WCC News: Prayers for Caribbean unite compassion and commitment to make a difference

As the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle this week is dedicated to the churches and people of the Caribbean, ambassadors and staff of various region’s Missions to the UN are joining the morning prayers organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC). A fisherman mends his net on a beach in northwestern Haiti near the village of Plateforme. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth 23 October 2024 A 23 October morning prayer was led by the ambassador from the Jamaica Mission and staff from the Bahamas mission to the United Nations in Geneva. On 24 October, prayers will be joined by the ambassadors and staff from the Barbados Mission and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. Besides the WCC staff community and ecumenical partners, the morning prayer on 21 October was attended by H.E. Ms Bevon McDonald, ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United Nations. Ambassador McDonald visited the WCC office in Geneva and expressed her appreciation for including prayers for resolution of tensions between Guyana and Venezuela in the service. During the reflection on 21 October, Rev. Onita Samuel-Warner, Moravian minister from the St Kitts Conference, encouraged the participants to ask themselves: why do I serve? “Even the Son of God came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. As Christians, we are called to reflect the love and compassion that Jesus showed us. “Who do we serve? We are called to serve our neighbors, our enemies, those who persecute and hate us,” said Samuel-Warner. “And let’s remember that prayer is not just words – that it is a powerful force that unites us in compassion and commitment to making a difference for others, serving others.” Learn more about the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Unity, Mission, and Ecumenical Formation, H.E. Ms Bevon McDonald, ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United Nations and Rev. Dr Mikie Roberts, WCC’s programme executive for Spiritual Life and Faith and Order after the morning prayer at the Ecumenical centre in Geneva on 21 October 2024. Photo: 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 Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland