General secretaries of the regional ecumenical organizations met on 19-20 April at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey in Switzerland with the WCC leadership and staff. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC
The leaders of regional ecumenical organizations met on 19-20 April at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey to consult and collaborate with each other and with the World Council of Churches (WCC). The meeting, held annually, recognizes a shared experience of conciliar ecumenism and the poly-centric nature of the one ecumenical movement.
The WCC and many regional ecumenical organizations had or will have assemblies in 2022 and 2023, making the meeting a unique moment to strengthen cooperation for justice, peace, human dignity, reconciliation, and unity.
Following the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, the WCC has a particular interest in consulting with regional general secretaries on the strategic directions for engaging the fellowship of member churches and ecumenical partners on a common pilgrimage of justice, reconciliation, and unity.
Participants in the meeting came away with a greater understanding of the common and unique challenges facing the churches in the different regions. They also fostered cooperation on specific programmes and contributed to the post-assembly reflection and strategic planning process.
Key questions included: “How do we understand ecumenism today?” and “What are we called to do and how are we called to lead?”