WCC NEWS: WCC participates in conference on “Rethinking Health Systems for Africa’s Future: Faith, Innovation, and Sustainability”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is participating in a conference, “Rethinking Health Systems for Africa’s Future: Faith, Innovation, and Sustainability” in Madagascar from 23-26 February.  Frebruary 2026, 12th Biennial Conference of the Africa Christian Health Associations Platform in Madagascar. Photo: Gracia Violeta Ross/WCC 25 February 2026 The conference, which comes at a defining moment for faith-based health systems in Africa, will support Christian Health Associations and Networks in fulfilling their mandate of providing sustainable health services in Africa. The conference is a platform for reflection, learning, renewed commitment, and innovating. Key focus areas include practical strategies for financial sustainability and alternative resource mobilization; and integrating innovation and technology to optimize service delivery. Participants will examine the impact of shrinking foreign assistance on faith-based health systems in Africa. They will also explore creative solutions for optimizing resources and improving efficiency; and enhance resource mobilization and financing strategies. WCC central committee member Bishop Jaona Ranarivelo will host a presentation about HIV response, and the role of the church. Gracia Violeta Ross, WCC programme executive for HIV, Reproductive Health, and Pandemics, will also share insights. 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

Living into Right Relations: February 2026

February 25, 2026 View this email in your browser

Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice News from The United Church of Canada The Creator’s Game: A Celebration of Indigenous Lacrosse [Image credit: Métis lacrosse coach Justin Warner (left) with Creator’s Game Participant; Photo Credit: Mac MacDonald, Roncesvalles United Church] Would you play lacrosse in your church’s sanctuary?  A leap of not only faith but also imagination led Roncesvalles United Church in Toronto to organize an event centred on teaching people about lacrosse and especially its importance to Indigenous culture. As The Rev. Anne Hines says, “a sacred game should be played in a sacred space”!  Several Indigenous people from the region and Jim Calder, an international expert on Indigenous lacrosse, provided the leadership that was essential to the day’s success. Activities took place in the church parking lot as well as in the sanctuary. There was skills training for kids who received a handcrafted lacrosse stick keychain as a memento of the day. Visitors could drop by a booth to view antique lacrosse sticks and learn about the history of the game. Indigenous ceremony and teachings were provided inside the church before the main event:  an actual demonstration of the game inside the sanctuary. The sanctuary itself features Indigenous murals painted by Philip Cote, also on hand to help with interpretation. The church purchased 54 feet of custom netting to support the game which was then shipped to Limpi Recycling in Curacao. Roncesvalles was delighted to learn that the netting will be turned into soccer nets for schools and other soccer programs throughout the Caribbean. The Justice and Reconciliation Fund supported these events including production of a commemorative video. The Justice and Reconciliation Fund welcomes applications twice a year.  The next application deadline is March 15, 2026.  For more information, contact Lori Ransom, Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice Animator, at lransom@united-church.ca. The Fund was pleased to support two other activities featured in this newsletter: a Feast and Field Day organized by the Treaty Land Sharing Network and an exhibition of a replica of the Witness Blanket at Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church, Cannington. Sharing Ceremony, Plants and Medicines, and a Feast on the Land [Image credit: 2025 Feast and Field Day in Saskatchewan, courtesy Treaty Land Sharing Network]   The Treaty Land Sharing Network (TLSN) held a Feast and Field day at Box H Farm near Gladmar, Saskatchewan in May 2025. Over sixty people travelled to the site from other parts of Saskatchewan, as well as from Alberta and Manitoba. They were welcomed by hosts Mark and Laura Hoimyr the evening before the main event.  Pipe Carrier Alvin Francis led ceremony and Elder Nina Wilson shared teachings and explained the protocols for the Feast. Knowledge Keeper Shirley Wolfe-Keller observed: “The day fell into place as if it had been rehearsed for hours. It wasn’t. The roles of everyone there were nicely tasked, at the moment required, with satisfaction and great respect. Everyone was meant to be there.” Following the feast, participants moved to tour some of the native prairie managed by the Hoimyr family to learn more about the land. As the Treaty Land Sharing Nework explains on its website: they are a “group of rural landholders and Indigenous peoples who have come together to affirm and implement Treaty relationships. In the spirit of sharing the land, [they] work to make it safer and easier for Indigenous people to access land to practice their way of life in the prairies. [TLSN] is committed to engaging in ongoing learning about our shared histories and responsibilities as Treaty people living on these lands.” A Witness to History in Cannington, Ontario [Image credit: Replica Witness Blanket at Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church, Cannington courtesy Trinity-St. Andrew’s]   Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church in Cannington, Ontario welcomed almost 3,000 people from across Canada to view a replica of the Witness Blanket which was installed in their church sanctuary for six weeks in the Fall of 2025. Visitors from France and Britain also dropped by. Most took their time, staying for one to two hours to take in the installation. The witness blanket brought to Cannington is a travelling replica of the original which is housed at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.  Incorporating historical artifacts related to residential institutions, this work of art is designed to help people engage thoughtfully and emotionally with the history of the institutions and their impact on Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Trinity-St. Andrew’s was pleased to learn from the museum that the church was the only site to staff the exhibit entirely with volunteers, over 90 people who worked 4-hour shifts at a time. Installation of the blanket required assistance from a group of volunteer firefighters who offloaded crates from a transport truck at the front of the church, opened and unpacked the contents, and carried them up the stairs into the sanctuary. Visitors were able to deepen their understanding of the exhibit by reviewing a short video on the making of the Witness Blanket, and taking advantage of a wifi hotspot on loan from Brock Libraries and a QR code reader to learn more about the 880 items included in the blanket. Indigenous ceremony, including singing and drumming marked the opening and closing of the exhibit. Volunteer Opportunities in Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism [Image Video still credit: The United Church of Canada]   Help support the United Church's work on equity, inclusion, and anti-racism! The United Church is currently seeking nominees for the Working Group on Addressing Church Legacies for People of African Descent; the Anti-Racism Common Table; and the Equity and Anti-Oppression Circle. Full details and nominations forms are available on the Volunteer Opportunities United Church webpage. These appointments will be from May 2026 to August 2028, with the possibility of renewal. Applications are due by March 17. Facebook Website Email Instagram YouTube Donate to The United Church of Canada and help fund life changing work around the world!

Copyright © 2026 The United Church of Canada, All rights reserved.

Presbyterian Advocacy Hour: Courage in the Face of Authoritarianism

Join us for our first Presbyterian Advocacy Hour of 2026! Courage in the Face of Authoritarianism:  Historical Roots and Modern Responses February 25th - 12pm EST Register Here What we are witnessing in the United States right now is chilling: the normalization of cruelty, the targeting of vulnerable communities, and the steady weakening of democratic safeguards that are meant to protect people from state abuse. As immigrant communities face ICE raids and dissent is increasingly treated as a threat, many Presbyterians are feeling grief, fear, and urgency, and asking what faithful courage looks like now. Join us for a Presbyterian Advocacy Hour offering historical perspective, theological grounding, and practical next steps for faithful public witness. Together, we will explore how tactics of control and repression have long been used within the United States and abroad, and how they continue to shape life here through militarized policing, expanded surveillance, and efforts to silence dissent. We will also reflect on what disciplined nonviolence and protest can look like in this moment, rooted in community, solidarity, and moral clarity. We will hear policy and historical analysis tracing how U.S. “national security” frameworks have expanded over time, shaping domestic policing, civil liberties, and the treatment of protest and dissent, and helping us understand the systems behind what many communities are experiencing right now. We will also be anchored by theological reflection, revisiting the Barmen Declaration, a confession of faith written in resistance to authoritarian rule. We will explore how this historic witness can strengthen the church’s moral clarity today, and help Presbyterians discern what courageous discipleship requires in a time of rising repression. Finally, we will learn from Presbyterian activists and organizers engaged in local public witness, who will share what faith-rooted organizing looks like on the ground, how communities build resilience under pressure, and what practical action can look like when the national picture feels overwhelming.

