WCC NEWS: WCC general secretary meets Heads of Churches in Jerusalem

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met with Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, in accompaniment and affirmation of the churches’ witness in the region. WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay pictured alongside Patriarch Theophilos III and other local church leaders at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Photo: WCC 11 February 2026 Visiting the Holy Land this week, Pillay spent time on 10 February with local heads of churches including among others His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Bishop Dr Imad Haddad – recently installed as the fifth bishop in the history of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and who serves both on the WCC Jerusalem Liaison Office Advisory Board and as one of two co-moderators of International Reference Group of the WCC-Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel – and representatives from the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem as well as other local church leaders from Jerusalem and the wider region.  Pillay listened and reflected with the church leaders on key concerns and priorities for the local churches in a time and across a context marked by ongoing military occupation, violence, war and daily violations of international law.  “The significance of seeing the witness of the local churches, hearing their stories and understanding the realities in which they serve, and of offering close accompaniment as a global fellowship of churches cannot be emphasized enough,” Pillay reflected on the day.  “As the WCC, we continue to walk with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, to lift up and amplify their voices, to accompany them and to advocate with them for justice and peace for all people in the region,” he added. The general secretary also met with staff at the WCC Jerusalem Liaison Office who shared their insights and experiences, not least on the challenges they face working in an environment of seemingly ever-increasing restrictions imposed as part of the Israeli occupation. WCC general secretary visits the Holy Land (press release of 9 February 2026) WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay visits the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Jerusalem Old City. Photo: WCC 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