In October the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay was in Brazil to attend the 34th General Council of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil and to engage in conversations with church leaders from the region.
The World Council of Churches is an ecumenical partner supported by the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund apportionment, which enables United Methodists to share a presence and a voice in the activities of several national and worldwide ecumenical organizations.
“The conversations in Brazil showed that despite struggling with contextual issues, our member churches continue to see the value of assessing those issues ecumenically,” said Pillay.
“Being able to connect directly with our member churches is always a great opportunity not only to learn more about their local realities but also to reaffirm our commitment to have all member churches engaged in the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity,” he added.
Rev. Fransico Leite, moderator of the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil, shared that the conversation with the WCC general secretary focused on the main challenges that his church currently faces as a church concerned with addressing the issues raised by the contemporary world.
“I heard words of comfort from Rev. Pillay, both through the testimony of the South African Presbyterian Church and other positive experiences, as well as through the interest and willingness of the WCC to collaborate with our church,” said Leite.
“The conversation with Rev. Pillay was a space of great fellowship, where we were able to share the life and mission of my church, as well as hear about the work of the WCC and the various resources available to member churches,” added Bishop Izani Bruch, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile.
For Rev. Leonardo Schindler, president of the Evangelical Church of the River Plate, who met with the WCC general secretary together with Rev. Mariela Pereyra, president of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church, the encounter was an opportunity to share his impressions regarding the social situation in Argentina, marked by the recent closure of programs aimed at guaranteeing fundamental human rights, the harassment of Indigenous peoples and the eviction from their lands, as well as the exponential increase in poverty, hunger, and unemployment.
“We are grateful for the time given and the expressed interest, and we also pray to the Almighty for the situation of the Argentine people and so many others around the world,” said Schindler.
Bishop Magda Guedes Pereira, from the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil and president of the National Council of Churches (CONIC), expressed gratitude for the visit of the WCC general secretary.
"We had the opportunity to share CONIC’s programs and initiatives and realize that many of them are aligned with the WCC's thematic direction. The encounter with Rev. Pillay strengthened our commitment to remain interconnected as ecumenical councils and to continue to work on crucial issues as climate justice, gender, and a culture of peace,” she said.
Rev. Mauro de Souza, 2nd vice-president of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil and member of the WCC central committee, stressed that the visit was an important landmark in a year of celebrations on the 200 years of Lutheran presence in Brazil.
“As one of the most representative authorities within global Christianity, Rev. Pillay brought a message of encouragement and hope, and he also challenged us as a church to truly strive to be the church that God wants us to be—a church committed to truth, justice, peace, and the defense of God's creation,” he said.
Pillay also met with the leadership of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil, and the Roman Catholic Bishops Conference of Brazil.
World Council of Churches website
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