WCC news: WCC delegation meets with President of Zimbabwe

An ecumenical delegation led by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met with the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, as well as officials from the Zimbabwe Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  23 July 2026 In addition to Pillay, those meeting with Mnangagwa included general secretary of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches Rev. Wilfred Dimingu; president of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches Bishop Dr Ignatius Makumbe; Rev. Dr Suzanne Matale from Zambia, representing the All Africa Conference of Churches general secretary; Rev. Dr Hanns Lessing, executive secretary for Theology and Ecumenism at the World Communion of Reformed Churches; Rev. Mzwandile Molo, South African Council of Churches general secretary and current chair of the Fellowship of Church Councils in Southern Africa; and Dr Masiiwa Gunda, WCC programme executive and Ecumenical Institute at Bossey adjunct professor.  President Mnangagwa opened the meeting by welcoming the delegation, then acknowledged the work of the churches in the areas of climate resilience, peace building, and national healing. He spoke of his government’s commitment to peace, justice, and fighting of corruption.  In responding to the President’s remarks, Pillay began by acknowledging the historic warm relations between the WCC and Zimbabwe from the days of the liberation war to the historic WCC 8th Assembly held in Harare 1998, during which both the then-President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe and then-President of South Africa Nelson Mandela offered remarks.  Pillay congratulated President Mnangagwa on the election of Zimbabwe as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council and urged that this opportunity be used wisely to work for peace and security in the world.  Pillay recognized that Zimbabwe is generally a peaceful country when compared to many other countries. However, like every other country, there are always issues that bring division and dissatisfaction among people. He then shared some issues that concern the churches and people in Zimbabwe, which included, the amendment to the constitution to extend the term of the president, unemployment of youth and the social problems linked to this, the unfair and inequitable distribution of wealth, climate change and gender-based violence,   Pillay referred to the historical trauma and wounds of the people that continue to strengthen the need for reconciliation and healing in the country. Representing the request of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), Pillay reiterated their call for an all-inclusive National Dialogue in the country that is led by the churches with the participation of government. He urged the government to support and participate in this process.  The WCC general secretary also reflected on the xenophobic experiences of Zimbabweans and other foreigners in South Africa. He underscored the need for a sustainable reintegration strategy for returnees to Zimbabwe and affirmed the willing spirit and desire of the ZCC to collaborate with government to develop and implement a reintegration plan.   Other members of the ecumenical delegation shared further thoughts and concerns, and the President responded to the matters raised.   The meeting concluded with Pillay expressing his profound joy and gratitude to the ZCC for their willing and positive spirit to collaborate with government to help make Zimbabwe a better country for all people and all creation and acknowledged the government`s desire for the same with appreciation and thanks for the meeting. A prayer was offered for the President, the government and Zimbabwe.   In Zimbabwe, “the church cannot retreat into private spirituality” (WCC news release, 22 July 2026) WCC to lead solidarity delegation to Zimbabwe (WCC news release, 14 July 2026) Photo gallery of the visit to Zimbabwe 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

EarthBeat Weekly: A Franciscan sister's Arctic expedition leads to calls for preservation

