WCC NEWS: WCC, World Evangelical Alliance strengthen collaboration

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) met on 25 August in Geneva to explore and discuss possible areas of future cooperation. The two organizations shared current plans and discussed possibilities for closer collaboration on thematic areas such as advocacy and peace building, the climate emergency, and membership matters.  WEA representatives: Bp. Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretary General & CEO  Dr. Christine Schirrmacher, Executive Director International Institute of Islamic Studies, Bonn Michael Mutzner, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Samuel van der Maas, WEA Permanent Representative to the WCC Wissam al-Saliby, Advocacy Officer, Geneva. WCC representatives: Rev. Dr Odair Pedroso Mateus, deputy general secretary and director of Faith and Order Doug Chial, the Director of the Office of the General Secretariat  Peter Prove, WCC director of International Affairs Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of communication   Photo: Samuel Mungure/WCC 30 August 2021 The WEA is a network of churches in 143 nations that have joined to give a worldwide identity, voice and platform to more than 600 million evangelical Christians.  The WEA has six programmatic departments: Global Advocacy, Global Theology, Global Witness, Alliance Engagement, Church Engagement, and Public Engagement. WEA secretary general Prof. Dr Thomas Schirrmacher discussed some concrete ways to strengthen the collaboration. “In those areas where we have been cooperating a lot already, like in advocacy, climate change or in relation to work with the UN, we should go for joint long term strategies,” Schirrmacher said. “And in areas where we still have much to discuss we should clearly map the need and strife for unity with the Bible in hand.” The WCC welcomed with joy the opportunity to deepen its relationship with the WEA. “The Ecumenical Centre is like a home—and open for everyone working for unity!” said Doug Chial, WCC director of the Office of the General Secretariat, who hosted the meeting on behalf of WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, who is currently on vacation. “The ecumenical work and collaboration on advocacy—raising a voice together with those needing accompaniment for justice and peace—is a genuine task for a fellowship of churches who together express faith in the triune God of life,” he said.   The meeting was closed by a prayer in the chapel in the Ecumenical Centre. 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 349 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 acting 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