WCC NEWS: North America Women’s Pilgrim Team Visit: “If one among us is not well, we are all not well”

A North American Women’s Pilgrim Team Visit on 28 February brought together poetry, prayer, very difficult questions, and, most of all, the impact—and pain—of telling the truth. Photo: Cynthia Griffiths/NCCCUSA 03 March 2022 Exploring the theme “Stony the Road: Women’s Voices of Faith, Courage, Resistance & Resilience,” the online visit was the first of two sessions that comprise a programme organized by the World Council of Churches and its regional partners. The visit was organized in collaboration with the National Council of Churches (USA), which in October 2021 elected an all-female slate of officers for the first time in the ecumenical organization’s 71-year history. Opening the programme, Rev. Nicole Ashwood, WCC programme executive for Just Community of Women and Men, asked the pointed question: “Why North America, one would argue?” Through the course of the two-hour session, speakers and participants—who shared engaging and often challenging ideas—answered that crucial question.  Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, leader of the Fifth Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and chair of the National Council of Churches (USA), offered opening reflections.  Jefferson-Snorton expressed deep appreciation for the gathering, convened to address issues women in North America are facing now—and have faced for decades. “We’re just so glad to see how God is bringing God’s people together to look at issues of justice, to look at issues that plague our community and our churches, and this particular Pilgrim Team visit is lifting up the way God is using women as his witnesses,” she said. Leticia Hernandez-Linares, poet and activist, brought her work to the forefront, honoring her late grandmother, among other sacred topics.   Naming the truth Rev. Dr Karen Georgia Thompson, associate general minister for Wider Church Ministries and Operations and co-executive for Global Ministries, United Church of Christ, served as a keynote speaker, embracing the session’s poetry readings as part of our hearing from God.  “This moment, I believe, is inviting us here in North America to name the truth of the realities in which we live as women and particularly as women of color,” she said. “If one among is not well we are all not well.” Thompson added:  “We must account for the ways in which discrimination and harm are being inflicted on women and, in doing so, we must be prepared to act to bring awareness, healing, change and reconciliation to the world around us.” Participants asked challenging questions, with a collective resolve to move forward together. Rev. Dr Leslie Copeland Tune, chief operating officer of the National Council of Churches (USA), wanted to explore the #MeToo movement in the church context.  “You mentioned the church having a #MeToo movement,” Tune said. “What would that look like? How do we get it started?” Thompson, a Thursdays in Black Ambassador, replied that it requires the truth. “It requires the truth—and the truth is that, as women, we are so silent on these issues, and a part of it is, when we speak, we are not heard, because the places where we are taking this are where men continue to be gatekeepers around the very issues that we are talking about,” she said. “This has to be created from the bottom up.” Education and awareness are very necessary in our churches, Thompson added. “There needs to be a dismantling of patriarchal constructs in our churches that continue to support this kind of behavior.” Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, vice moderator of the WCC central committee, said that hearing the reflections of those gathered was profound. “Right now, it’s particularly overwhelming because we see the nationalism in Russia, with Putin and the kinds of things he is doing, and the women and children and men at risk in the world because of the kind of evil power takeover that is happening in the world,” she said. “We see how we can get marginalized as we try to make a difference in that.” Those gathered also expressed concern about racist treatment of African people seeking to flee from Ukraine, highlighted in a statement from the African Union, which is “particularly disturbed by reports that African citizens on the Ukrainian side of the border are being refused the right to cross the border to safety.” As the session ended, the group left some open-ended questions for the work ahead. Jennifer P. Martin, education in mission secretary for the Caribbean and North America Council for Mission, referring to Thompson’s poem, “Living Numb,” asked: “How can we as women move out of that numbness and speak even more profoundly to the structures that continue to keep us numb?” A second session of the North America Women’s Pilgrim Team Visit will be held 8 March. 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 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: WCC joins call for equal treatment of black and brown people stranded at Ukrainian border