A Franciscan sister's Arctic expedition leads to calls to conserve, not drill   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change July 24, 2026   The 19-million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Northeastern Alaska is seen from the air in June 2026. (Andrew Black) In late June, a time when sunshine radiates at all hours of the day in parts of Alaska, Franciscan Sr. Joan Brown joined a small crew of faith leaders on a journey into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Their aim was not leisure but learning and listening — from both the land and the Indigenous people who have called this remote part of the world home for centuries.  "I had no goals in going there, other than just to listen and be present," Brown told me just hours after returning back home to Albuquerque, where for two decades she served as executive director of New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light, a faith-based environmental group. As a follower of St. Francis of Assisi, listening to the land comes natural for Brown. What she heard from Sister Mother Earth was the Arctic was a sacred place teeming with an abundance of life. It was a message standing counter to political narratives and portrayals that often frame the refuge — a 19-million acre federally protected reserve the size of South Carolina — as a barren, frozen tundra where oil drilling offers major economic windfalls while posing little threat to the ecosystem. "[It is] one of the keystone places for life on the planet," she said, "and we just don't have a sense of that and that sacredness and the balance and our need for that place." The faith expedition came just two weeks after the first of four drilling lease auctions along the refuge's Coastal Plain mandated by Congress as part of the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates 4.25 billion to 11.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil lie beneath the Coastal Plain. While the lease sales so far have drawn few bidders, they are part of an aggressive push by the Trump administration to open more public lands and waters in Alaska and across the country to extraction and development. Combined with the impacts of climate change, with the Arctic warming two to four times faster than the rest of the planet, Alaska's vast wildlife refuge is facing significant threats on multiple fronts.  Calling attention to those threats drove the faith expedition that Brown joined to this remote yet ecologically critical corner of the country, not just for Alaska but for biodiversity across America. "Why the Arctic is really critical for people of faith is that it's one of the few places left on Earth that is truly untouched since God created it," the Rev. Andrew Black, a Presbyterian minister and EarthKeepers 360 founder who organized the expedition, told me.  "This trip is fundamentally about reawakening the soul of America to how important the Arctic is from a biodiversity, climate and spiritual perspective." Read more: A Franciscan sister journeyed to the Arctic. She found a land teeming with life. What else is new on EarthBeat:   How a Benedictine monk built Rhode Island's first utility-scale wind turbine by Camillo Barone The project was a test of whether Portsmouth Abbey and its school were willing to act on environmental values. "This is kind of a put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is kind of deal," says Br. Joseph Byron. Read more here »   Villanova unveils Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal ahead of Rome conference by Brian Roewe A new award created by Villanova University, named after its most famous — and only papal — alumnus, will recognize extraordinary efforts in caring for the Earth and the common good. Read more here »   Peru: Historic churches severely damaged following earthquakes by Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News After a pair of earthquakes struck the mountainous region of Junín in Peru, the Catholic Church in the country expressed solidarity with victims' families and is coordinating humanitarian aid to help victims, as well as efforts to preserve damaged historic churches. Read more here »   CRS receives State Department funds to 'significantly expand' humanitarian aid to Cuba by Gina Christian, OSV News Catholic Relief Services is welcoming federal support that will help "significantly expand" humanitarian aid to Cuba, as the Caribbean nation battles multiple crises. Read more here »   What data center protests, Andy Burnham reveal about rebuilding a populism of the left by Michael Sean Winters On both sides of the Atlantic, people are fighting back to stop huge, powerful corporations from having their way with the things we should all share, writes Michael Sean Winters. Read more here » What's happening in other climate news: Majority of US voters link extreme weather to climate crisis, study finds —Dharna Noor for the Guardian France recorded 5,700 more deaths than usual during its historic June heat wave —John Leicester for the Associated Press US cancels automatic protections for imperiled animals as critics warn of extinctions —Matthew Brown for the Associated Press Zeldin vows to fulfill coal industry's 'wish list' —Hannah Northey for E&E News Why did energy-saving tips disappear from the Energy Department website? —Kate Yoder for Grist EPA violated key soot standard in Clean Air Act, court rules —Avril Silva for Inside Climate News Judge hits the brakes on land sale near polluted Anaconda site —Jeniffer Solis for Nevada Current 'A better way to be relevant': Greens embrace data center fight —Zack Colman for E&E News From rivers to mangroves, microplastics are contaminating the Amazon —Tiago da Mota e Silva for Mongabay Final Beat: As it often goes in reporting, not every details or anecdote makes it into every article.  That was certainly true with my story on the faith expedition to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), but I'll share one omitted story here. The trip was organized in partnership with the American Lands Project (ALP), a conservation organization that connects policymakers and other groups with public lands and waters. This was the first time ALP brought faith leaders to ANWR. But it wasn't its first faith connection, as a church-facilitated encounter with nature inspired one of its funders to a lifetime of conservation work.  Tom Campion was a 14-year-old eighth grader when in August 1962 he took part on a 10-day backpacking trip in Olympic National Park in Washington with his local Catholic Youth Organization chapter.  "And I just fell in love with the mountains," he told me.  It's a love that has continued throughout his life. He joined more CYO hiking trips, and eventually the burgeoning environmental movement of the 1970s. One of the first forays into activism was securing protections for the Spotted Owl.  The founder of Zumiez, an action sports retailer with more than 700 locations, Campion and his wife Sonya later established the Campion Advocacy Fund to further efforts to address homelessness and conservation. Their work has garnered praise from environmental groups, as well as former President Barack Obama.  Through ALP trips into ANWR and other public lands, the goal is those immersions will lead to greater protections for the lands that captured Campion's own heart seven decades ago. What led to the faith leaders expedition, he told me, was recognition of the importance of faith for so many people in America.  "It's almost like biblical, you know, care for God's creation." As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.   Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? 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Truth and Action Roundup 7.17.2026

