WCC news: Global church leaders will convene to call for just economy for all

As economic inequality reaches alarming levels, faith leaders, economists, and justice advocates will gather for the 6th Meeting of the Ecumenical Panel on a New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA) from 25-27 March in Geneva. Organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in collaboration with the World Communion of Reformed Churches, Lutheran World Federation, World Methodist Council, and Council for World Mission, the meeting will focus on urgent economic reforms for a more just and sustainable future. A woman counts her money in a market in Kamina, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Constructed by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the market provides local residents a healthy environment to sell their products. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth Pictures 13 March 2025 “The world is in critical need of economic justice. While a handful of billionaires accumulate unprecedented wealth, nearly half the global population—3.6 billion people—struggles to survive,” said Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary. “As people of faith, we must challenge unjust economic systems and advocate for policies that uplift the most vulnerable.” Taking place ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (June 2025, Seville) and the World Summit for Social Development, the meeting will address how extreme wealth accumulation, climate change, and economic exploitation continue to widen global inequalities. Discussions will focus on faith-led policy advocacy for just taxation, debt cancellation, and reimagining a global economy based on equity and sustainability. In light of the African Union’s 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” participants will explore strategies for decolonization, economic justice, and reparative action to correct historical and systemic injustices. “Our economy must prioritize people over profits, cooperation over competition, and sustainability over short-term gain,” said Athena Peralta, WCC director of the Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development. “We call on policymakers, churches, and grassroots organizations to be proactive in economic transformation.” More about the New International Financial and Economic Architecture. 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