WCC NEWS: Message from GETI: “announce with prophetic courage the hope which dwells within us”

A message released 28 October from the World Council of Churches Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) emphasized unity amid the world’s multiple crises, urged churches to allow ancient confessions to speak anew, and called for announcing with prophetic courage the hope which dwells within us. 22 October 2025, Cairo, Egypt: Participants in a Global Ecumenical Theological Institute held in connection with the World Council of Churches Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order taking place 24-28 October 2025 in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, around the theme “Where now for visible unity?” pose for a photo as they visit the Saint Mark Cathedral in Cairo, of the Coptic Orthodox Church.  Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 28 October 2025 The message was shared with the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, convening in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt.  "We celebrate the work of Faith and Order while also lamenting the expanding gap between dialogue and praxis, manifested in the lack of robust reception of ecumenical texts,” reads the message. “Ecumenical theology often seeks unity through doctrinal coherence, and yet, we must also explore how unity becomes visible through our embodied experience.” GETI participants asked: What does it mean to be truly ecumenically and prophetically courageous in our world? “GETI’s hope is in shared humanity and an ecumenism born of pain and promise,” reads the message. “We call Faith and Order to deepen its engagement with the lived theologies of people at the margins.” Visible unity cannot be achieved solely through institutional or doctrinal dialogue, the message notes.  “If ecumenical councils such as Nicaea stood to articulate our shared, common faith, what will Faith and Order do to protect justice, human dignity, and the integrity of all creation?” GETI participants asked. “GETI showed us that unity is God’s gift, received when we are brave enough to be wounded together and discover we have always been one body.” The message expresses a vision of a new, contemporary visible unity. “Unity takes shape in acts of solidarity, shared lament, and collaborative service,” reads the text. “Indeed, churches are confronted with a world faced with intersectional multi-crisis.” GETI urged Faith and Order to employ a theological language speaking meaningfully into today’s wounded world. “Let us act with humility, walk in unconditional solidarity, and announce with prophetic courage the hope which dwells within us,” concludes the message.  A Message from the WCC Fourth Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) 2025 to the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order GETI 2025 photo gallery Learn more about GETI 2025 As World Conference on Faith and Order opens in Egypt, hearts and minds look to unity (WCC news release, 24 October 2025) Conference session lifts up hope and determination of Christians in the Middle East (WCC news release, 25 October 2025) His Holiness Pope Tawadros II receives WCC delegation (WCC news release, 27 October 2025) Conference livestreams and recordings Photogallery: Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, 2025 Learn more about the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order 22 October 2025, Cairo, Egypt: Participants in a Global Ecumenical Theological Institute held in connection with the World Council of Churches Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order taking place 24-28 October 2025 in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, around the theme “Where now for visible unity?” pose for a photo as they visit the Saint Mark Cathedral in Cairo, of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Photo: Albin Hillert/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

WCC NEWS: Pilgrimage encounter strengthens unity at Anaphora Retreat Center

Participants in the World Council of Churches (WCC) 6th World Conference on Faith and Order, together with students and young theologians from the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI), were warmly welcomed by the Coptic Orthodox Church for a special evening on 26 October at the Anaphora Retreat Center in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt. On Sunday, participants in the WCC Faith and Order Sixth World Conference visit the Anafora Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church for a so-called Pilgrimage Encounter at the halfway point of the world conference. The World Council of Churches Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order takes place 24-28 October 2025 in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, around the theme “Where now for visible unity?” Among those pictured, Arne Fritzson of the Uniting Church in Sweden. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 27 October 2025 The visit formed part of the weeklong conference program focused on deepening visible Christian unity. The evening at Anaphora offered a unique opportunity to experience the spiritual gifts and hospitality of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Participants joined in prayer, enjoyed live local music, and shared fellowship around the table in a spirit of joy and gratitude. Father Kyrillos El Machari guides people through a model of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus, as on Sunday, participants in the WCC Faith and Order Sixth World Conference visit the Anafora Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church for a so-called Pilgrimage Encounter at the halfway point of the world conference. The World Council of Churches Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order takes place 24-28 October 2025 in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, around the theme “Where now for visible unity?” Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC Metropolitan Thomas, founder of Anaphora Retreat Center, spoke to the group about the center’s vision and the deeper meaning of community. “Our first vision at Anaphora is to lift up the person, and the whole person. Every person is a gift of God to us,” he said. “I am inviting all of you to carry this vision, that it will enable you to see beyond what you see, to sit in the eyes of Jesus, and look through his eyes to the world.” He emphasized that the “liturgy after liturgy” continues in the way Christians encounter and uplift one another each day. “The liturgy after liturgy is every meeting, and every face, and every person,” he said. On Sunday, participants in the WCC Faith and Order Sixth World Conference visit the Anafora Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church for a so-called Pilgrimage Encounter at the halfway point of the world conference. The World Council of Churches Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order takes place 24-28 October 2025 in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, around the theme “Where now for visible unity?” Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the WCC central committee, expressed heartfelt appreciation for the experience. “We are so blessed to be here tonight,” he said. “We have heard a lot about the church that needs to show what it talks about, that needs to radiate the love that we talk about. That is what we feel tonight. We will go home inspired, very much inspired. We will radiate the spirit of Anaphora, the spirit of love, of faith and of beauty and hope, and we will spread that all over the world.” On Sunday, participants in the WCC Faith and Order Sixth World Conference visit the Anafora Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church for a so-called Pilgrimage Encounter at the halfway point of the world conference. The World Council of Churches Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order takes place 24-28 October 2025 in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, around the theme “Where now for visible unity?” Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay reflected on how such encounters strengthen the global Christian fellowship. “When I see us gathered in this place in such great diversity from around the world, it reminds me that Christian unity is possible,” he said. “We have come to witness what it means to be co-pilgrims together.” WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay shares a reflection, as on Sunday, participants in the WCC Faith and Order Sixth World Conference visit the Anafora Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church for a so-called Pilgrimage Encounter at the halfway point of the world conference.  Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC Rev. Dr Stephanie Dietrich, moderator of the WCC’s Faith and Order Commission, expressed gratitude for a moment where unity was not only spoken about, but lived: “We are thankful to you for enabling spaces where visible unity is not only discussed, but experienced.” H.E. Archbishop Angaelos of London reflected on the hospitality evident in the special evening and throughout the 6th World Conference on Faith and Order. People stand for a closing moment of prayer as on Sunday, participants in the WCC Faith and Order Sixth World Conference visit the Anafora Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church for a so-called Pilgrimage Encounter at the halfway point of the world conference. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC “It is a recognition of the image of God in every person, whether it was the greeting of the strangers in the Old Testament, whether it is the washing of feet that we see in the New Testament, or it is in the breaking of bread as we have seen today,” he said. “This is a beautiful house of God.”   As World Conference on Faith and Order opens in Egypt, hearts and minds look to unity (WCC news release, 24 October 2025)   Ancient faith, living tradition: global delegates encounter Coptic monastic life in Egypt (WCC photo essay, 27 October 2025)   Conference livestreams and recordings   Photogallery: Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, 2025   Learn more about the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order Metropolitan Thomas of the Coptic Orthodox Church shares words of welcome as on Sunday, participants in the WCC Faith and Order Sixth World Conference visit the Anafora Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church for a so-called Pilgrimage Encounter at the halfway point of the world conference.  Photo: Albin Hillert/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