 

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, your reliable weekly source for information, inspiration, and opportunities for action during the second Trump administration.  Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it. This week, we saw the human cost of the Iran war as fallen service members returned home. Estimates put the death toll between 9,000 and 18,000 people in a few months. As Christians, we must remember every person lost ––each one could have been with us in community and fellowship if not for war. These deaths are even more tragic because they happened in a war that did not have to happen, with reasons that seem to change every time the administration tries to explain them. Rather than trying to stop this senseless bloodshed, the House of Representatives approved $1.5 trillion in ongoing military funding. This staggering figure comes at a time when states are cutting off food assistance for thousands of people in the United States, and rising fuel costs are hurting communities around the world. This contrast shows where our government’s priorities lie, just as Matthew 6:21 reminds us: “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” As Christians, we must insist that our treasure and our hearts are focused on what truly matters. Instead of spending our lives and resources on this new forever war, we should call for peace. Instead of funding bombing campaigns that destroy bridges and water supplies, we must demand Congress to use its oversight power, as required by the 60-day limit on conflicts without approval. Rather than resigning to another war, we must renew our commitment to feeding and caring for our neighbors. –Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners P.S. We are continuing to build an intentional community of people looking to live out their faith in our Sojourners Faith and Practice Forum on Mighty Networks. Please consider joining us. In the News 1. Turmoil persisted in international affairs, as the United States continued in its attempts to project its power overseas. • The Trump administration issued a report on Monday alleging that a multi-decade Cuban influence campaign in the United States has had “remarkable success” in infiltrating the highest levels of the U.S. government. The report raises fears that the Trump administration is seeking to establish a pretext for overthrowing the Cuban government. • Donald Trump warned Wednesday that the U.S. will destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. International law generally prohibits such attacks unless the infrastructure is being used for military purposes. • The war on Iran has created global ripple effects, including worsening malnutrition and poverty in countries like Nigeria. A recent UNICEF report said that if the war on Iran continues, up to 23.4 million additional children could fall into poverty by the end of the year. 2. The Trump administration’s cruel deportation regime continued to cause suffering and provoke resistance. • The family of Nenko Gantchev, 56, who died in ICE detention at the North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan last December, is still searching for answers. Gantchev’s wife and friends have accused the facility of not making accommodations for his type two diabetes, which may have contributed to his death from a heart attack. At least 45 people have died in ICE detention since the beginning of Trump’s second term. • Karolina Rojas, the partner of Johan Guerrero, who was shot by an ICE agent in Maine last week, urged people not to remember him for the way he died but rather for his unyielding desire to build a good life for his family. She remembered him as a tireless worker, an adoring partner, and a father whose greatest joy was his 3-year-old daughter. • 22-year-old Emma Landis, who was shot in the right foot by Brandon Booth, an employee of GEO Group, which operates an ICE detention facility in Aurora, Colorado, returned to the scene of her shooting a few days later and spoke to protestors and reporters. “I will continue to advocate for this stuff,” Landis said. “I got shot for it. I care.” 3. Discussions over federal social programs continued in Washington, DC, while the impacts of recent legislation on those programs were felt throughout the country. • At least 1.5 million children have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits since Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law last summer, enacting the largest cuts to federal food aid in the nation’s history. SNAP participation overall was down by over 4.5 million people between July 2025 and April 2026. • Far-reaching federal health funding cuts under the OBBBA are exacerbating a maternal health crisis, with rural labor and delivery units, free-standing birth centers, and women’s health clinics closing across the country. The existing pressures on these health care facilities have been worsened by the Medicaid cuts enacted under the OBBBA. Take Action • We’re joining The Workers Circle in encouraging you to Talk To Your Sheriff about protecting constitutional rights and immigrant communities. • Tomorrow, Disappeared in America will be a National Day of Action in response to the killings of Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. What We’re Reading “The Protestant Myth that Allowed Platner to Get as Far as He Did” | Bigotry is not merely something that resides in people’s hearts. (By Noah Berlatsky) “Why These Nuns Set Their Land on Fire” | Across the country, faith communities are treating land stewardship as a matter of faith, not just conservation. (By Julian Tiburcio) Deep Breaths You Belong This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about how vital being in community during these times is, and on those who feel like they have yet to find a place where they belong. If we feel isolated from a lack of community or feel like we don’t need community, we remain vulnerable to the systems and structures that we will never be able to trust or rely on in the way we can in the right community. Today, as the news seems scarier and the future appears bleaker, may we reflect on how we view ourselves and our worthiness to be in rooms with people who see us, hear us, and long to get to know us. We deserve to be known. Here is an excerpt from Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley on belonging. May her words speak to you as they have spoken to me on many occasions as of late. ––Trinity Williams, Policy and Action Assistant, Sojourners “There is something inherently vulnerable about saying you want to belong. For, to name you are lonely, and then be met with nothing, only doubles the loneliness. It is much easier to construct illusions around your “independence” and solitariness. To admit your desire to be known would mean acknowledging the shame asleep in you that says you aren’t worth knowing–the doubt that says they cannot be trusted to love you. I’m beginning to think alienation and rejection are the two great persuaders of our own unloveliness. The cunning will wield them against you so that you acquiesce to the systems of a community in order to retain membership in it. Perhaps you know what it’s like to need to believe a certain doctrine or creed so that you can belong in a certain spiritual space, or to vote a certain way to belong at the dinner table. When someone places your very belonging at stake, they are prodding an ancient wound. Not all belonging is salve. For you, I want more. I want friendship, romance, family. I want a community that will not destroy you. I want belonging that isn’t always at risk, that isn’t always being threatened. For you, I want the sense of self required to walk away, to forage for solid bonds. To be known is not frivolous; it is survival. You will not survive by self-care and self-love alone. Who will hold you? Who will remember you? You, who are something to behold. You who are flawed and mysterious and needy and good. Belonging is not too great an ask. Find your sacred company. And may they find and cherish you. Breathe: INHALE: I was meant for love, EXHALE: God, help me to receive it. INHALE: I need more than me. EXHALE: We get free together INHALE: I am worthy of embrace EXHALE: God, lead me to belonging.” The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps Political Director: Chad V. Stanton Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams Donate Subscribe Unsubscribe or update email preferences Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842

GreenFaith - You Spoke Out. Congress Heard.

Thank you for adding your name to our petition urging Congress to reject fossil fuel immunity. Because of you—and thousands of people of faith and conscience across the country—our coalition was able to bring this message directly to Capitol Hill. GreenFaith's New Jersey Organizer, Tracey Stephens, joined partners in delivering the petition to Congress, ensuring lawmakers heard a clear moral call: no corporation should be above accountability for the harm it causes to our communities and our climate.  Watch Tracey deliver our message to Congress Every petition signed, every story shared, and every voice raised helps build the movement we need. But our work doesn't end with one petition. This August, people of faith across the country will come together for the Covenant for Our Future Week of Action (August 23–30)—a nationwide mobilization calling for climate justice, economic dignity, racial equity, migrant justice, and a democracy that serves everyone. Whether you're planning a prayer vigil, public witness, community gathering, or creative action, there's a place for you in this movement. To help prepare, join GreenFaith for our next national training: Prophetic Presence: Faith in the Public Square Monday, August 3 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET You'll learn how to create inspiring public actions rooted in your faith tradition through art, music, ritual, storytelling, and powerful public witness as we prepare together for the Week of Action. Register for the August 3rd Training Thank you for taking action with us. We look forward to continuing this journey together as we bring our faith into the public square and build a more just and hopeful future. In hope, Rev. Amy Brooks Paradise GreenFaith US, Organizing Coordinator PS: If you haven’t made your affirmation of the Covenant for Our Future yet, now’s your chance! You can do so here. Building a Worldwide, Multi-faith Climate and Environmental Movement.    1216 Broadway Floor 2 PMB 1005 New York, NY 10001 +1-917-997-8783