WCC NEWS: At Yonsei University in South Korea, WCC reiterates critical importance of churches including young people

In an address to students at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, on 2 July, Peter Prove, director of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, spoke on “The Rise of Christian Far-Right Extremism and the Response of the Global Ecumenical Community.” Photo: Yonsei University 02 July 2025 Prove noted that, unfortunately, the potential fragility of democracy and of hard-won human rights is currently on display in many parts of the world. “And far-right extremist elements in the churches and Christian communities are increasingly salient drivers of these worrying developments,” he said. “The WCC stands for the God-given human dignity of every human being, and for human rights as the legal expression and protection of the diverse aspects of human dignity.” The extremes of both the right and the left threaten those values, Prove  noted. “In the context of such an unprecedented convergence of global crises, cooperation among the nations and peoples of the world has never been more urgently and critically necessary,” he said. “In my view, actually reading the Gospel is the best medicine for many of these problems within the churches and Christian communities.” Prove added that he is encouraged by the growing number of Christian influencers on social media channels who seek to challenge Christian extremism by reference to scripture and the Gospel of Christ. “The choice of forum for these responses is also important, since so much extremist messaging is disseminated via social media,” he said. “Further, it is of critical importance that churches focus on their ministries to, and their inclusion of, young people.” Prove’s address to the students was an abridged version of a keynote lecture he gave at a conference in Seoul entitled “The Rise of Christian Far-Right Extremism and the Response of the Global Ecumenical Community.”  Prove also visited the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall, and attended a meeting of Ecumenical Forum for Korea, where those gathered discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula following the impeachment and the change of administration. They also discussed plans to organize an international conference in 2026 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Glion Consultation. WCC shares insights on rise of Christian far-right extremism, (WCC News release, 1 July 2025) Learn more about Young people in the ecumenical movement 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 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