RNS Morning Report: “A divided church has no message to a divided world,” says WCC general secretary to GETI

Speaking at the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) on 23 October, Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), delivered an address titled “Do We Need Church Unity?” urging Christians worldwide to embrace unity as a divine calling and a practical necessity for healing a broken world. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 23 October 2025 Pillay reminded GETI participants that Christian unity is central to the witness and mission of the church. “A divided church has no message to a divided world,” he said. In his address, Pillay linked the need for unity to the global “polycrisis” – a convergence of climate change, poverty, conflict, injustice, and political instability. “In such a context, Christian unity matters more than ever. We must be one in proclaiming justice, reconciliation, and hope.” He outlined four key pillars of this call to unity: justice, love, peace, and hope. “The church must be a prophetic voice for justice in the face of poverty, violence, and oppression; a living expression of love and reconciliation in a divided world; a peacemaker amid growing global conflict; and a beacon of hope in times of despair,” said Pillay. “Christian unity is not optional,” he concluded. “It is an obligation — obedience to Christ’s prayer that we may all be one. In unity we glorify God, transform the world, and make visible the power of love to heal and reconcile creation.” The in-person session of GETI is being held from 12–29 October at the Saint Bishoy Monastery in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, alongside the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order. Read the full text of the WCC general secretary's presentation to GETI GETI 2025 photo gallery Learn more about GETI 2025 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

WCC news: Global ecumenical students visit heart of Coptic tradition in Cairo

As part of the study visit program of the 2025 edition of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI), participants visited the historic Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mark in Cairo on 22 October. GETI participants visit the Saint Mark Cathedral in Cairo, of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 23 October 2025 Inaugurated in 1968, St. Mark’s Cathedral is the largest in Africa and the Middle East, with a capacity of 5,000 worshippers. It serves as the seat of the Pope of Alexandria and is dedicated to St. Mark the Evangelist, who is credited with founding the Coptic Orthodox Church. Reflecting on the visit, GETI academic facilitator Rev. Dr Chad Rimmer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America expressed appreciation for the hospitality extended by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and the Coptic Orthodox Church. “To be welcomed here has impressed me in several ways,” Rimmer said. “The most striking for me, upon entering the cathedral, is the iconography. Normally, icons are windows to the divine, but here they also tell the story of the Coptic Church and its tradition.” Built when the patriarchal see was moved from Alexandria to Cairo in 1968, the cathedral contains a crypt beneath the altar housing the tomb of St. Mark. “It is not only about the past, but the present,” added Rimmer, who serves as rector and dean at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in the United States. “From the relics of St. Mark and St. Athanasius to the stories of faith from biblical times through the modern history of the Coptic Church, this place shows us a living and vibrant faith.” The cathedral complex also includes a burial church for four popes and hosts liturgical services, Bible studies, and youth programs. The in-person session of GETI is being held from 12–29 October 2025 at the Saint Bishoy Monastery in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, alongside the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order. GETI 2025 photo gallery Learn more about GETI 2025 GETI opens with combination of knowledge, spiritual depth, and divine grace (WCC news release, 13 October 2025) As GETI opens, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II to young people: “you are the heartbeat of Christianity” (WCC news release, 13 October 2025) Churches called to remember, resist, and rebuild: GETI plenary reflects on faith amid persecution (WCC news release, 15 October 2025) Ecumenism as a lived experience: GETI study visits transform faith and understanding (WCC feature, 20 October 2025) 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