The World Council of Churches signed a letter of petition from the Pan African Women’s Association calling for equal treatment of black and brown people stranded at the Ukrainian border. Arrival of Ukrainian refugees at the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing Medyka. Here the refugees are provided with warm food and clothing. From here, they are transferred by bus to major cities and collective shelters. Photo: Christoph Püschner/Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe 03 March 2022 The letter is also supported by various parliamentarians, civil societies, and activists from across the globe.  "In such crises, one would expect the affected population to receive equal and unbiased humanitarian aid irrespective of colour, race, or place of origin,” reads the letter. “Unfortunately, according to reports reaching us, this is not the case.” The petition highlights the plight of black and brown people in Ukraine who are being systematically excluded from humanitarian evacuation operations.  “Even though Africans make up twenty percent of Ukraine’s international student population, there is an absence of representative embassies in Ukraine,” reads the petition. “On social media, one African student described watching fellow Africans and children being violently removed from the train crossing the border while space was provided for domestic animals.” On the other hand, white Ukrainians have been allowed to go through the border without restrictions, the petition notes. “Therefore, we urgently need to amplify and condemn the differential treatment of the black and brown people and white Ukrainians,” the letter reads. WCC acting general secretary to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow: “raise up your voice so that the war can be stopped” (WCC press release of 2 March 2022) WCC urges President Putin to stop war, restore peace to Ukraine (WCC press release of 25 February 2022) WCC statement: WCC urges to stop this war, and to restore peace to the people and nation of Ukraine (25 February 2022) In Ukraine, “such a war has no excuse, neither from God, nor from people” (WCC news release, 25 February 2022) WCC calls for an immediate end to the current armed hostilities (WCC statement 24 February 2022) WCC gravely concerned for people of Ukraine amid escalating tensions (WCC statement 22 February 2022) WCC urgently appeals for peace for the people of Ukraine (WCC statement 25 January 2022) 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 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Call on Congress to Stand With Vulnerable Ukrainians and Uphold Protections for the Displaced

With the escalation of conflict in Ukraine, we are deeply concerned over the potential humanitarian impact of this conflict on both the people of Ukraine and those refugees and asylum seekers who have sought safety there. UNHCR estimates that around 660,000 refugees have now fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, such as Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, and Romania, in the past six days. UNHCR has indicated that at this rate, the situation looks set to become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century.  Call on Congress to Stand With Vulnerable Ukrainians and Uphold Protections for the Displaced Now is a critical time to urgently provide humanitarian support to people in Ukraine and refugees in neighboring countries. The escalation of conflict has triggered an immediate and steep rise in humanitarian needs as essential supplies and services are disrupted and civilians flee the fighting. The UN estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees may need protection and assistance in neighboring countries in the coming months. We mourn the suffering that mass displacement and humanitarian crisis have caused and acknowledge the pain of Ukrainians and Ukrainian Americans here in the U.S. who fear for their loved ones overseas. Our prayers are with our Ukrainian siblings, their loved ones, and all who aid in their protection. Now is a critical time to take action. Join us in urging Congress to mobilize resources for humanitarian and displacement assistance and to hold the Biden administration accountable to respond to the protection needs of displaced and at-risk populations. Call on Congress to Stand With Vulnerable Ukrainians and Uphold Protections for the Displaced Isaiah 58:6-8 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice,  to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

WCC NEWS: As needs grow in Ukraine and neighboring countries, churches offer crucial humanitarian aid

