WCC NEWS: In Caribbean, resilience shines even amid vaccine inequity

During a virtual gathering, church leaders from the Caribbean shared a moment of prayer to prepare their discussions, which centered on the challenges facing  churches and communities. COVID-19, they shared, has exacerbated existing injustice for many people. Kingston, Jamaica, May 21, 2011 .International Ecumenical Peace Convocation   Photo: Peter Williams/WCC 28 June 2021 Rev. Karl Johnson, of the Jamaica Baptist Union, member of the Central Committee and moderator of the discussion, expressed concerns on the low vaccination rollout into the Caribbean region: “Even though churches are advocating for more access to vaccination, people are suffering from the inequity in distribution and access,” he said. Elenor Lawrence, from Barbados Church in the Province of the West Indies, shared: “The eruption of La Soufrière volcano covered the island in ashfall and this brought a new difficulty in an already rough time.”  Discussing on how the pandemic affected the life of people and churches in the Caribbean, Rev. Christopher Euphfa, from the Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and youth advisor to the WCC central committee, said: "We had to do church services online. But coming from a rural area, only a few members have access to internet. Nevertheless, members of the church have adapted pretty well.” Great concerns were raised on how the pandemic led to an increase in female genital mutilation and cyber trafficking. Despite the difficulties faced, the resilience and adaptivity of the communities was at the heart of the discussions. Even if church gatherings have been limited, the spiritual life didn’t stop. With creative resources, ministers adapted to provide spiritual support, including online videos and worship.   WCC central committee meeting 2021 The 11th Assembly of the WCC in Karlsruhe, Germany 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 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland