WCC NEWS: Finding strength in the Gospel to stand up for what is right

Seeing her name in the headlines and having major international news outlets queueing up for exclusive interviews is not something Bishop Paneeraq Siegstad Munk of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Greenland strived for. On the contrary, she would much rather have concentrated fully on her pastoral duties. However, when fears of an armed conflict with the US grew among Greenlanders, she felt an obligation to speak out in public. When human rights are trampled on, it is our duty as Christians to speak up says Bishop Paneeraq Siegstad Munk of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Greenland. Photo: Grégoire de Fombelle/WCC 16 February 2026 *By Claus Grue  In a widely spread social media post, she took a clear stand against any foreign intervention and urged Americans to stand by the Greenlanders in their right to determine their own future. The impact was tremendous and soon her post was quoted around the globe.  “We usually don’t engage in politics, but in this case, I had to raise my voice. The Gospel gives us strength, and we must hold on to our hope and never lose faith,” Munk explains. Although uncomfortable with all the fuss in the media, she acknowledges the important role of the church in times of unrest.  “When human rights are trampled on, it is our duty as Christians to speak up. This was a powerful manifestation of peace, justice, and dignity,” she says.  Growing up with traditional Inuit values Born in 1977 in Attu, a small town on Greenland’s west coast, just north of the Arctic Circle, Munk grew up as the youngest of four siblings in a family with traditional Inuit values. Strong bonds with Mother Earth and respect for God’s Creation are key elements.  “It emanates from our Nomadic heritage. Here, the tides and the direction of the winds, rather than what time of the day it is, have traditionally shaped the way we live and provide for ourselves,” Munk explains.  Her parents grew up in families of hunters, who frequently relocated to new places along the rugged coastline, depending on where the best catches were to be found. Nowadays people are more settled. Access to schools and closeness to family often determine where people choose to live.  First to pursue academic education  Munk’s early admiration of educated people eventually led her to become the first in her family to pursue an academic education. After confirmation, she moved to Sisimiut, Greenland’s second largest city, to complete elementary school, which was divided into Danish and Greenlandic classes. An ambitious pupil, Munk was placed in the Danish class, which was determinant to qualify for high school. That she did, and after graduation in 1996 she enrolled at Kalø Folk High School in Denmark to improve her Danish and learn more about Danish culture. At 23, she graduated as Bachelor of Theology from Nuuk University in Greenland´s capital. She then returned to Denmark for further studies which eventually led to a master’s degree in theology at the University of Copenhagen. Struggling with identity  Although her call to preach the Gospel took some time to mature, she knew from a very young age that she wanted to be there for people in need, and to make a difference for Greenland. Her mother, a social worker in Greenland’s prison and probation service, who also served as a catechist, may have had an influence. Munk’s active engagement in Indigenous people’s rights and climate change issues during her student years was also a significant factor. At the same time, she was critical of Christianity and the role it had played in colonializing Greenland.   “I have always been inspired by the Inuit culture and our closeness to nature. The question I struggled a lot with when I was younger was whether my Inuit identity was compatible with my Christian faith. After much contemplation and soul searching, I found peace and strength in both my cultural background and my faith,” Munk explains.  To complicate things further, she married a Danish school teacher, who brought in a third cultural heritage in her life. They now have two sons, ages 18 and 20.  Well-known in Greenland – and elsewhere After her ordination in 2004, Munk became the first female priest in Narsaq, South Greenland. It was also the first time two generations of women from the same family served as ordained priests in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Greenland. After several years of service as a catechist, her mother had pursued further education, and was ordained in 1999, five years before Munk.  When she was elected bishop in 2020, Munk was already a household name among her fellow Greenlanders. She had served in parishes throughout the island, from Ittoqqortoomiit on the east coast to Aasiaat on the west coast, and in Kujataa, in the south, where she served as dean of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Greenland’s southern deanery until she was elected bishop. For several years she also led broadcasted morning services on radio KNR – Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation.  “People in Greenland knew me long before I announced my candidacy to become bishop. They know how I work and what kind of person I am,” she says.  Since early January this year, people all over the world know who she is. They’ve seen a humble, courageous woman of faith standing up for what is right at a very critical moment.  “My instincts told me I had to act. I pray that we now can continue our congregational work in peace and get together to worship without fears of war,” Bishop Munk concludes.  Photo gallery: Visit to the World Council of Churches, February 2026 WCC welcomes delegation from Evangelical Lutheran Church of Greenland Churches express solidarity for Greenland, affirm right to self-determination WCC convenes meeting of church leaders from Nordic region and from North America for cross-regional exchange WCC: “people of Greenland have an inalienable right to self-determination” Praying for peace in a tense situation *Claus Grue is a senior communication consultant for the World Council of Churches. Bishop Paneeraq Siegstad Munk and her fellow bishops visit the World Council of Churches offices in Geneva, February 2026. Photo: Grégoire de Fombelle/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 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