WCC interview: Rev. Karin van den Broeke: “The most important thing for now is getting and showing support for Ukraine”

Rev. Karin van den Broeke, World Council of Churches (WCC) central and executive committee member, was part of a WCC-led delegation that made a solidarity visit to Ukraine on 14-17 July. She also serves as the moderator of the WCC central committee programme subcommittee and as cochair of the WCC Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity Reference Group. She took time to reflect on the people she met, how they inspired her, and what she believes churches can do.   Photo: Deacon Andrii Sydor/Orthodox Church of Ukraine 20 July 2026 What do you take with you from the WCC solidarity visit to Ukraine? Rev. van den Broeke: First of all, it is so good to be with people, to listen and to share. At home, many people said to me: “Are you really going to Ukraine? Please, stay safe!” And people in Ukraine told us: “You are brave people to come here.’” It was highly appreciated by the Ukrainians that the WCC decided to visit Ukraine once more in order to show sustained companionship. Being in Ukraine, we experienced how Ukrainian people try to live a normal life in wartime. I am so impressed by their resilience. Among air alerts throughout the day, knowing loved ones are fighting at the front, mourning beloved ones that lost their lives, people go on with their lives and try to do what they can to strengthen Ukraine. A woman told me how people live more or less normal lives on the one hand, but how they are on the other hand all traumatized people. “We know how to survive. We dance on ice when it is 20 degrees below zero in wintertime. But we suffer from constant high blood pressure too. We stick to our jobs and duties; we make camouflage nets for the army in our free time, because we know there is a lack of materials. We are never without tension.” It is touching to see how people are longing for an end of this war, committed to just peace, and able to survive under the hard circumstances of the full-scale Russian invasion. As part of the pilgrimage, what is the most significant role the churches and the global fellowship can play in Ukraine? Rev. van den Broeke: People asked us to tell the world the story of Ukraine, so that Ukraine can count on support. The role churches can play in Ukraine, is to remain in companionship. In sharing bread and life stories, we mutually can listen and see, reflect and act. Churches can and do provide humanitarian aid. On a deeper level, churches share faith. We believe that Christ is with us and stands for justice and peace, for reconciliation and unity. The WCC is a worldwide fellowship. It is my deep hope that brothers and sisters in Christ at last will stand up against aggression and against an illegal and unjustifiable invasion, so that the violence will stop. Why is it important to have this kind of solidarity visit? Rev. van den Broeke: The people we met were so grateful that the WCC took the decision to be with them and to show they are not alone. And for us our being with them was helpful in getting an even deeper understanding of their situation. We were able to discuss complexities in the ecclesiastical landscape in Ukraine. The most important thing for now is getting and showing support for Ukraine. Over the long run, I trust that this companionship will also be a contribution to repair and reconciliation.  You have been to Ukraine before, in 2015. How do you share your experience locally in the Netherlands? Rev. van den Broeke: Yes, I visited Ukraine in 2015, also as part of a WCC delegation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to share my experiences in several ways. On the national level, my own church (the Protestant Church in the Netherlands) and the National Council of Churches in the Netherlands are interested and I will share stories on the websites. On the very local level, I always share my ecumenical experiences in sermons and lectures. People are often thankful that they in this way they too are connected to the deep concerns and to many gifts in the ecumenical family.  A WCC delegation made a solidarity visit to Ukraine on 14-17 July, walking in hope and praying with churches and communities for an end to the war.  The delegation included: Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary; Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the WCC central committee; Rev. Karin van den Broeke, WCC central and executive committee member; H.E. Metropolitan Gabriel of Nea Ionias and Philadelphia, Church of Greece, WCC central committee member and WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs commissioner; Rev. Frank-Dieter Fischbach, Conference of European Churches general secretary; and Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of communication. Photo gallery WCC delegation makes solidarity visit to Ukraine (WCC news release, 17 July 2026) In Ukraine, churches “sustain hope when hope has been tested” (WCC news release, 17 July 2026) WCC delegation meets with Ukrainian government officials (WCC news release, 17 July 2026) H.E. Metropolitan Gabriel: Ukrainian people “a unique example of resilience and unity” (WCC interview, 17 July 2026) 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