WCC News: 2026 International Peace Convocation to take place in Korea

An International Ecumenical Peace Convocation will convene 9-13 September in Seoul, Republic of Korea, under the theme “World Peace and the Korean Peninsula: The Church as a Community of Healing, Reconciliation, and Peacebuilding.” Participants pray during a service for peace and reunification between South and North Korea at St. Stephan Church in Karlsruhe as part of the World Council of Churches' 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany. The assembly takes place 31 August 31 to 8 September 2022 under the theme "Christ's Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity." Photo: Mike DuBose/WCC 07 September 2026 The convocation is being co-organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC), Christian Conference of Asia, and National Council of Churches in Korea. This convocation is being prepared as a shared ecumenical journey, bringing together churches worldwide to reflect on their calling toward just peace in an era of intensifying war and conflict, connecting the realities of global conflict zones with the Korean Peninsula to explore new pathways for peace, reconciliation, hope, and international solidarity. Sub-themes during the convocation will include “Just Peace and the Vocation of the Church,” and workshop topics will include “Church and Civil Society Peacebuilding in Conflict Zones,” “Role of the Ecumenical Community as Peace Mediator, “Youth's Role in Peacebuilding,” and more.  The conference will conclude with the adoption of a “2026 Peace Declaration,” as well as visits to Korean democracy historic sites. The WCC’s representation in the convocation will be led by WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay and the director of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs Peter Prove. The WCC general secretary will preach at the opening session. During their visit, the WCC general secretary and CCIA director will also meet with the new prime minister of the Republic of Korea, and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea. After the convocation, a Demilitarized Zone Peace Pilgrimage will take place on 12 September. Also, after the convocation, the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea General Assembly and the Presbyterian Church of Korea General Assembly will take place.  The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) 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