From 30 September to 2 October, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will convene the inaugural meeting of the Ecumenical Diakonia Reference Group in Yerevan, Armenia. The meeting will provide WCC partners and member churches with a platform to explore new approaches to diaconal work, address urgent global challenges, and foster stronger partnerships.
Sister Rosa Le Thi Bong (left), a Vietnamese member of Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, talks with Cecilia Aliminio about plant health on a church-sponsored farm in Riimenze, South Sudan. The farm is run by Solidarity with South Sudan and provides food for students at a teacher training college, residents of a Congolese refugee camp, and displaced South Sudanese. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth
23 September 2024
"The establishment of this reference group comes at a pivotal time when the world faces numerous crises—from climate change to poverty and conflict," said Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia. "This meeting will enable us to develop a coordinated and innovative response, drawing on the rich traditions of ecumenical diakonia to serve humanity more effectively and collaboratively."
The Ecumenical Diakonia Reference Group was formed in response to the WCC’s 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022, which affirmed diakonia as a critical expression of unity and service. This gathering in Yerevan will aim to strengthen collaboration between the WCC, ACT Alliance, national and regional ecumenical organizations, and local churches.
Participants will discuss strategies to address the interconnected crises of climate change, war, and poverty while contributing to the global efforts outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals.
"By fostering equitable partnerships and greater cooperation among churches and ecumenical organizations, we can respond more effectively to the needs of our world and demonstrate the unity of the church through service," said Athena Peralta, director of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development.
The meeting will include biblio-theological reflections, panel discussions on eco-diakonia and decolonising diakonia, and group planning sessions to set a three-year action plan for 2024–2026. A visit to a local diakonia project in Armenia will also provide practical insights for participants.
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 352 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
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