WCC news: As “Working Together” opens, WCC grateful for collaboration that serves the world in the name of God

As the “Working Together” gathering opened on 24 April, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep appreciation for WCC partners whose support has helped define and direct programs, peace-building, and prophetic truth-telling.    WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 24 April 2024 Working Together, held annually, increases shared knowledge between specialized ministries and the WCC in order to strengthen collaboration and mutual support, particularly in relation to programmatic work, planning, and reporting mechanisms. It is attended by representatives from specialized ministries and WCC staff responsible for programme development, finance, relationship building, reporting, fundraising, and planning. Pillay reflected that, for the WCC to meet the challenges in the world today, it needs its close partners and collaborators. “It’s not a task for a single organization,” he said. “It’s not a task for a single church.” He expressed appreciation for the array of secondments contributed by WCC member churches. “There’s been an explosion of interest and that’s no small exaggeration,” he said. “We have actually had about 12 or 13 secondments happen in the last year or two.” Pillay said people often express amazement over how much work the WCC does with a comparatively small staff and small budget.  “We are able to do that because of people like you—people who contribute to the work of the council,” he said. “Together, in God’s work, we are seeking to make a difference in the world.” He noted that significant amounts of time during the past two years have been spent working on the WCC Strategic Plan and its implementation.  “In that plan, we have tried to also align the focus of the work— both internally and externally—with things that you have raised, things that you would like to see,” he said. “We learn from our partners. We learn from member churches. We learn as we go along in the process itself.” Working Together will continue through 25 April. Unique in 2024 will be the opportunity for specialized ministries to more deeply understand the WCC’s programmatic structure in the context of the WCC Strategic Plan 2023-2030. Specialized ministries will also receive an update on WCC’s financial status and the Green Village project. Photo gallery “Working Together” gathering will draw together WCC, specialized ministries (WCC news release, 17 April 2024) WCC Strategic Plan 2023-2030 Photo: Ivars Kupcis/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 352 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 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211