First Friday Letter
The World Methodist Council
Greetings from the General Secretary
November 2025
Jesus said:
“You will hear of wars and rumours of war” (Matthew 24:6) “My Peace I give to you” (John 14:27)
Soon we will be singing: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth Peace!” It is not quite the season yet, but I wonder: should this not be our constant hymn sung in unison with the heavenly choirs? Yes, of course, it should. All should pray for peace and pursue it for the glory of God and the well being of all. Indeed we pray for for the Kingdom of God on earth when we recite the Lord’s prayer: “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
“Daring Peace” was the theme of the International Conference for Peace in Rome organised by the St Egidio Community on behalf of Pope Leo XIVth. It took place in the last weekend of October. The WMC President Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett spoke at the conference arguing against the Death Penalty. The Revd Dr Lord Griffiths, former Superintendent Minister at Wesley’s Chapel in London and former President of the Methodist Church in Great Britain also addressed the Conference on behalf of the WMC. The WMC’s relationship with St Egidio Community has a long history and in 1997 their president, Andrea Riccardi was the WMC Peace Award Laureate in honour of the St Egidio Community’s work for peace. You will find in these pages some material about the Conference.
2025 marks the 1700th Anniversary of the Nicene Creed. There was a very significant Conference on the Creed held in Egypt this October, convened by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and hosted by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria; graced with the presence of Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa. Alexandria is the very place where the controversy about the second person of the Trinity arose. Many speakers at the Conference were from member churches of the WMC, representing concerns related to the theme and its relevance in their different contexts. These included Rev Dr Sam Murillo, the President of the Youth and Young Adults of the WMC who was one of the leaders of the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) that took place concurrently and in the same location: Wadi Natrum.
The Making of the Creeds, by the Methodist Professor Frances Young, identifies the origins of the Creed in the catechetical practices of the early Church. Questions were asked and responses given by those to be baptised according to the teaching they received. Those answers provided the majority of the text of the Creed agreed by the Council of Nicaea and Constantinople Fathers. This origin, Prof Young argues shows that it is not so simple to dismiss the Creed as a mere Imperial instrument of power. Though of course, when agreed the Creed meant that unity and peace favoured the Roman Empire. Constantine, who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox tradition, was instrumental in ending the Diocletian persecution of the Church. The message from the Faith and Order Conference can be found in this FFL on page 4.
The WMC promoted three webinars concerning the 1700th Anniversary of the Nicene Creed. They are now available in a booklet format, not printed, instead freely available on the website. This is thanks to the leadership offered by our former Vice-President Gillian Kingston. The webinars can be accessed via this link and used for personal or group study.
I pray that all may receive the peace of Christ which passes all understanding, so that as in heaven and on earth the Glory of God may be proclaimed
Rev. Dr. Reynaldo Ferreira Leão Neto
General Secretary
Leadership in Jesus’ Style
Continuing to remember the Steering Committee meeting in Ghana. Here is a second reflection from the worship in this series. The first reflection can be found on the previous FFL. This second one was preached by the WMC General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Reynaldo Ferreira Leão Neto
Reading - Luke 9:10-17
How far can five loaves and two fish go? Jesus can feed a multitude with just that. What can we infer from this miracle? Not just that Jesus likes picnics. Though it looks as if he did!
I find this miracle of Jesus a biblical basis for an approach to leadership when everybody is included. They twelve wanted exclusivity: “let the multitude go, and look after themselves, we stay together.”Jesus said to his closest disciples: “don’t tell them to go, let them stay longer and you feed them.” Jesus considered them all one group, a fellowship wider than just the closest disciples. In Jesus approach, they all were part of a collective where everyone belongs.
Jesus insists, “let them stay here. Let’s remain together. And, you find them something to eat.” Jesus then organises the twelve and the multitude of disciples saying: “sit everybody on the grass in small groups, form circles. Ask them: ‘what have you got as way of food?’”
Jesus asks the disciples: “what have you managed to gather?” Five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus blesses and shares what little they bring. Jesus calls all to do the same. “Break bread together, the little you have.” Everybody do the same. In this way, a miracle happened, everybody was fed and there was food to spare, 12 baskets of leftovers, for the needy further afield.
I see what is happening in Jesus way of dealing with the situation as a lesson on leadership: First step: listen; Then: organising and coordinate action; Show the way to do it: collaborative joint work; They can do it: break bread and share fish
The miracle was that in that way all got fed. It could take them and can take us further than anyone could possibly imagine: 5,000 can be fed and were fed, and there was leftovers for the needy.
Faith replaces scarcity, collaboration replaces fear, shared resources are multiplied.
That is what Jesus says to Methodists, “learn from me and be even more Methodists” Allow the spirit of solidarity and connectivity really link you to one another; be together in good or bad times: a Connexion of Connexions; Organise yourselves; Let resources be shared; Let the people be fed; Let there be joy and picnicking.
And there will be enough to spare to feed the needy, the hungry, even in Gaza and the whole world with food and the love of God.
That is Methodism. Let’s be more Methodists and Wesleyans in organising, coordinating and sharing. Then many miracles will happen by the grace of God and the love that we share in fellowship. Amen
From the General Secretary’s Diary
The 6th World Conference on Faith and Order: For or against the “The”?
The World Council of Churches (WCC) Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order took place in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, near Alexandria, from 24th to 28th October, 2025. The conference, which had the theme “Where now for visible unity?” marked the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. It brought together church leaders and theologians to discuss the challenges to Christian unity in the contemporary world. Its purpose was to renew a commitment to visible unity among Christian churches and resulted in a “Call to All Christians.
It was hosted by the Coptic Church under Pope Tawadros II’s leadership. There was a geographical reason to be in Alexandria, because the controversy dealt by the Council of Nicaea 325 and Constantinople 381 concerning the nature of the second person of the Trinity arose here, in Alexandria. The figures representing the different sides of the debate were Arius and Athanasious. There
(From left to right) Dr Andrej Jeftic (director of the WCC Faith and Order Commission), Prof. Dr Myriam Wijlens (Roman Catholic Church), Rev. Jackline Makena (Methodist Church in Kenya), Rev. Prof. Dr Stephanie Dietrich (moderator of the WCC Faith and Order Commission), Prof. Dr Kristine A. Culp (Christian Church -Disciples of Christ- in the USA and Canada), Rev. Dr Glenroy Michael Lalor (Jamaica Baptist Union), Photo credit: WCC
I was amongst the 400 people taking part - some were delegates, others advisors, like myself. There was a great contingent of young people involved, some of them were serving as stewards and others were there for the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute. (See Sam Murillo’s text on page 10). The Methodist and Wesleyan communion of churches participated in the contributions to the Conference’s plenary sessions, workshops, and worship and also in the leadership of the Commission, as a young Methodist from Kenya is amongst the leaders of the Commission: Revd Dr Jackeline Makena.
Whilst celebrating the ancient Nicene Creed the Conference also explored challenges to the unity of the church in the present day. I was particularly struck by the push for a model of ecumenism where we don’t need to agree with every aspect of the doctrine in order to engage in mission together. This argument was spelled out by Ms Suk Yi Pang, the representative of the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China, which is, of course, a member church of the WMC.
There was a proposal to take out the “the” in paragraph 20 of the final document. The proposal did not command consensus. It therefore says: “Although the Council of Nicaea was intertwined with the political life of the Roman Empire, the Nicene fathers were able to confess the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith in those historical and political circumstances.” The debate was about whether the Nicene Creed contains all that is necessary for the Christian faith and witness today: the fundamental tenets or whether it contained only some fundamental tenets? The Conference decided that after 1700 years the Nicene Creed confessed and prayed it still serves the churches as the doctrinal standard. The orthodoxy that was on the one hand made relative for the unity of the church by the call to the missional and ethical imperatives was at the end restored to its position by the result of a debate on the definite article: “the”. The definite article remained in the text.