The scope of human need is growing exponentially as the war continues between Russia and Ukraine — despite an international outcry for peace — and churches are offering vital assistance to thousands upon thousands of people. Hungarian Interchurch Aid's long term work in Ukraine. Photo: Hungarian Interchurch Aid, 2015. 2 March 2022 “Already over a half million people have been displaced by this conflict, and those numbers are predicted to go up to as many as five million,” said Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, general secretary of the ACT Alliance. “There is an urgent need for humanitarian support in Ukraine and in the countries where many refugees are fleeing—Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, as well as in Russia, where thousands were already living before last week's escalation.” Those fleeing the war are in immediate need of food, water, hygiene, and other basic necessities. “ACT members are already responding—Hungarian Interchurch Aid has set up a refugee support point providing hot drinks, food, hygiene items, and information on entry into Hungary, for example,” said de Faria. “The Russian Orthodox Church continues to support thousands of refugees in Russia.” ACT members have already begun to ship food and other goods to support refugees, have set up a refugee support point, and are providing information and other support to refugees at the borders.  “They have worked to secure humanitarian access to western Ukraine, will support internally displaced people in Transcarpathia, and are gathering information on other needs,” said de Faria. “Within Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church provides assistance to refugees in the Rostov region of Russia through its parishes and social services.” Churches are currently organizing fundraising; collecting clothes, food and hygiene items; and organizing accommodations for refugees. ACT has issued an alert and is supporting national members with its Rapid Response Fund while an appeal for multi-country support is being prepared by ACT members to scale up the response in Ukraine and neighboring countries. How can we help As many across the world asked how they can help, de Faria has some concrete suggestions. “There are three things people can do to help,” he said. “The first is to pray—we are people of faith, and believe in the power of prayer,” he said. “A global prayer vigil is planned for Ash Wednesday.” Second, people can donate, said de Faria. “Cash is the best response we can do right now—it can be sent quickly to meet immediate needs, and it allows the refugees and internally displaced persons to purchase the things they most need.” Finally, de Faria said, you can act in your own context. “Learn more about the situation,” he said. “Write to your politicians calling for work towards peace and an end to this war.” He also suggested looking for opportunities to welcome refugees in your own community. “Fight against racial discrimination towards refugees,” he said.  Religious groups expressed ongoing concern about racist treatment of African people seeking to flee from Ukraine, highlighted in a statement from the African Union, which is “particularly disturbed by reports that African citizens on the Ukrainian side of the border are being refused the right to cross the border to safety.” De Faria concluded: “And stay in touch—the situation is evolving rapidly, and the needs will change just as fast.” Calls for prayer  Fr Mykolay Danylevych, deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, said that, on 2 March, the biggest problem is shelling, and people are hiding in bomb shelters. “Lack of food and medicine may be a big problem in the near future,” he said. “At the moment, most people still have food stocks; I have not heard of hunger.” In places where there is heavy shelling, people are sitting in basements in need of food, but it is not possible to deliver food to them because of the shelling. “But these are isolated cases,” said Danylevych.  “All churches have opened their doors.” He added that all basements available to churches are being used as bomb shelters. “Churches receive people, provide shelter, feed people,” he said. “Priests pray, comfort and reassure people, and provide spiritual and even psychological help.” Churches are distributing food and providing social support as well, he said. “You can help first of all with prayer, but also with the truth about the war,” Danylevych urged. “In addition, we ask you to accept refugees, our fellow citizens fleeing the war to other countries.” He also said humanitarian aid for residents of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, and other cities and towns where active hostilities are taking place would be welcomed. The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is supporting efforts of its member churches in central and eastern Europe to respond to the severe escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, and its impact on the neighbouring countries and beyond.  LWF has six member churches in the region – in Ukraine itself, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and two in Romania. “They are all minority churches, but all have existing diaconal engagements in their contexts, several of which are focused on refugees and migrants,” reads a letter from Maria Immonen, director of LWF World Service in Geneva. “They are currently being inundated with contacts from abroad, offering help and support in a wide variety of ways.” Hungarian Interchurch Aid, Hungarian Baptist Aid, and the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta are also scaling up their humanitarian assistance efforts. An appeal from the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church said that the church fully shares the pain and suffering of the people. “With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, the dioceses and monasteries provide comprehensive assistance to refugees and all those who suffered as a result of hostilities,” reads the appeal. Temples are open around the clock for those who need protection from shelling, the church assured.  The Community of the Monastery of Saint John the New in Suceava (Romania) is appealing for support for refugees from Ukraine. The monastery is situated 150 km away from Siret (bordering Ukraine). The monastery is presently offering accommodation, hot meals, transport and assistance to those seeking help. The monastery also offers help at the Siret customs point and at the Burdujeni railway station, where Ukrainian-speaking volunteers are providing food, accommodation and transport packages. The many responding groups report that the coordination needs are enormous and very challenging. All are working to enable churches to scale up and respond to the evolving situation in Ukraine and other countries. ACT Alliance LWF World Service WCC acting general secretary to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow: “raise up your voice so that the war can be stopped” (WCC press release 2 March 2022) WCC urges President Putin to stop war, restore peace to Ukraine (WCC press release of 25 February 2022) WCC statement: WCC urges to stop this war, and to restore peace to the people and nation of Ukraine (25 February 2022) In Ukraine, “such a war has no excuse, neither from God, nor from people” (WCC press release, 25 February 2022) WCC calls for an immediate end to the current armed hostilities (WCC statement 24 February 2022) WCC gravely concerned for people of Ukraine amid escalating tensions (WCC statement 22 February 2022) WCC urgently appeals for peace for the people of Ukraine (WCC statement 25 January 2022) 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 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: WCC acting general secretary to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow: “raise up your voice so that the war can be stopped”

In a letter to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow on 2 March, World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca asked the patriarch to mediate so that the war between Russian and Ukraine can be stopped. Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 02 March 2022 “It is with great pain and with a breaking heart that I am writing to Your Holiness,” wrote Sauca. “The tragic situation of the war in Ukraine has brought tremendous suffering and loss of lives.” Many of our brothers and sisters had to leave their homes—including the elderly, women, and children—to save their lives, Sauca noted. “The whole world is watching with deep concern and seeks a sign of hope for a peaceful solution.” Sauca said he receives letters every day from different parts of the world asking him to approach Patriarch Kirill to mediate so that the war can be stopped and the suffering ended. “In these times of hopelessness, many look to you as the one who could bring a sign of hope for a peaceful solution,” wrote Sauca. "I write to Your Holiness as acting general secretary of the WCC but also as an Orthodox priest. Please, raise up your voice and speak on behalf of the suffering brothers and sisters, most of whom are also faithful members of our Orthodox Church.” Western Christians celebrate 2 March as Ash Wednesday, the day of repentance as the beginning of Lent. Orthodox churches will celebrate 6 March as the Sunday of Forgiveness to mark the beginning of Lent on 7 March. “These powerful moments in our liturgical calendars call us to repentance, peace and reconciliation,” wrote Sauca. “While celebrating these spiritual moments, with filial respect and consideration I write to Your Holiness to intervene and mediate with the authorities to stop this war, the bloodshed and the suffering, and to make efforts to bring peace through dialogue and negotiations." Read full letter to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow (2 March 2022) WCC urges President Putin to stop war, restore peace to Ukraine (WCC press release of 25 February 2022) WCC statement: WCC urges to stop this war, and to restore peace to the people and nation of Ukraine (25 February 2022) In Ukraine, “such a war has no excuse, neither from God, nor from people” (WCC news release, 25 February 2022) WCC calls for an immediate end to the current armed hostilities (WCC statement 24 February 2022) WCC gravely concerned for people of Ukraine amid escalating tensions (WCC statement 22 February 2022) WCC urgently appeals for peace for the people of Ukraine (WCC statement 25 January 2022) 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 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) seeking support for humanitarian response to Ukraine

