Serving as a steward key to Hipp’s pastoral calling
by Amy Eckert When Joanna Hipp was invited to serve as a steward at a meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 2012, she recognized the unique opportunity to learn about ecumenism. Hipp’s mentor and professor, Clifton Kirkpatrick, thought the ecumenical meeting would suit her gifts well. But Hipp had no idea the […]
For two Syrian sisters, the General Council offers an opportunity to speak of difficulty…and hope
by Amy Eckert It’s difficult to live in Homs, Syria, in 2017. It’s even more difficult to live in the besieged city as an openly practicing Christian. Loujain Saad, a member of the National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon (NESSL), first learned of the WCRC in 2015. She was invited to volunteer as a […]
The “living God” challenges death and destruction, Jürgen Moltmann tells global gathering of Reformed churches
by Stephen Brown Without a vision for the future, new scientific and technological possibilities will be used for the death and destruction of humanity, according to German theologian Jürgen Moltmann, speaking at a global assembly of Reformed churches. “’Fullness of life’ is that kind of vision of the future, reaching far beyond what is possible […]
Faith has a duty to promote reconciliation, says German president
by Stephen Brown German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has appealed to a global gathering of Reformed churches to demonstrate the peacemaking role of faith at a time when religious beliefs are misused to justify violence. “Now more than ever the Reformed churches must make particular efforts to foster peaceful dialogue and to very consciously underline the […]