WCC News: WCC shares message of solace with Caribbean churches in wake of Hurricane Melissa

In a message to Caribbean churches and all people affected, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay and WCC president from the Caribbean Rev. Philip Silvin Wright expressed deep sorrow over repots of the fury and ferocity of Hurricane Melissa. A woman in the doorway to her tent home in the Petionville Camp at the edge of Port au Prince, Haiti. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth 03 November 2025 “Pictures of the storm and its devastation have emerged as day dawned, and it is clear that it has brought widespread and lethal flooding and landslides across the region, especially in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, and now Bermuda,” wrote Pillay and Wright. “We cannot fathom the depth of sorrow nor the scale of need that Melissa leaves in its wake.” Pillay and Wright pledged the WCC's best efforts, working with the churches and ecumenical partners in specialized ministries and humanitarian relief, to provide support and to help address the immediate needs for clean water, food, and supplies. “We know that Melissa also brings with it a test of our faith—in God, in life, in our ability to restore the common good and basic services for all,” wrote Pillay and Wright. “May your churches and their people find strength in the Lord to console the survivors, help your neighbours, and encourage hope among all your people.” Message of Solace and Solidarity to Churches in the Caribbean after Hurricane Melissa 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 356 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