Professor Dr. Michel Abs Participates in the Regional General Secretaries Meeting at the Invitation of WCC
WCC General Secretary Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay:
“Strengthening relationships and working together in God's work and God's mission in the world is crucial”
Photo: WCC
At the invitation of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the General Secretaries of regional Ecumenical organizations met online on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, in the presence of the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay.
The meeting aimed to follow up on regional and global developments in Ecumenical and humanitarian work, in addition to exchanging views and experiences on various current and urgent social issues. Noting that the WCC has a particular interest in consulting with regional general secretaries on the strategic directions for engaging the fellowship of member churches and ecumenical partners on a common Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity.
The online meeting was attended by Professor Dr. Michel Abs, General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), His Eminence Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, President and General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, Reverend James Baghwan, General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Reverend Frank Dieter Fischbach, General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches, Reverend Dr. Fidon Mwombeki, General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, Pastor Peter Noteboom, General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, and Dr. Marcelo Schneider, WCC Programme Executive for Ecumenical Relations and Communication.
In his word, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay, emphasized the importance of strengthening the ecumenical spirit and said: "The World Council of Churches takes the partnerships and relationships with the regional ecumenical organizations very seriously and we've always been looking at how we can collaborate and work together on different projects and issues. What happens in the regions is of instrumental concern to us.”
He added: “Strengthening relationships and working together in God's work and God's mission in the world is crucial. We thank each of your regional organizations for your service, sacrifice, and diligence in the work that you do in these extremely difficult times."
During the meeting, the General Secretaries discussed their concerns, aspirations, and challenges, as well as the difficulties faced by Churches in their regions, seeking to find solutions for the good of people and societies. It is worth mentioning that the participants also started to plan for their in-person meeting in February 2025, hosted by the Christian Conference of Asia.