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and World Mission working with partners to aid those impacted by war

by Rich Copley | Presbyterian News Service

After refugees from Ukraine arrived at the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing in Medyka, they waited for a place in one of the buses that will take them to large sites or collective shelters. (Photo by Frank Schultze of ACT Alliance)

LEXINGTON, Kentucky ­—  The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) launched an appeal Tuesday for funds to help support the Church’s humanitarian response to the war started last week when Russia attacked Ukraine.

According to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), the situation is on pace to become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century with more than 660,000 having already fled Ukraine to neighboring countries. All neighboring countries are keeping their borders open to Ukrainian refugees, the UNHCR says.

On Tuesday morning, leaders in Presbyterian World Mission and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) met to discuss the situation and how the church can respond to the growing refugee crisis, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The conversation focused on the unfolding situation within Ukraine and in bordering countries who are receiving refugees and carrying emergency supplies over the border into Ukraine as the situation there deteriorates.  Mission co-workers shared information received from partners in the Central European region. PDA’s Office for Refugees and Asylum is coordinating internally and with these partners in the area and ACT Alliance to determine where funds can be directed for the greatest impact.

Click here to give to the PC(USA) response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and Central Europe

“The present crisis in Ukraine demonstrates how important it is that our Church maintains strong relationships across the ecumenical, interfaith and humanitarian landscape before an emergency erupts,” PDA Director the Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus says. “Through trusted partners in and beyond the Reformed Church family we share across the region, we are able to demonstrate solidarity with refugees and displaced persons through immediate gifts to the communities leading relief work and receiving refugees.”

“As the impact of this invasion continues, our advocacy work in the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations and in the Office of Public Witness will strengthen humanitarian relief efforts,” Kraus said. “If, as some fear, the ripple effects of this invasion expand to a broader geo-political platform, our Church’s broader response will draw on the full range of our relationships, policies and practice, including work of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, which has co-led travel study seminars in Ukraine to study the very trends and impacts of cultures of militarism and violence which have led to the current crisis.”

The arrival of Ukrainian refugees at the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing Medyka, where refugees are provided with warm food and clothing. From here they are transferred by bus to large cities and collective shelters. (Photo by Frank Schultze of ACT Alliance)

 

Ellen Smith, World Mission’s regional liaison for eastern Europe, said she is hearing desperate situations with refugees who have few places to go. Some are living in metro stations amid the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Smith added that the situation is “unifying Ukraine in ways we have never seen. … I fear for their safety but am in awe of their courage.”

Susan Krehbiel, Associate for Refugees & Asylum, says churches in Ukraine and Central Europe are part of the response to the humanitarian crisis and she believes PDA will provide both financial and technical help.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of prayers and calls from congregations asking how they can help,” she says. “As the violence continues, the number of people being displaced internally and fleeing to neighboring countries increases by the day.”

“In the midst of the chaos, there are sibling churches and ecumenical partners who are already providing assistance with basic items for survival,” Krehbiel said. “Our first priority as PDA is to provide funding to these partners on the ground.  While the scale of this crisis is new, receiving refugees from Ukraine and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe is not, which means we have trusted, established partners with the knowledge and expertise to carry out this important work.”

While some refugees may find their way to the United States, Krehbiel and others say they expect most refugees will settle in neighboring countries with hopes of returning home.

Krehbiel said, “As we pray for an end to this violence, we ask the U.S. government and our European allies to make a commitment to the Ukrainian people for a peaceful solution.  We don’t know how long it will take, but we know that they will need help with the rebuilding of their country so that those who are fleeing now may one day return home safely.”

Give to One Great Hour of Sharing to enable Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to respond quickly to catastrophic events.