Register Today!

Speakers: Brett Heinz.  Brett Heinz serves as American Friends Service Committee's Global Policy Coordinator for Economic and Climate Justice. In his role with the Global Policy and Strategy department, he works to promote policy solutions that provide for economic justice, climate sustainability, and lasting peace around the world. Dr William Yoo.  Dr. Yoo is Associate Professor of American Religious and Cultural History at Columbia Theological Seminary.   He is a teacher, scholar, and public theologian who interprets the most challenging and urgent issues of racial justice with clarity, depth, honesty, and precision.  Rev. Anna Kendig Flores.  Rev. Flores is the Anti-Racism Institutional Assessment Coordinator/ Interim Co-Executive Presbyter of the Twin Cities Area.  Her work within the church context has focused on Christian formation through the lenses of anti-racism and liberation seeking to the transformation of systems of harm, oppression, and exclusion. Rev. Jimmie Hawkins.  Rev. Hawkins oversees the PC(USA) Advocacy Offices. His community ministry includes being a leader for the Moral Monday Movement since its onset in 2013. He is the author of Unbroken and Unbowed: A History of Black Protest in America. Moderated by: Rev. Alonzo Johnson. Alonzo provides direction, coordination, strategic, and theological vision to the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People ministry and its commitments to social, racial, and economic justice.

