As the “Working Together” gathering opened on 24 April, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep appreciation for WCC partners whose support has helped define and direct programs, peace-building, and prophetic truth-telling.
The annual review records many of the WCC’s activities undertaken in 2023 and continuing into 2024.
The year 2023 was one of new beginnings: the WCC central committee met in person for the first time since the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in September 2022, the WCC commissions newly convened, and implementation of the WCC Strategic Plan for 2023- 2030 started. The WCC Annual Review includes a special visual section commemorating the WCC’s 75th anniversary and highlighting an unprecedented number of exhibitions that graced the Ecumenical Centre.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) and its partners in specialized ministries will draw together on 24-25 April 2024 for the annual “Working Together” gathering.
Zacchaeus Tax (ZacTax) is an ecumenical campaign by churches, seeking a transformed global tax system that acts like the biblical character Zacchaeus, delivering equity and making reparation for historic and structural injustice.
As three World Council of Churches commissions—the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Commission on Health and Healing, and Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development—completed their meeting on 8 March in Geneva, they came away with a sense of collaborative determination to address the world’s challenges with hope and with practical actions.
1. There is no other space like Faith and Order. There are many spaces and places where one can discuss theology, but this one is very unique. And truly remarkable.
Though COP28 failed to produce a credible plan to phase out fossil fuels, there is still reason for hope that the world can move toward climate justice, said World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay as COP28 concluded.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) came together for a dialogue titled "Encountering Faith and Science." The session featured Ramon Pichs-Madruga, one of the three vice-chairs of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sharing key insights from the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report.
The World Council of Churches executive committee completed its meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, 8-14 November, with a sense of moving the fellowship forward on the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity.
Fifteen young people from 10 countries across Europe and North America are taking part of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Eco-School at the Orthodox Academy of Crete, Greece, 11-18 November, exploring water, food, and climate justice.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, from 8-14 November, released a statement on COP28’s responsibility for climate justice.
Brian Muyunga, a youth member of the World Council of Churches central committee representing the Anglican Church of Uganda and executive secretary of youth at the All Africa Conference of Churches, shared an uplifting message in a gathering of over 120 African lawmakers from 40 countries.
On 27 October Korean Theology Forum on Climate Crisis organized a conference “The Response of the WCC to the Climate Crisis and its Policy for Carbon Neutrality” for the formation of church leaders, pastors and students interested in ways to connect local activities to the global horizon. The conference was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the Republic of Korea.
No holidays for William Temple, Archbishop of York, early in August 1937. The ecumenical movement for the social responsibility of the churches, known as “Life and Work,” had just held its world conference in Oxford, 12-26 July, with the church struggle against emerging totalitarian states at the heart of its theme and work. Temple had drafted the final message of the conference, known for the motto “let the Church be the Church.”
In a letter to the United Nations General Assembly, the World Council of Churches (WCC) joined other global Christian organizations in reiterating a call for a New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA).
Pan African peoples understand they are disproportionately affected by hunger and food insecurity. Historic inequities furthered by the wrath of racism, conflict, climate, and illnesses like COVID have further contributed to this.
Children who gathered prior and during the New Global Financial Pact, held 22-23 June in Paris, delivered a clear message to President Macron and world leaders: the existing colonial economic model must be replaced with one that prioritizes humanity over profits.
In approving a financial strategy for the World Council of Churches (WCC), the WCC central committee considered membership contributions, expenses related to the WCC 11th Assembly, the Green Village development project, and other fiduciary aspects.
