Last year, you visited the World Council of Churches. What stays with you even today? Süld: For me, meeting the World Council of Churches (WCC) was a good reminder of how important it is that we as churches work together – that we are one. As St Paul writes, "There is one body and one Spirit" (Ephesians 4:4). Separately, churches can express their opinions, and many do, and should do, but there's a greater significance if we bring ourselves together, agree with each other, and let the world know. I always say that the credibility of Christianity and Christians depends on our common voice. We do, of course, value diversity and the multitude of Christian worship, but in core matters, if we want to be taken seriously, we need to speak the same language, especially on human rights, protection of creation, and church unity. There are those who would like to show us as being separated, but for me this only gives a boost to work towards unity. A very important part of the WCC visit was to know more about the statements issued by the WCC, and it's exactly ecumenical work at its best – to show compassion, care, and to draw attention to issues that are of importance. It was interesting to learn that these, often seen as political statements, are rooted in consultations with member churches on the ground, with information verified, and statements carefully formulated, edited, and agreed together. For me the lesson was this: if a statement sounds too harsh, the situation is possibly even harder, and we as Christians from other regions can trust WCC documents because of your contact and work with local member churches. The WCC helps me to receive information about other churches. I appreciate WCC news and statements very much – it's a way of receiving information from the perspective of our siblings in Christ. When I was a full-time journalist, I sometimes questioned the use of statements – what meaning do they have if often no actions follow? However, I think it is important that we know the church is not silent, Christians are not indifferent, we speak out, and some of the churches do have enough influence to make a difference. As a former journalist who reported on religious topics, how do you carry ecumenism into your current three-fold call? Süld: It seems that I keep having three-fold calls throughout my life. Currently I still freelance and produce “Thought for the Day” for Estonian Public Broadcasting by inviting pastors to speak on the radio, and I also give an overview of British media to the Estonian public on the main radio channel of the public broadcaster. When choosing Christian clerics to share their thoughts with the audience, I also try to maintain an ecumenical balance so that all denominations are represented. I do enjoy being a pastor, which is the call that brought me to the UK, and I like to be both in the Lutheran Church where I was ordained, and occasionally also minister in the Church of England, where our priests can have permission to officiate – it's also a kind of ecumenical approach. My full-time energy goes into managing the Council of Lutheran Churches, with nine member churches and several other Lutheran groups linked to us. We ourselves are a choir of different voices, and my role embeds being the national ecumenical officer for Lutherans in the UK. In the UK, where Lutheranism is a minority Christian confession, ecumenism is part of our identity. There are so many aspects where we relate to other denominations like the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church, where we work alongside a bigger established church, and then the Porvoo Agreement gives us, at the same time, the blessing of being part of the Church of England. I always see the churches as the church – we are one, different expressions of Christ's body, and all have their very special and valuable role. What are some ways global ecumenism helps you address local congregational issues? Süld: Several ecumenical resources help to prepare special services. In the UK we use a lot of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland materials, but many of those are adaptations of global resources. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is one of the examples. I remember also using the CTBI Racial Justice Sunday resource – perhaps that could be shared also via the WCC. The whole UK context, as explained above, benefits so much from ecumenical links and work. The Lutheran Church in Great Britain and our other local Lutheran national congregations benefit very much from the Lutheran World Federation's approach to ecumenical dialogue with other churches. This helps us to be more visible and trusted, and in addition, of course, the Church of England's dialogue with other European Lutheran churches dates back a whole century, including the close relationship with the Church of Sweden under the episcopal leadership of Nathan Söderblom. And in many discussions about questions that people may have in congregations, or in leadership, it's so helpful to use the research and guides that have been developed by our ecumenical partners. I remember having a discussion on migration based on an international statement, or recently we have learned much about Nicaea thanks to the ecumenical celebrations around the anniversary. I think we just need to open the ecumenical library more often. Council of Lutheran Churches in Great Britain WCC member churches in United Kingdom | 
