WCC news: As ACT Alliance assembly opens, WCC general secretary affirms serving those most in need

As the 4th ACT Alliance General Assembly opened, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay reflected on the assembly theme “Hope in Action: Together for Justice!” Photo: Albin Hillert/ACT 29 October 2024 He spoke before 300 delegates from across the globe who are gathered in Indonesia this week. “With gratitude, I want to affirm the ACT Alliance as a gift to the world and to the ecumenical movement,” he said. “I express special and personal words of thanks to the moderator Erik Lysén and the general secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria.” Pillay reflected that the ACT Alliance is an essential partner of the WCC. “We need to serve those in need, and we also need to change the systems and policies that keep them oppressed,” he said. “We go into the world knowing that mercy and justice go together.” Pillay summarized the history of many years of the ACT Alliance and the WCC praying, walking, working, and remembering together. “There are milestones that should give us joy and gratitude to one another and, above all, to God,” he said. “The diaconal ministry of our churches is an expression of common faith in Jesus Christ as God and Saviour.” The ACT Alliance and the World Council of Churches are now siblings, Pillay said.  “Our collaboration has matured over the past decade and it has been reinforced through these times of pandemic and in a polarized and fragile world,” he said. “Our collaboration is also expressed through mutual accompaniment on our respective governing bodies.” Pillay added that the climate emergency is one of the most urgent issues facing the world today. “We must repent from our continuing human selfishness, greed, denial of facts and apathy, which threatens the life of all creation,” he said. “As we look to the future, discerning together how best to serve God’s justice and peace in the world, I pray that the conversations during this assembly will inspire the members and sharpen the mandate of the ACT Alliance.” ACT moderator Erik Lysén thanked the hosts of the event, YAKKUM (Christian Foundation for Public Health) and the Indonesia Forum. He reflected on previous assemblies and highlighted the progress the alliance has made, saying, “we’ve come a long way since the first assembly in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2010, where we laid the foundation for a global strategic plan for the alliance.” Peni Pramono, vice-chair of the YAKKUM Board, addressed the participants and underscored the importance of collaboration among faiths and traditions. “We are here to recommit ourselves to the principles of ecumenism and interfaith collaboration. We have witnessed the power of unity in diversity, and now more than ever, we must continue to build bridges, not walls,” said Pramono. Photo gallery ACT Alliance general secretary shares expectations for upcoming assembly - WCC interview, 29 October 2024 It’s time to build bridges, not walls - ACT Alliance news release, 29 October 2024 Climate justice in the face of polarization- from the global to the local in Indonesia - ACT Alliance news release, 29 October 2024 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 Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland