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WCC Financial Report 2024 and Appendix

This is the detailed financial report and appendix of the World Council of Churches for 2023.
The report contains the following
Report to the Member Churches on the 2024 Financial Report Report of the Statutory Auditor to the Executive Committee and to the Member Churches Schedule I: Consolidated Balance Sheet  Schedule II: Consolidated Income & Expenditure Account  Schedule III: Consolidated Statement of Movements in Funds & Reserves  Schedule IV: Consolidated Cash Flow Statement  Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements Schedule V: Restricted Funds  Schedule VI (a) and (b): Restricted Funds Programmes Schedule VII: Unrestricted and Designated Funds Schedule VIII: Unrestricted Operating Funds Schedule IX: Unrestricted Operating Funds: Infrastructure Annual Summary of Contributions Non-financial Contributions
 

The Appendix will follow soon.

Members of WCC youth commission work group reflect on common Easter

The Theology and Spiritual Life Working Group of the Young People in the Ecumenical Movement Commission shared their insights on the celebration of a common Easter.

They expressed that the idea of finding a common date for Easter is about giving visible expression to the unity in which they already believe – that the resurrection of Christ is for all, and that people, across traditions and continents, are part of one body. 

Students in Bangladesh share challenges and stories with WCC

As World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay continued his visit in Bangladesh, on 12 April, he visited the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh offices in Dhaka, meeting with the general secretary Rev. David Das and staff members.

Towards a Common Date for Easter

Faith and Order Paper No. 241

The feast of the resurrection lies at the heart of the Christian faith. But finding a common date for that celebration has always been complex. Eastern and Western churches have used different calendars to calculate the date of Easter since the 16th century, and only rarely do they coincide. Fresh impetus to explore the hope of a common date for Easter comes in 2025, when all Christians will celebrate Easter on a common day. 2025 also marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which addressed the need for a common celebration of the resurrection.

This publication contains four contributions from different church traditions on the search for a way to celebrate Easter on a common date every year that were presented at a webinar organized by the Commission on Faith and Order om “Easter 2025: Celebrating Together to Strengthen Unity.”

The organizers hope that these contributions may help animate the churches of the world and Christians in their contexts to work with one another towards a common celebration of Easter.

Aleppo Statement
It also contains the document “Towards a Common Date for Easter” produced at a consultation jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches in Aleppo, Syria, in 1997, offering observations and specific recommendations for the churches.

Hope for Children Through Climate Justice

Legal Tools to Hold Financiers Accountable

The urgency of the climate catastrophe demands strong and effective responses. With fossil fuels driving over 75% of global CO2 emissions, we need to hold accountable those who still finance their expansion, harming us and future generations. 

This publication helps to empower people of faith and partners in WCC’s global constituency with the knowledge for legal action. It provides a menu of strategies particularly aimed at financial institutions, one of the most powerful levers to accelerate climate solutions. It is a call to answer the pleas of the scientific community and young people to tackle the root causes of harm to creation and protect future generation’s right to life.

From generation to generation

The mountaintop is a holy place. The valleys below are distant, and the weight of daily life feels momentarily lifted. In scripture, its where humanity and the divine meet: Moses conversed with God amidst fire and cloud on Sinai; Elijah heard the still small voice on Horeb; Jesus transfigured in the presence of his disciples, his face shining like the sun. 

WCC communications in 2024: expanding messages of unity across the world

Communication from the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 2024, 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.

Love, Justice, and Reproductive Health

A Framework for Churches
Alexa Dava

Christ’s call to love our neighbours as ourselves includes ensuring that all have access to the resources needed to live and flourish. And yet, societal barriers to reproductive health prevent many individuals from accessing necessary care. Love, Justice and Reproductive Health: A Framework for Churches invites churches to consider reproductive health from a perspective rooted in Christ’s love. It introduces key areas and addresses prevalent disparities within reproductive health outcomes. The framework encourages churches to act on this issue, providing programmatic suggestions for them to embody Christ’s love and justice within their own contexts.

Please send comments and questions to [email protected]
The author, Rev Alexa Dava is ordained with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and serves as project officer for Human Dignity and Reproductive Health at the WCC.

