NEWS
News from our member churches and the wider ecumenical movement, with our monthly roundup and a library of stories from ecumenical bodies around the world.
A taste of unity at the Anglican Consultative Council
Rev.
Pacific resources for the Season of Creation
The Pacific Conference of Churches published its resource guide for the 2026 Season of Creation, which ran from 1 September to 4 October with the shared ecumenical theme “Living Water”, from Ezekiel 47.
The Christian Conference of Asia greets Asia’s Catholic bishops
Rev.
Thursdays in Black in Fiji
House of Sarah, a faith-based organisation in Fiji, works to support women and prevent gender-based and domestic violence.
Ecumenical International Youth Day 2026
Ecumenical International Youth Day was marked online on 13 August under the theme “Creating Healing Spaces”, inviting young people and churches to restore, empower, strengthen and thrive together.
Pentecostals and Anglicans work together on holiness
The International Pentecostal-Anglican Commission held the final annual meeting of its first mandate at Journey Church in Calgary, Canada, from 6 to 12 June, hosted by the Pentecostal World Fellowship.
Anglicans and Old Catholics compare notes
The Anglican-Old Catholic International Coordinating Council met in Vienna from 14 to 16 July, hosted by the Union of Utrecht at the Old Catholic parish of Vienna-East.
Bible Month in the Diocese of Polynesia
The Diocese of Polynesia kept its annual Bible Month in July under the theme “Anchoring Our Vaka on the Word”, inviting families to pray and study the Scriptures together each day.
The Baptist World Alliance meets in Toronto
WCC representatives attended the Baptist World Alliance’s annual gathering in Toronto, Canada, from 6 to 10 July, on the theme “The Table of Christ: One Gospel, Many People”.
A liturgy tour of all six dioceses
At the bishops’ invitation, the American liturgist Fr Paul Turner, a priest of the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph in Missouri and a consultant to the Vatican, was due to visit all six New Zealand dioceses between 21 July and 8 August, starting in Hamilton and finishing in Christchurch.
The first Māori Dean of Waiapu
The Venerable Ruihana Paenga, Archdeacon for Leadership in Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa, has been appointed Dean of Waiapu, the first Māori dean of the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist in Napier.
Nominations open for the Delargey Awards
Nominations opened in July for the 2026 Delargey Awards, which have recognised people who serve young Catholics in Aotearoa New Zealand every two years since 2004.
The Council for World Mission meets in Auckland
The Presbyterian Church hosted the Council for World Mission’s Annual Members Meeting in Auckland in June, following the council’s “ReVisioning Education” programme in Auckland and at Te Maungarongo Marae in May.
Pope Leo receives a delegation from Constantinople
For the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV received the delegation sent by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, keeping a long tradition of visits between the churches of Rome and Constantinople.
Australia’s ecumenical officers meet in Brisbane
Ecumenical officers from the National Council of Churches in Australia and the state and territory councils of churches met at St John’s Anglican Diocesan Centre in Brisbane, hosted by Queensland Churches Together.
Week of Prayer 2027 resources released
The resources for the 2027 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are now available.
Remembering Rob Wayne
Christian World Service paid tribute to Rob Wayne, its colleague of many decades, who died suddenly in March.
A new general secretary for the Christian Conference of Asia
Rev.
Why visible unity matters now
In a lecture in Paris on crisis and renewal in the ecumenical movement, the French theologian Rev.
Reformed greetings to the Lutheran World Federation
The World Communion of Reformed Churches brought formal greetings to the Council of the Lutheran World Federation at its meeting near Geneva in June.