News about the WCC US office

The Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches at its meeting in Armenia on September 28 elected Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana as its Director of Inter-religious dialogue and cooperation. Dr. Premawardhana will begin his new assignment in Geneva this November.

In an effort to promote dialogue as an alternative to a possible military confrontation between Iran and the United States, the WCC co-sponsored a discussion between Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and nearly 140 people of faith from across the United States.

From the farms and rolling hills of Pennsylvania's serene Amish countryside where five young schoolgirls were killed a year ago, to an immersion into the inner-city violence of Philadelphia, a World Council of Churches Living Letters delegation learned first-hand of the profound tragedy that can suddenly impact everyday life. But they also saw "rays of light" where forgiveness and reconciliation are helping to create a more humane...

Discussions about gun control and small arms trafficking, violence in the streets and against ethnic groups, as well as the engagement by churches in peacemaking activities consumed the first days of a 10-day visit to the United States by an international ecumenical team representing the World Council of Churches (WCC).

"We're living letters. And we believe we're stamped and sealed with love, comprehension and peace." Blogging on the road, Brazilian theologian Marcelo Schneider uses these words to describe his experience as part of a Living Letters delegation currently visiting the United States as part of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV).

Church leaders and communities facing situations of violence in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and New Orleans will share their experiences with an international ecumenical team visiting the United States from 15-23 September. Being from South Africa, Lebanon, Pakistan and Brazil the team members will express the solidarity of churches worldwide with the US churches while learning from their peacemaking efforts concerning urban and...

Church leaders and communities facing situations of violence in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and New Orleans will share their experiences with an international ecumenical team visiting the United States from 15-23 September. Being from South Africa, Lebanon, Pakistan and Brazil the team members will express the solidarity of churches worldwide with the US churches while learning from their peacemaking efforts concerning urban and gun...

CHICAGO (ELCA) - Leaders of three ecumenical partners of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) thanked the church body Aug. 9 for its role with their agencies. They also brought greetings to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

In a radio interview yesterday, Rev. Dr Hans Ucko described the concern for interfaith relations and religious freedom which motivated the World Council of Churches (WCC) to co-sponsor an intra-Christian consultation on conversion. Ucko, the World Council of Churches (WCC) programme executive for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation, spoke with a reporter for the US-based National Public Radio.

Churches throughout the world are preparing for next year's Week of prayer for Christian unity which will mark the 100th anniversary of the event. Worship resources in three languages have already been put at their disposal on the website of the World Council of Churches (WCC).