The shorter message to the churches from the meeting can be found on page 4 of this First Friday Letter. The full message, including paragraph 20 referred above, can be found in this link: https:// www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/deepening-unity-journeying-in-love-restoring-hope-ecumenical-affirmation
Message to the Churches from the 6th Conference of the Faith and Order Commission: Where now for Christian Unity
Beloved in Christ, marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order meets in Egypt, the land where the Holy Family took refuge, the land out of which God called his Son (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15). We have been overwhelmed by the generous hospitality of the Coptic Orthodox Church and express our deep gratitude to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, to his fellow bishops and to all his people for their warm welcome. We have been deeply impressed by the witness and mission of the Coptic Orthodox Church not only now but through the centuries. We acknowledge this ancient land where many generations have lived, breathed and had their being in God. We are conscious that here in Africa and the Middle East, as in other places across the world, many people, including Christians, are today facing persecution and suffering horrific violence, existential threat, dehumanisation and utter disregard for human rights. In a world marked by division and polarisation, by violence and war, and by apathy and complicity in the face of the resulting injustices, Christ’s call to unity (John 17:21) remains as urgent as ever.
We rejoice that the past century of Faith and Order work has revealed that on many questions we agree more than we disagree. In the face of continuing disunity, the Sixth World Conference continues the ecumenical journey towards visible unity. Building on the legacy of previous Faith and Order conferences – from Lausanne (1927) to Santiago de Compostela (1993) – this gathering reflects on progress made and the persistent call to embody Christ’s prayer: “that they may all be one” (John 17:21).
• We share faith in God – Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit – which brings us together across time and traditions. Trinitarian faith is not merely a heritage to be preserved, but living water to be offered through both word and deed. We are called not only to believe, but to walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7): to live lives of hope, love, and trans-
formation for the healing and reconciliation of the nations and of God’s good creation.
• Mission is rooted in the very identity of the Church, whose task is to proclaim the gospel. The faith of the Nicene Creed is not focused on itself, but reminds us that the Church exists to be sent into the world. For the churches in some contexts, mission has been entangled with histories of enslavement, colonialism, and power. Therefore, in our time, mission must be marked by repentance and a reorientation toward decolonisation and justice, reconciliation and unity.
• Unity is more than agreement: it is communion. Rooted in baptism, expressed in shared prayer, unity begins to be visible when we live together, moving towards mutual sharing of the Eucharist and recognition of each other’s ministries. Unity also begins to be visible when we live together in ways that embody faith, hope, and love: not in isolation, but in solidarity with those who are marginalised by gender, race, poverty, disability, or ecological devastation. The Nicene Creed, ancient yet ever new, reminds us that we share a gift and call to full, visible unity: a unity that Faith and Order works to make visible in the life of the Church through seeking deeper understanding and agreed doctrine.
Where now for Visible Unity? In this on-going journey, this is our call: to renew our commitment to faith, mission, and unity in Christ Jesus; to listen together to the Holy Spirit; to walk together as pilgrims: as children of the Father learning together to live out our faith, hope, and love, and in the practice of justice, reconciliation, and unity. Let us aspire to live the unity for which Christ prayed, that the world may believe and experience God’s gifts of healing, justice and abundant life.
See the official statement through the link.
Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission
The Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission met in plenary session in San Salvador, El Salvador, from 19 to 24 October 2025, building on its work on the theme of diversity, unity, and communion for mission. The Commission, officially called the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Catholic Church, was established in 1967 as the bilateral theological dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Catholic Church with the goal of full communion in faith, sacramental life, and mission. The meeting in San Salvador is the fourth annual meeting in the 12th round of the
international Catholic-Methodist theological dialogue.
The Commission received a report on its pending publication of We Believe in One God: Sixty Years of Methodists and Catholics Together. The document synthesizes the Commission’s eleven previous official dialogue reports, which demonstrates the common Christian faith shared by Catholics and Methodists. A culmination of nearly two years of work, the publication is the Commission’s contribution to the celebrations marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
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Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission
The Commission dedicated the majority of its meeting to exploring the themes of unity, diversity, and communion for mission. A draft report was reviewed by the Commission exploring these themes: models of discernment of the essentials of the Christian faith, the meaning and practice of unity and diversity in Methodist and Catholic churches, and communion as integral for the mission of the church. The draft report also includes a chapter with concrete recommendations to Catholic and Methodist leaders to further deepen the communion already shared by Methodists and Catholics. The Commission expects to finalize the report by the end of 2026.
Bishop Juan de Dios Peña from the Evangelical Methodist Church in El Salvador, along with clergy and lay leaders, hosted the Commission for Eucharist followed by a dinner at the Vida Nueva Methodist Church in San Salvador. Bishop Peña preached on the meaning of unity from John 17.
