WCC central committee moderator speaks during Christian Unity Gathering in Philadelphia

WCC central committee moderator speaks during Christian Unity Gathering in Philadelphia

iku

Tue, 10/13/2026 - 16:37

World Council of Churches central committee moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm spoke on 13 October during the annual Christian Unity Gathering of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, underway from 12-16 October.

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Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

Bedford-Strohm focused on the theme of the conference, “ Religious Freedom.”

He noted that religious liberty is a human right. “ However, for us a Christians, it is also an obligation, a commitment,” he said. “ We are presently witnessing the misuse of religion worldwide to an extent that I cannot remember to have experienced in my whole lifetime.”

The instrumentalization of the Christian religion for political purposes that are in deep contradiction to fundamental biblical orientations has reached a new level, Bedford-Strohm noted.

“ In the case of Russia, the president uses Christian rhetoric to legitimize an aggressive war against its neighbour Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of victims, many of them civilians,” he said. “…