Announcing Recipients of 2025 Earth Care Awards + Upcoming Webinar Next Week

Presbyterians for Earth Care Honors 2025 Earth Care Award Winners Presbyterians for Earth Care (PEC) recognized two individuals and one congregation/organization for their exceptional environmental achievements at PEC’s virtual Annual Gathering on January 11, 2026. William P. Brown, the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA received the William Gibson Eco-Justice Award for his long-term dedication to teaching and preaching on environmental issues in the Old Testament. He is also a co-founder of Earth Covenant Ministry, an organization of Presbyterian Churches in the Atlanta area that later became part of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light was presented with the Restoring Creation Award for working in community gardens and backyard gardens for more than a decade. Many of the garden locations have been on church properties, where congregations have been engaged. Drew Hill and Hudson Davis received PEC’s Emerging Earth Care Leader Award for showing exceptional promise as future leaders. Drew Hill, a young adult from Santa Fe, NM is passionate about social progress, protecting the environment and serving the public. From an early age, Hudson was captivated by prehistoric and modern animals and the sanctity of nature. William Gibson Eco-Justice Award William P. Brown Dr. Brown has received numerous awards, grants and academic chairs. In addition to teaching and preaching on environmental issues, Dr. Brown has written twelve books and was editor of “Engaging Biblical Authority”. He is currently completing a major commentary on the Psalms for the “Old Testament Library Commentary” series (WJK). Next will be a commentary on Genesis 1-11 in the new Interpretation series (WJK). He has also assisted with writing creation care overtures for General Assemblies. Restoring Creation Award Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light (AIPL) AIPL’s network of growers had 21 community garden locations, 7 new partners, and several small backyard gardens in low-wealth communities. AIPL has involved a total of 74 interns, trainers, and students and has engaged more than 22,000 people each year learning about growing some of their own food in sustainable ways. AIPL provides 13,725 pounds of nutritious fresh produce and other food items to food pantries and no cost markets. A total of 43,300 pounds of organic matter was diverted from landfills over a 2-year period. AIPL interns also shared organic waste from its gardens with chickens at on-site coops and added organic matter to onsite compost bins. AIPL is reaching even more people in more low-wealth communities by awarding ten $2000 grants. Emerging Earth Care Leader Award Hudson Davis and Drew Hill Hudson Davis is a 24-yr old scientist serving the Mammoth Site, located in Hot Springs, South Dakota.As the Assistant Science Educator, Hudson lives out his childhood dreams of being a paleontologist while getting to pass on the power of curiosity about the natural world to the next generation. Hudson embodies his faith while teaching about the amazing world we live in. He runs classes and tours at the site and leads the summer camp program, a free week-long program. During the summer Hudson serves as a supervisor for the Mammoth's Site Internship Program, helping mentor six to eight college paleontology students. Hudson also helps design exhibits for the museum and dig for fossils of ice age animals in local caves. Drew Hill is a young adult from Santa Fe, New Mexico, passionate about social progress, protecting the environment, and serving the public. Raised in the community of First Presbyterian Church Santa Fe, Drew served as a youth deacon and elder prior to graduating high school, working as summer staff at Ghost Ranch Retreat Center, and serving as a PC (USA) Young Adult Volunteer in Washington D.C. He received a Bachelor of Philosophy degree at the University of New Mexico, graduating in 2024. Drew also served as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAD) to the previous General Assembly. Since completing his degree, he has worked as a District Staffer for Congressman Gabe Vasquez. Drew has worked with the Advocacy Committee on PEC overtures for the 2026 General Assembly and serves on the CANOPY Advisory Committee. Learn about all three Annual Earth Care Awards, as well as view a list of past recipients, on our website!  CLICK HERE WEBINAR NEXT WEEK: Responding to Urban Hunger Through Earth Care This presentation explores how cities can prevent ongoing food shortages by building sustainable, resilient local food systems. With many cities—including Phoenix—embedding food sustainability into their long-term plans, the focus is on producing healthy, climate-friendly food closer to home in socially, environmentally, and economically responsible ways. Using Phoenix as a case study—facing drought, limited arable land, and widespread food deserts—this session examines urban food insecurity and the vital role of earth care in developing practical, community-based solutions. WEBINAR DATE: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 Time: 7:30 pm Eastern (6:30 Central, 5:30 Mountain, 4:30 Pacific) PRESENTER: Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr. About the Presenter: Dr. George B. Brooks Jr. is Founder and President of NxT Horizon Group, advancing “AgTech for the Real World” through bioenergy development in Africa and innovative urban farming technologies like aquaponics. He holds a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries from the University of Arizona and is a recognized leader in environmental, economic, and community development. Dr. Brooks serves as Vice Chair of the South Mountain Village Planning Committee and is part of the Phoenix Planning Commission. He is Vice President of the Phoenix Green Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of the Aquaponics Association and America’s Tilapia Alliance. He is also active in faith-based earth care through Southminster Environmental Ministries. CLICK HERE to Register for the Webinar Link 2026 Earth Care Lenten Devotional Free Download Our 2026 Lenten Devotional was made possible by the volunteers contributing their devotions as well as Spanish language collaboration with our partner organization Red Presbiteriana para el Cuidado de la Creación. Thank you to all of the writers who contributed! CLICK HERE to download the English language translation of the Lenten Devotional. CLICK HERE to download the Lenten Devotional in Spanish. Would you like to receive each devotion on its designated date in your email Inbox?  If so, you can request devotional emails (both English and Spanish translations) through Lent by signing up with your email. CLICK HERE to Sign Up for Devotion Emails From Our Partner Organizations: The Presbyterian Hunger Program strives to walk with people in moving toward sustainable choices that restore and protect all of God’s children and Creation. As people of faith, we seek to “serve and preserve” God’s world. However, some of our collective choices have led to a changing global climate, which translates to warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, and severe storms, just to name a few. To turn this tide, we must commit to treading lightly on God’s Earth. In Lent, we slow down, take time, and examine our internal spiritual lives and the way we live out our Christian faith in the world around us. Our hope is that this Lenten calendar will be the beginning of actions intended to create more mindful behaviors throughout the year. CLICK HERE to Download Calendar How can we help you care for God’s creation?  Drop us an email and let us know at presbyearthcare@gmail.com Help us grow! Please let us know if there is anyone we should add to our list!  Just reply to this email.  Thank you! Please help us to continue to assist individuals and churches in creation care work by donating to PEC through our website by CLICKING HERE.  Thank you!

Copyright (C) 2026 Presbyterians for Earth Care. All rights reserved.