The Commission visited a number of pilgrimage sites related to St. Oscar Romero and other Christian martyrs of El Salvador, including the Catholic Cathedral of San Salvador, the Divine Providence Hospital and Mons. Romero House, as well as the University of Central America.
The Commission extends its sincere thanks to Fr. Carlos Chavarria from San Benito Catholic Parish for assisting with the Commission’s meeting.
Three Commission members were unable to attend the meeting due to family and work commitments. Fr. Anthony Currer of the Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (UK), formerly of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity of the Holy See, substituted for Fr. Martin Browne OSB and acted as the
Catholic co-secretary for the meeting.
The Commission is scheduled to meet next from 18-24 October 2026.
The Commission is made up of:
Methodist Members
• Rev. Prof. Edgardo A. Colón–Emeric (Co-Chair), United States of America
• Rev. Matthew A. Laferty (Co-Secretary), Methodist Ecumenical Office, Rome
• Dr. Jung Choi, Korea/United States of America
• Rev. Prof. Blanches de Paula, Brazil
• Prof. Geordan Hammond, United Kingdom/ United States of America
• Rev. Prof. Glen O’Brien, Australia
• Rev. Dr. Hermen Shastri, Malaysia
• Prof. Lilian Cheelo Siwila, Zambia/South Africa
Catholic Members
• Archbishop Shane Mackinlay (Co-Chair), Australia
• Rev. Martin Browne OSB (Co-Secretary), Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Rome
• Prof. Catherine E. Clifford, Canada
• Rev. Prof. Gerard Kelly, Australia
• Sr. Prof. Mary Sylvia Nwachukwu DDL, Nigeria
• Rev. Prof. Daniel Franklin Pilario CM, Philippines
• Rev. Prof. Jorge Scampini OP, Argentina
• Dr. Clare Watkins, United Kingdom
• Rev. Anthony Currer, United Kingdom (2022 and 2025 meetings)
Members of the Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission in the chapel of the University of Central America in San Salvador, El Salvador on 23 October 2025. Photo and article provided by the Methodist Ecumenical Office in Rome
International event of peace “Daring Peace” by Sant’Egidio
I was invited by the World Methodist Council to represent it at the annual Peace Conference of the Sant’Egidio Community in Rome. This remarkable event brings together church leaders from around the world and is organised with exceptional care.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Dare to Make Peace.” I sought to reflect on that theme in the speech I delivered, which I’ve included with this message. From the moment we set foot in the Basilica of St. John Lateran—the seat of the Bishop of Rome (i.e., the Pope)—we knew we were part of something truly special.
My participation was connected to my recent work with the Council of Europe on migration-related issues. I’ve just completed a report on how diasporas (whom I describe as “second-generation migrants”) are faring in their host countries.
I took most of these photographs from my assigned seat among distinguished guests—just four seats away from the Pope himself. It was a truly wonderful occasion for which I am deeply grateful.
Here is the speech:
Daring Peace: Rome October 27th– 29th. I’m a member of the United Kingdom parliament where I sit in the House of Lords.
Migration figures high on our political agenda. We’ve debated no fewer than four pieces of legislation dealing with migration in as many years. Three were put forward by the previous Conservative government. The fourth, to be debated tomorrow, as it happens whilst we’re sitting here in Rome, is a proposal from our Labour government. The mood of our times is reflected in the titles of this succession of bills: (i) Immigration and Borders,(ii) Illegal Migration, (iii) Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration), and now (iv) the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. The slogans arising from these laws are crude: “Stop the Boats”, “Smash the Gangs”, “Send them Home”, - and they express the mood of our governing classes, all of them seeking to respond to the way far right, nationalist, xenophobic rhetoric seems to be capturing the public mind.
Was there ever a greater need for Christian audacity, a readiness by the followers of Christ, to dare to take on the powers of darkness and to overthrow them. The subject is migration. The moment is surely now.
So much for my country.
I’m a member of the delegation that represents our United Kingdom parliament in the work of the Council of Europe – a body set up in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War to advance the Rule of Law, Democracy, and Human Rights. I sit on its Migration Committee. I chair its Sub-Committee for Diasporas and Displaced People.
