WCC NEWS: Interreligious advisers in WCC member churches reflect on recent developments in the USA

A webinar entitled “Reflections on recent developments in the USA and their significance for interreligious relations,” held 9 February, brought together more than 20 advisers in interreligious relations from various World Council of Churches (WCC) member churches from across the globe. Interfaith prayer, New York, USA, July 2012, Photo: Tom Martinez/WCC 12 February 2021 Organized by the WCC team for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, the event built on a meeting in Cardiff, Wales, in November 2019, which launched a network to foster mutual learning and support among those involved in interreligious work in the WCC member churches around the world.  A joint opening presentation was offered by Rev. Margaret Rose of the Episcopal Church and Kathryn Lohre of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Rose focused on recent challenges to interreligious relations in the USA such as Christian nationalist sentiment, antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism. She observed that Americans cannot claim ‘This is not us!’ because ‘This is us!’ and the problems need to be addressed honestly. Lohre’s presentation considered “pandemics within the pandemic,” recognizing a range of challenges in recent times that have had a disproportionate impact on people of colour. She also noted that among the “extreme challenges,” there were “glimpses of hope,” concluding her reflections with a quotation from the poem recited by Amanda Gorman at the inauguration of President Biden. Both panelists affirmed the value of being in relationship and global partnership amidst ongoing challenges as well as bright spots, and acknowledged as a gift the accompaniment that a network such as this offered. Reflecting on the webinar, Rev. Dr Peniel Rajkumar, coordinator of the team for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation at the WCC, commented: “This meeting is an example of the extraordinary advances we have made in the strange circumstances of recent months in our capacity to convene colleagues from all around the world for conversation, mutual learning and support. We envisage developing this emerging network further by facilitating similar events from time to time.” See more

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 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC interim general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland