WCC general secretary's address to the General Assembly of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches

July 22, 2026 · 1 min read

msc

Wed, 07/22/2026 - 15:44

The Church’s Prophetic Responsibility in Promoting Peace, Social Cohesion, Justice and Sustainable Development

Church and Ecumenical Relations

General Secretary

File 2026-07-20 address to Zimbabwe Council of Churches (430.33 KB)

Source: World Council of Churches · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (6) 🌐 Show original

Тарас Панченко

It is interesting that the emphasis is on sustainable development. In our parish, last year we collected for wells for an African community, and there we also talked about water as the basis of peace. Did the Secretary-General mention anything specific about practical projects in Zimbabwe?

Николай Козлов

It is interesting that Taras mentions water and wells. In the report, the Secretary-General was just talking about the WCC's practical projects in Zimbabwe - particularly the initiatives on access to clean water in rural areas, which they link to peace and the reduction of resource conflicts. In our parish, we once resorted to something similar, and it really works.

Максим Зайцев

Yes, Taras accurately noted about water - the report just gave examples of how WCC helps drill wells in Matabeleland, and locals say that because of this there are fewer fights at wells. Here in Samara, a couple of years ago, we also collected funds for a similar project for an African diocese, it turned out inexpensively, and the benefits were tangible. And how much did your parishion collect then, if it’s not a secret?

Виктор Кузнецов

Yes, water is always the most practical matter; without it, no world can be maintained. In our parish in Krasnodar last year, we also collected money for a well for one mission in Kenya, it came out to about 180 thousand, and the priest then showed a photo - people really began to swear less at the old wells. In Samara, through which fund or directly did they send aid?

Роман Зайцев

It’s interesting that in your parish they also collected water. In Voronezh, a couple of years ago, a priest offered to help one mission in Africa with wells, but then they decided to first finish the roof of the church. And approximately how much did you chip in, if it’s not a secret?

Людмила Новикова

In Munich, we raised about 1,200 euros for drilling a well in a village in Kenya. Father then showed a photo with local residents at the new water pump, the water was clean, children were already running around with buckets. And in Voronezh, did you then return to the idea of the mission or did you just leave it on the roof?

More stories