In a report I submitted to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Convention on Refugees and Asylum Seekers five years ago, here in Rome, I noted the widespread fear across Europe at the threats coming from so many directions that seek to weaken or erode or undermine or even abolish the principles embodied in that Convention. In the years since then, things have only got worse, with the turmoil generated by wars, natural disasters, climate change, and political thuggery constantly filling our screens and invading our sitting rooms.
This time last week, in London, at a meeting of the Council of Europe’s Migration Committee, five teenagers, second generation migrants, whose family origins are in Bangladesh, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Kosovo, spoke powerfully to parliamentarians from across the continent of Europe about the kind of world they aspire to live in where people like themselves will not only benefit from living in a country at peace with itself but will be empowered to contribute creatively and sacrificially (with all others of good will) to the building of a society where everyone can live in peace and harmony. These young people, teenagers, challenged a room full of parliamentarians from all over Europe. They dared to dream their dream and to challenge the slide into darkness that seems to be the hallmark of the times we are living through.
So much for my continent.
For ten years, at the beginning of my ministry, I lived in Haiti where I was ordained to the Methodist ministry. Our two sons were born there. I owe more to the people of Haiti, indeed to the peasant people of Haiti, than I can possibly express within my time limit today.
Rev. Dr. Lord Leslie Griffiths with Rev. Alessandra Trotta moderator of the Waldensian Board, which represents the Methodist and Waldensian churches in Italy. Previously served as President of the Work of the Methodist Church in Italy.
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International event of peace “Daring Peace”
At one time Haiti was the richest of all France’s colonies, its wealth built on the back of slave labour, the same slaves who rose up and defeated the armies of the mighty Napoleon Bonaparte. It proudly carries a banner as the first black republic in the world. Since their independence, of course, they have had one ignominy, one burden, one disgrace after another, heaped upon them. A renowned anthropologist called the citizens of Haiti “les miséreux de la terre,” the wretched of the earth. A contemporary political leader calls Haiti a “shithole” country and its people are treated like animals.
51% of Haiti’s population, 5.7million people, are currently experiencing acute levels of hunger. Armed violence and gang warfare have displaced 1.3million people from their homes. They are among the worst hit by food insecurity. Three in four people sheltering in schools and public buildings face crisis or emergency levels of hunger.
The country is currently bracing itself for the deportation of tens of thousands of Haitians from the United States of America. Already, almost half a million Haitians have been repatriated from the neighbouring Dominican Republic.
I can testify personally to the resilience of the people of Haiti, to their faith, to their culture, to their simple good heartedness. Yet, as we sit here in these splendid surroundings, my friends in Haiti are living in dire conditions. Theirs is a story no one seems to want to hear.
Who will be brave enough to dare to find and build a better future for the 11 million people living in Haiti?
Who will speak up, stand up, voice the needs of this deeply spiritual people? Could this be the place, could this be the hour, when the Spirit of God moves his people to bring hope to a troubled land?
So much for the world I live in.
Here we are in Rome. When Saint Paul wrote to the people of Rome all those years ago, he seemed filled with similar questions. “What can separate us from the love of Christ?” he asked; “can affliction or hardship? Can persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger or sword? We are being done to death for your sake all the day long.” Yet, even faced with the worst, he remained convinced that victory could be theirs and that “nothing in all creation could possibly separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus their Lord.”
I look at my country, my continent, the world; I look across space, I look across time.
I find myself declaiming some words of Dag Hammarsköld who urged us that when all around us seems so negative, when all we seem able to do is shake our heads and say NO, we should think again:
We should dare our YES - and experience a meaning; We should repeat our YES – and discover that all things acquire a meaning;
And then, when everything has a meaning, we’d be led to wonder how we could live anything but a YES?
Today is surely the day we must dare to say YES.
