WCC news: WCC deeply alarmed by escalating violence in US

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep alarm over the escalating violence in areas to which US federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents have been deployed, especially currently in Minneapolis.  Photo: United Church of Christ Washington D.C. Office 25 January 2026 “The killings of Renee Good and – most recently – Alex Pretti have occurred in circumstances that any right-thinking person who has watched the video recordings of those events must surely recognize as requiring independent investigation and full accountability for any crimes that may have been committed,” Pillay said. “The justification of these killings by the US federal authorities and administration without any proper investigation certainly does not help the situation nor encourage federal agents to exercise restraint and caution to preserve human lives and peace.” Pillay, on behalf of the WCC, expressed grief for the lives lost, each of them precious to God. “We mourn with the bereaved families, and we stand with the church and religious community leaders and all those who are demanding an end to the violence, justice for the victims, and respect for the God-given and inalienable human dignity and rights of every human being in the United States of America, and around the world,” he said. Read the full statement 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