United and Uniting Churches: Two Messages

Faith and Order Papers, Series 2, n. 225

Taken together, these two messages from international consultations, sponsored by the World Council of Churches, provide a valuable entry point for reflection on the self-understanding and mission of United and Uniting Churches in today’s world.
I. Going the Second Mile: A message of the 8th Consultation of United and Uniting Churches. Johannesburg, 29 October–5 November 2008
II. Living in Tents: A Message of the 9th Consultation of United and Uniting Churches. Chennai, 25 November–2 December 2015.
Two appendices provide documentary information about Faith and Order publications concerning United and Uniting Churches.

TUMEWEZA

Compendium of Good Practices for Ensuring Disability-Inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Gender-Based Violence Services in United Republic of Tanzania

The Tumeweza compendium iss a vital resource for ensuring disability-inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender-based violence (GBV) services in the United Republic of Tanzania. It highlights the significant strides made towards improving accessibility and inclusivity in healthcare services, particularly through the efforts at Selian Lutheran Hospital and Nkinga Referral Hospital. The lessons learned from these initiatives provide a roadmap for other health facilities to follow, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities, government stakeholders, and faith-based organizations.
While the progress is commendable, there are still gaps that need to be addressed to fully realize inclusive healthcare services for women and girls with disabilities. These include improving infrastructure, enhancing communication between healthcare providers and patients with disabilities, and creating specific policies and procedures that ensure the dignity and autonomy of all individuals. The compendium underscores the necessity of continuous training, accessible information systems, and advocacy at all levels to ensure that no one is left behind.
Moving forward, it is essential for health facilities, policymakers, and development partners to prioritize the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all healthcare-related initiatives. By addressing the existing gaps and building on the good practices outlined in this compendium, Tanzania can continue to lead in the promotion of disability-inclusive SRHR and GBV services in the region and globally, ensuring that every woman and girl has the right to safe, accessible, and respectful healthcare.

Living Planet Monitor, Volume 1, Issue 1, Nov. 2024

Southern and Eastern Africa

This first issue of the Living Planet Monitor aims to monitor our commitment to sustainable food systems, conservation of land, ecological biodiversity, and water justice in Africa The Living Planet Monitor will give you an overview of the situation in a particular continent by monitoring indicators on food security, water resources, land use, and climate resilience. It is a key instrument for faith communities to stay informed on the current situation, share good practices and projects led by church-based organizations, and give hope and courage to transform the situation.

Youth commission elects four new vice moderators

The Commission on Young People in the Ecumenical Movement (YPEM), during its meeting in the Philippines, elected four new vice moderators: Ann Chris Jacob (United Methodist Church USA), Lorena Bonilla Garcia (Mennonite Church of Colombia), Rev. Bjorn Warde (Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago), and Danil Arakelian (Russian Orthodox Church).

Youth commission moderator: “we act and journey together”

World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Young People in the Ecumenical Movement (YPEM) moderator Karen Erina Puimera, is from the Protestant Church in Western Indonesia. As YPEMs meeting in the Philippines drew to a close on 19 November, she took time to reflect reflect about what inspired her, the challenges that lie ahead, and YPEMs goal for engaging and inspiring even more young people.

WCC youth commission gathers for first in-person meeting

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Young People in the Ecumenical Movement (YPEM) convened in Manila, Philippines, marking the start of its first in-person meeting since its formation. The gathering, scheduled from 13-19 November, unites young ecumenical leaders from around the globe with a mission to amplify youth voices, address pressing global and local challenges, and establish intentional, actionable strategies for youth-led faith initiatives.

Taking Action Against Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence

Toolkit for Trainers and Advocates

Copublication of WACC and WCC.

The Toolkit equips trainers and advocates to plan and facilitate training sessions on monitoring misogyny on social media.

Taking Action Against Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence outlines key concepts, with practical exercises, to raise participants’ awareness of gender cyberviolence. It presents the tools needed to conduct social media monitoring, report on the results, and plan further monitoring.

The toolkit is divided into five sections that facilitators can use to structure training sessions:

  • Today’s media landscape
  • Impact of tech-facilitated gender-based violence
  • Methodology of social media monitoring
  • Social media monitoring in practice
  • Action plan for participants