News and stories

The dramatic events of 2011 brought an increased focus on the relevance of the church in pursuing just peace, said the WCC general secretary.

From Fiji to Rwanda, prayers and signs of commitment are being offered for the annual International Day of Prayer for Peace on 21 September. This year’s observances are taking place in parishes and on Facebook, led by people who attended the IEPC in Jamaica this May.

“If we don’t have dreams about what we want to become true, we are not quite realistic,” says the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). “A radical realism in the form of dreams is required to open the space for serious dialogue on the challenges we are facing together.”

Participants at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) released a message on Tuesday expressing their unified experience of a week-long exploration of a just peace and to navigate a path forward as they return to their homes and churches across the world.

Making peace, as an integral part of the life of church mission and witness, has not been as common as one might think.

As a 10-year-old schoolgirl, on 6 August 1945, at 8:15 a.m., Setsuko Thurlow, then Nakamura, suddenly saw a brilliant bluish light flash outside her schoolroom window. “I remember the sensation of floating in the air. When I regained consciousness, in the total darkness and silence, I found myself in the rubble.”

A number of workshops led by the Orthodox were presented at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, leading to deep reflection and robust and honest conversations.

The Rev. Joachim Mukambu Ya'Namwisi, who represents both the Church of Christ and the Mennonite Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said he has watched churches develop increasing strength when it comes to standing up for basic human rights.

The story starts with Peter. Not biblical Peter, just a kid named Peter who's a little bit overweight, who has bumps on his face, and, oh, yeah – sometimes, he doesn't smell very good.

Pope Benedict XVI saluted the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation on Sunday, praying that “every act of violence is eliminated.”