cannot rest content in proclaiming the “safe gospel;” instead we must prophetically proclaim the “saving gospel,” that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the Gospel of truth, righteousness, love, mercy, justice, and peace.

209. The WCC cannot remain silent or neutral in the face of mass killings and destruction. We are called to be prophetic and courageous, while seeking to embrace all the facts – yet we should not choose to remain neutral. Sitting on the fence is not an option, especially when political authorities are powerless, complicit, and impotent in finding solutions. The WCC has taken the route of dialogue and not violence in resolving conflicts. More so, in the context of war we need to stand up and be counted. While seeking to preserve the unity of the fellowship, the WCC must realize that we cannot do so at the expense of justice and prophetic witness. In the words of the Apostle Paul, we must learn to speak the truth in love: “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16. 

210. The fact of the matter is that we are living in very difficult times. Times that describe occupation, conflicts and wars. It is imperative that WCC continues to proclaim the message of peace and hope. Indeed, Jesus is our peace and hope. This is not only the message but the gift we can offer to the world. However, to do this successfully and credibly, member churches need to find one another, hold tight to the same gospel message of peace, and truthfully proclaim Christ rather than be influenced by powers, authorities, and political parties and leaders. Ultimately our allegiance and faith must be firmly and deeply planted in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

211. I would like to suggest the following process in which we will consider the WGPI report at the central committee meeting. In addition to my report on this subject, a special session will be held to discuss the WGPI report. This session will focus intentionally and exclusively on the WGPI report. While all committees of the central committee are expected to receive the general secretary`s report and have the freedom to comment on any matters from therein, in order to consolidate responses to the PWGI recommendations, I would like to suggest that all comments on this subject be sent to the Programme Committee and this committee would bring the recommendations to the decision session of the central committee. This allows for a more coordinated and less complicated way to process the recommendations for decisions.

212. Human sexuality. The central committee in June 2023 approved the following proposal by consensus: “The central committee of the World Council of Churches requests the general secretary to provide safe spaces for ecumenical learning and conversations on contested issues, especially on human sexuality with member churches and ecumenical partners who are open to dialogue on this matter, balancing the call of the assembly and the recommendations of the PCCC and to report on them to the governing bodies.”

213. As I reported to the executive committee, member churches and ecumenical partners were informed of this decision soon after the last central committee. A few member churches have requested the WCC to provide the materials and study we have put out on this subject and further request were received for assistance to member churches who were holding conversations and or consultations on human sexuality. Apart from this, it seems that member churches struggling with this topic are finding and navigating their own way through these challenges which have proved to be very divisive in some churches. 

214. Ecumenical partners, organizations and groups of people from WCC member churches have had discussions with the general secretary in safe spaces on the said topic. It is noted that people most affected by this issue are willing and wanting to engage with the WCC on the matter, and I am glad that they do. 

215. Mid-term Evaluation. The general secretary was requested “to prepare a draft mid-term evaluation working group slate for review by the executive committee in May 2025 in anticipation of their election by the central committee June 2025.” This slate was presented to the executive committee meeting and will be brought to the central committee for approval.

216. Second Election of Executive Committee. One of the main matters for the central committee is the second election of the executive committee. In this respect, the general secretary was requested to “consult with members of the executive and central committees, regions and church families, on the formation of the second executive committee; and to prepare a first draft profile for discussion at the executive committee meeting in May 2025 in preparation for the election by the central committee in June.” As part of the process, I wrote to all the members on the current executive to determine their readiness to continue on the executive committee. While some members responded indicating their willingness to step down, the majority expressed a desire to continue. This information was presented to the May 2025 executive committee for further discussion and direction. The executive committee requested the general secretary and the leadership of the central committee to prepare a slate for consideration and approval at the central committee.

217. Governance Review. The general secretary was requested to “further develop the terms of reference of the governance review working group and prepare a draft slate of nominees for review by the executive committee in May 2025.” This was presented to the WCC executive committee for consideration and the general secretary was requested to do more work on this and bring it to the central committee after the executive committee meeting in June.

218. I anticipate that this review will need to seriously consider the current structures and size of our governing bodies. While it is necessary to include as many member churches as possible on WCC governance structures as requested at the last assembly, the financial challenges of the WCC in years to come will not allow for expansion and full representation. Unless member churches are prepared to take full responsibility to pay for their representatives to participate, the current structure is not financially sustainable.

219. Distortions of theology. The general secretary was requested to “initiate a study and educational process on these distortions of theology (in coherence with already existing programmes and with member churches) towards dismantling the political ideological motivations.” I referred this task to the transversal (T6) addressing racism and other forms of discrimination. As a transversal working across and with the different programmes in the WCC, it is best placed to take this further. They are already working on this topic.

220. November Executive Committee. The November 2025 executive committee is set for China. I am pleased to report that the China Christian Council is doing their best to assist us with the financial aspects of this meeting. However, we would request member churches to financially support the travel costs of their members where possible. 

221. The Leadership of the central committee meets once a month and more when needed. I value and appreciate the guidance, support and wisdom gleaned from the moderator and vice-moderators. Each one has many years of experience in church leadership and ecumenical organisations and above all they have a deep commitment to the WCC. I appreciate their time and contributions.

222. The WCC presidents have been more intentionally integrated into the work of the fellowship. We meet at least once a quarter online to talk about their regions, contextual issues, and challenges and how WCC may be helpful in our pilgrimage together. Presidents attend regional meetings, and represent WCC at special anniversaries and assemblies of member churches in their region. So far six presidents have joined me in visits to their regions and special events, including events of the national councils of churches and regional ecumenical organisations. In addition to the accompaniment of the WCC presidents, I have also met with central committee members in the regions and some of them also join me in travel and events. This has successfully integrated governance leadership at various levels and fostered good relationship building on the ground. This method has done an enormous amount of good to strengthen WCC regional connections.

Concluding Remarks

223. This very lengthy report is presented to offer a meaningful view of the WCC work over the past two years. However, it does not cover everything done. These are fully covered in the monthly accountability reports and appear on the WCC website and social media.

224. I am grateful to the WCC staff for their very professional and valuable work they do. We can do all that we do because of their dedication and tireless efforts to serve the WCC fellowship. This year has been extremely busy thus far with all the special ecumenical activities and they have risen to the challenges with joy and faithful service.

225. I express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the WCC leadership, staff, and my family for their continued support, work, and encouragement. Without the support of my wife, Sandra, and our children I would not be at liberty to serve the council in the way I do. I am grateful and blessed.

226. We face challenging times as the WCC given our contextual realities and financial constraints, but we believe that we are here for a purpose and that the council is important and necessary as it continues to serve God, member churches, ecumenical partners, and the world at large.

227. In the words of this generation’s ecumenical prophet of hope, the late Jűrgen Moltmann, “Christian hope draws the promised future of God into the present day and prepares the present day for this future…. In light of our faith, as Christians we can honestly assess and face the full force of humanity’s contemporary challenges yet also experience and instil a realistic hope of transcending them.” We can bank on hope, he says, because hope reframes our situation, invites creativity, and fuels our engagement in the cause of justice. Such a “life in joy is already an anticipation of eternal life… In joy over the hoped-for future, we live here and now, completely and wholly, weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice… Life in hope is not half a life under a proviso; it is a whole life awakening in the daybreak colours of eternal life.”

228. Let us continue to live in hope and action as we serve God in the world, a world created and blessed by God. To God be the glory!

 

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^[1] The group process included hearing the voices of those that do not think the word apartheid should be used to discuss the situation.

^[2] In reference to the Kairos South Africa document.