WCC FEATURE: During visit to Bossey, steward describes “God’s paradise on earth”

As members of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee and stewards visited the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, they came away newly inspired about the next generation of the ecumenical movement. 25 June 2023, Geneva, Switzerland: Members of the World Council of Churches central committee – gathered in Geneva on 21-27 June 2023 for its first full meeting following the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022 – visit the Chateau de Bossey near Geneva. Photo: Martina Kirolos/WCC 04 July 2023 Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba, WCC programme director for Unity, Mission, and Ecumenical Formation, offered words of welcome to the visitors who she described as future collaborators. “We are grateful to the founding visionaries who carefully chose a location that is ideal for reflection on, and lived ecumenism,” said Nalwamba. The Ecumenical Institute was inaugurated in 1946 at the scenic Château de Bossey, on Lake Geneva. It draws students from churches within and outside the WCC and enables direct contact with people of different faiths each year. 25 June 2023, Geneva, Switzerland: Members of the World Council of Churches central committee – gathered in Geneva on 21-27 June 2023 for its first full meeting following the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022 – visit the Chateau de Bossey near Geneva. Photo:Martina Kirolos/WCC Rev. Dr Simone Sinn, academic dean at Bossey, said it was wonderful to see the interest among stewards and central committee members. “We look forward to receiving applications from young people from around the world by November this year for the academic year 2024-25,” said Sinn. 25 June 2023, Geneva, Switzerland: Members of the World Council of Churches central committee – gathered in Geneva on 21-27 June 2023 for its first full meeting following the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022 – visit the Chateau de Bossey near Geneva. Photo: Martina Kirolos/WCC Martina Kirolos, a steward from Egypt serving in the WCC Communication team, described the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey as a place with wonderful hospitality. “This place is part of God's paradise on earth,” she said. “All the workers there love the place very much and it is like home for them.” Kirolos added that she was also impressed by the students’ stories and how they’ve enjoyed their studies. “I loved the tour I took there very much, and I hope to be part of this place soon,” she said. “May God always bless their work and spread the ecumenical movement all over the world.” The visit was part of the WCC central committee meeting in June. Bossey | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org) The Ecumenical Institute Bossey | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org) Apply for the academic year 2024-2025! WCC Central committee meeting, June 2023 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 352 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 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland