Wednesday, July 9, 2025

WCC news: WCC general secretary addresses Diakonia World Federation assembly in Tanzania

In an address before the Diakonia World Federation on 8 July in Tanzania, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay reflected on “Dancing the Faith, Drumming Up Hope: Ecumenical Diakonia and Our Global Crisis.”
Photo: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania
9 July 2025

The gathering drew deacons, deaconesses, and many others who have chosen Christian service for their work, and their lives. 

“Let me say from the outset, from my point of view and in light of our work in the World Council of Churches, two things are clear: our several converging crises present imminent collective peril for humanity and the earth; and, against this tide, ecumenical Christian service—diakonia at all levels— can prove to be an important, perhaps even vital, catalyst for the transformative change necessary to meet these challenges and rescue our situation,” he said. “God’s work must be our own, in part because it is vital to the survival of our species and our planet.”

The sobering litany of converging crises seems to signal a turning point in human history, or at the very least a historic geopolitical realignment, Pillay reflected. "In terms of scale and character, it poses a steep challenge to churches (and all people of goodwill) as they try to create and ensure a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world,” Pillay said. “In some ways, we are in danger of losing this battle for the survival of our species and the health of our planet.”

As Christians, we recognize the spiritual roots of our civilizational polycrisis, Pillay continued. “I believe that, though the particular global crises facing us are dizzyingly multiple, their confluence tells us that, at their heart, we are suffering from a global, civilization-wide crisis of values,” he said. “It is a spiritual crisis, a profound challenge to rethink our toxic cultural values and economic systems in light of their deadly impact on the possibility of sustaining our species and life on this planet.”

We live in an inherently exploitative economic system, Pillay continued. “We are often driven by consumerism and distorted desire,” he said. “Our business practices often license and even glorify selfishness and greed.”

Our cultures cling to deep and intractable biases and prejudices, particularly of race and ethnicity, class and gender, Pillay said. “And we seem to lack the political willingness to take the hard choices and make the unwelcome sacrifices that seem required of us,” he said. “These are disvalues that, in many ways and places and times, distort our histories and cultures, our governments and economies and even our family life.”

Yet, as Christians, we also lift up countervailing values, Pillay said. “We stand on the inherent dignity of all persons, created in God’s own image,” he said. “We stand in solidarity with the weak and vulnerable and seek justice for all people and groups.”

Read the full text of the WCC general secretary address

Photo gallery

See more
The World Council of Churches on Facebook
The World Council of Churches on Twitter
The World Council of Churches on Instagram
The World Council of Churches on YouTube
World Council of Churches on SoundCloud
The World Council of Churches' website
The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.

Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press
Our visiting address is:
World Council of Churches
Chemin du Pommier 42
Kyoto Building
Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218
Switzerland

RNS Morning Report - Churches can endorse politicians, IRS says in court filing

RNS Morning Report

Top Stories

Churches can endorse politicians, IRS says in court filing

(RNS) — The IRS hopes to settle a lawsuit brought by a pair of Texas churches and a group of religious broadcasters over rules that bar houses of worship and other nonprofits from getting involved in political campaigns.
 

Former member sues John MacArthur’s megachurch for public shaming

(RNS) — A lawsuit filed in California state court accuses the church of violating a former member’s privacy and inflicting emotional harm.
 

Photos of the Week: Ashoura, Texas flooding

(RNS) — This week’s photo gallery includes Ashoura, Texas flooding and more.
 

Why some ‘exvangelicals’ are turning to tarot reading

(RNS) — Three tarot practitioners who left conservative Christian upbringings said using tarot cards helped them reimagine their spirituality. 

 

RNS Opinion

The Big Beautiful Bill is the ‘final burial of compassionate conservatism’

(RNS) — A lot has changed in the GOP over the last quarter century.
 

Immigration policy has become a question of character

(RNS) — The United States is beginning to look like a dictatorship seeking to divest itself of anyone who is poor and speaks Spanish.

 

ICYMI

Pope Leo XIV revives summer tradition at Castel Gandolfo

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Castel Gandolfo's pilgrims, bikers and locals have missed a papal presence in the town.
 

Parishioners battle diocese over closure of historic Brooklyn church

'I'm like, not again!' said one parishioner of the historic St. Teresa of Avila Church, who moved there after her previous church in the neighborhood was closed.

In Other News

 

Depend on our reporting? Help us out!

As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. You can support this work!

News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com

Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend
Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here

We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here.

