Member Church News: Award, Accompaniment

George Whyte, former Principal Clerk of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, has been honoured for his commitment to dialogue between the Church of Scotland and the Catholic Church.

Korean Partners Acknowledge United Church of Canada’s Korea Peace Appeal Campaign: “We have crossed the Pacific Ocean and worked for peace in the Korean Peninsula together.”

United Church of Christ delegation heads to Europe to track Ukraine response: Their journey begins in Hungary and Transcarpathia, where the UCC delegation will be participating in worship, meals, discussions and visits with people of the Reformed Church in Hungary and Hungarian Interchurch Aid.

The United Church of Christ in the Philippines has called for prayers and support for their church’s leaders and members, whose lives are in danger and whose personal and family lives are ruined by reckless and ill-motivated accusations of criminal acts.

Dana Allin, who serves as synod executive with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church’s sister denomination, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, is the guest on the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things” where he discusses some of the fundamental principles for how churches flourish, areas of collaboration between ECO and the EPC, and how ECO is defining itself as a church for its second decade and beyond.

Agape Ecumenical Center—operated by the Waldensian Evangelical Church in Italy—offers the opportunity to do residential volunteer work in a place that has been dedicated to community life, education, and encounters between different cultures and faiths for seventy years. The service rendered to Agape enables the facility to organize and complete its summer and winter camps, for minors and adults, as well as to welcome groups who come to carry out their activities at the Center.

The moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has urged people to pray for the people of South Sudan ahead of his historic ecumenical visit to the country this week. He said he, Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury are making their Pilgrimage of Peace “as servants” to stand in unified solidarity with local people and “amplify” their cries as they continue to suffer from conflict, flooding and famine.

Ever since the Myanmar military took power back on February 1, 2021, it has been difficult to find out anything about the situation directly from the country abroad. Sandy Sneddon, the Church of Scotland’s Advisory Manager for International Partnership Support, shares impressions from his sources in the country, which reached him through protected channels.

The Council for World Mission re-envisions Life-Affirming Theological Education in Mission: Delegates from theological institutions worldwide gathered at the Union Theological Seminary, Philippines, to re-envision the direction of theological education in a post-pandemic world during the Consultation themed “Life-Affirming Theological Education in Mission.”

Ecumenical accompaniers complete their service in Holy Land with “different perspectives of justice”: A group of Ecumenical Accompaniers completed their service in Palestine and Israel, handing their ministry over to the next wave, and celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at the same time.

Jerry Pillay, the new general secretary of the World Council of Churches, reflects on the challenges 2023 may bring, how he will relate to WCC member churches, how he plans to include and inspire youth in the ecumenical movement, and what prophetic leadership means to him.