Being Church in the World Today: A WCC Perspective on Ecclesiology, Mission, Witness and Hope

Being Church in the World Today: A WCC Perspective on Ecclesiology, Mission, Witness and Hope

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Mon, 10/05/2026 - 17:28

Address by Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches at the Joint Conference of WCC Commissions and Reference Groups on Life, Justice and Peace, held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 4 to 10 October 2026.

I am very grateful to have the opportunity to reflect with you on the topic given to me for this gathering: Being Church in the World Today. I shall address this topic by first offering a theological understanding of the Church from a WCC perspective, secondly, given the global and local challenges ask: What kind of church is needed in the world today, and thirdly, I will bring all of these together in looking at the WCC commissions and reference groups and their work in relation to the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation and Unity.

The latter is necessary as you gather here as different commissions and reference groups under the department of Life, Justice and Peace. The WCC` s concept of a Pilgrimage is itself problematic in some contexts because of historical and colonial experiences, yet it…