Or send a check to:
Religion News Foundation
PO Box 1808
Columbia, MO 65205
color-twitter-48.png color-facebook-48.png color-instagram-48.png color-youtube-48.png color-linkedin-48.png color-tiktok-48.png

E-ssentials: Save the Date for the Cross-Country Check-In, Join the 100 Tables Movement, and more!

Save the Date for the Next Cross Country Check-in!

[Image credit:The United Church of Canada]

Mark your calendars! Join us for a special Cross Country Check-In on September 22, 2025, where we'll introduce the new Moderator and General Council Executive (GCE) members. It's a chance for the Executive to listen to the church.

English Session: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. ET
French Session: 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET

More information about this exciting event will be shared shortly – stay tuned!
Stay Tuned on CHURCHx

In Case You Missed It: Meet Your Next Moderator Nominees!

[Image credit: The United Church of Canada]
 

For those who may have missed the exciting news, the nominations for the next Moderator of The United Church of Canada have been confirmed!

Five dedicated individuals are standing for election on August 9 at General Council 45. The installation of our new Moderator will follow on August 11 at Knox United Church in Calgary.

Get to know the nominees:


Mark your calendars to follow all the upcoming General Council 45 livestreams and upcoming in-person/online hybrid General Council happening in Calgary, August 7-11.
Explore the GC45 website

100 Tables: An Ongoing Invitation!

[Image credit: Metropolitan United Church]
 
While our Centennial on June 10, 2025, has passed, the spirit of the 100 Tables project is still thriving! This national initiative invited United Church communities to transform picnic tables into vibrant sites of welcome and connection.

We're so thrilled by the many churches that have already added their unique tables to our interactive map! These visible signs powerfully demonstrate our promise: to meet people where they are, both spiritually and physically. Rooted in faith, these "tables" offer meaningful experiences, celebrating what it means to have A Place at the Table.

This isn't just a Centennial event; it's an evergreen commitment! It extends our church's century-long history of love, justice, and inclusion. As we embrace joy as resistance, we invite even more communities to join this living testament to hope and love across Canada.

Has your church added its table yet? If not, there's still time to be part of this beautiful, ongoing initiative. Learn more and add your table to the map today!
Visit the 100 Tables Webpage

Mission and Service Stories: Words That Carry the Spirit

[Image credit: Lindsay V]

Language carries the wisdom of ancestors, the heartbeat of community, and the sacred connections between people, land, and Creator. When a language is lost, something immeasurable disappears with it. That’s why projects like the Mohawk Bible translation matter so profoundly.   

Your gifts to Mission and Service help make work like this possible, supporting the preservation of Indigenous languages and cultures, and walking alongside communities in respectful partnership.

Ohiatonhseratokénti: The Holy Bible in Mohawk is available through the UCRD bookstore, ensuring that this living word will continue to inspire and teach for generations to come.
Read the full Mission and Service Story

The United Church Bookstore: Celebrate 100 Years of Camping

[Image credit: Pacific Mountain & Chinook Winds Regional Councils]
 

Published four times a year, Faith@Home is aimed to support ministers and leaders in their ministry with the children, youth, and families in the community of faith they serve.

Proudly United Church of Canada in identity and theology, the magazines are created with spiritual practices, prayers, crafts, games, and activities that explore the themes of the different liturgical seasons.

Celebrating 100 years of camping ministry within the United Church of Canada, the most recent issue follows Ash, the frog, and Jax, a first time camper, as they embark on the amazing adventure that is camp!

This issue and past issues are available to purchase individually in print or digitally format in addition to subscriptions at the United Church Bookstore.

View the Full Faith@Home Collection

Worship Resources

See our Worship Resources for upcoming Sundays and special celebrations.

Fifth after Pentecost - July 13, 2025
Sixth after Pentecost - July  20, 2025
Seventh after Pentecost - July 27, 2025
Eighth after Pentecost - August 3, 2025
Emancipation Sunday - August 3, 2025
Ninth after Pentecost - August 10, 2025
Tenth after Pentecost - August 17, 2025

For more inspiring worship ideas and resources, subscribe to GatheringWorship.ca.
Important Note: The images included in this newsletter are protected by copyright. While we encourage you to share the newsletter itself, please don't copy or use the images independently. Thanks for your understanding!
Facebook
Facebook
Website
Website
Email
Email
Instagram
Instagram
YouTube
YouTube
LinkedIn
LinkedIn
Our gifts for Mission and Service bring healing, justice, and hope to life. 
Copyright © 2025 The United Church of Canada, All rights reserved.