WCC marks 78th anniversary: “we give thanks to God”

WCC marks 78th anniversary: “we give thanks to God”

GDF

Fri, 08/21/2026 - 16:09

In a special message marking the 78th anniversary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed gratitude for the historic journey that began in 1948 in Amsterdam.

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18 June 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa: WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay presents his report to the 2025 Central Committee meeting of the World Council of Churches taking place in Johannesburg (South Africa) from 18 to 24 June 2025 on the theme ’Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity’.

Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

“ Seventy-eight years later, we give thanks to God for the faithfulness that has sustained the World Council of Churches through generations,” he wrote. “ We remember with gratitude all those who have prayed, served, sacrificed, and worked tirelessly for the unity of the church and for God's mission in the world.”

This anniversary is, above all, a celebration of God's faithfulness, Pillay reflected. “ The WCC has travelled through remarkable and turbulent times: the Cold War,…