Reflection by Rev. Dr. Lord Griffiths
WMC President, Other Methodist Leaders Participate in International Meeting of Peace
Bishop Dr. Debra Wallace-Padgett, president of the World Methodist Council, and the Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, attended the 39th annual international meeting of peace ‘Spirit of Assisi’ in Rome from 26-28 October 2025 organized by the Sant’Egidio Community. The theme for the peace meeting was ‘Daring Peace’. Bishop Wallace-Padgett was among the cohort of senior religious leaders participating in the conference. Deacon Alessandra Trotta, moderator of the Methodist-Waldensian Church in Italy, and Lord Griffiths of Burry Port FLSW, a minister of the Methodist Church of Great Britain and member of the House of Lords (UK), were additional Methodist participants. Alongside leaders from various Christian churches, senior leaders from the world’s major religions including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism, and others also attended the interreligious conference. Bishop Wallace-Padgett and Deacon Trotta spoke on a panel on stopping the death penalty during the conference. Other Methodists who participated in aspects of the conference were Ms. Stephanie Gabuyo from WMC Youth and Young Adults, Rev. Mirella Manocchio from Via XX Settembre Methodist Church in Rome, and Rev. Sarah Mae Gabuyo from Ponte Sant’Angelo Methodist Church in Rome.
Photo caption: Bishop Dr. Debra Wallace-Padgett (left) and Pope Leo XIV (right) greet each other before the final ceremony at the Sant’Egidio International Meeting of Peace on 28 October 2025 © Vatican Media
International Men’s Day
The World Fellowship of Methodist & Uniting Church Men or WesleyMen is observing the 2025 International Men’s Day (IMD) on November 19th. With the theme: “Supporting Men & Boys to Know Jesus Christ”, the 2025 IMD is a celebration of global awareness for issues confronting men and boys: parental alienation, abuse, homelessness, depression, violence, and suicide. Men and boys are looking for a place to belong, to be included, loved, embraced and welcomed into a Christian community and to know the transforming love, grace and hope of Jesus Christ.
The IMD is observed on 19th November each year. In 2025, the day falls on a Wednesday, providing a platform to engage in activities and discussions related to men’s issues (including their health and well-being). WesleyMen recommends that Sunday, 23rd November 2025 be the culmination of the 2025 IMD in the context of Sunday worship service. Furthermore, we encourage the leadership of Men’s Fellowships/Organizations and Member Churches of the World Methodist Council to observe and promote the 2025 IMD and share this important directive to your constituencies.
Background Information
Every year, the world celebrates International Men’s Day (IMD) to recognize and appreciate the role of men as fathers, brothers, husbands, and colleagues. This day holds significant value as it promotes the positive role of men in framing society, state, and nation and also promotes gender equality. According to the IMD’s official website, the objective of this day is to promote gender equality, appreciate the positive contributions made by men to society, highlight discrimination against men, improve gender relations, and create a safe and better world.
Brief History of the International Men’s Day
Inaugurated in 1992 on February 7th by Thomas Oaster, the day was not celebrated until November 19, 1999, but it came into existence after Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh re-initialized the day in Trinidad and Tobago. International Men’s Day gained massive support in the Caribbean, after which the day was accepted by the international community. Today, International Men’s Day is celebrated in many countries, including Singapore, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Haiti, Jamaica, Hungary, Malta, Ghana, Moldova, and Canada.
The day holds significant value as it highlights the “Six Pillars of International Men’s Day”, which includes contributions, in particular for their contributions to the nation, union, society, community, family, marriage, and childcare. On this day,
discrimination faced by men is also highlighted, which creates a chance to improve gender relations and equality. It is also a significant day for men all across the globe because it promotes awareness of causes related to men’s health and awareness of men’s mental and physical health. On this day manhood is celebrated and the power of goodness of men is acknowledged.
Theme: “SUPPORTING MEN AND BOYS TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST”
Six Pillars of the International Men’s Day
• Positive male role models
• Positive contributions to society
• Men’s health and well-being
• Discrimination against men
• Improve gender relationships and gender equality
• Safer, better world
Six Objective of the International Men’s Day
• To improve male health
• To tackle discrimination
• To foster positive gender relations
• To make the world a safer place for everyone
• To value male role models
• To acknowledge the contributions of men and boys
Suggested Road Map to Guide the Celebration of the 2025 IMD
18th – 21st November 2025 -Men’s Fellowships/ Organizations in the various conferences (countries) would be expected to select a day (preferably Wednesday 19th November 2025) to hold a seminar or a talk on the 2025 IMD theme. The objectives are: (1) To enable the men appreciate the need for the celebration of the IMD just as the International Women’s Day, which is celebrated in March every year, (2) To arouse the consciousness of men that they (just as women) have emotional challenges that need to be addressed to avert cases like drug abuse, depression and subsequently suicide etc., and (3) To challenge the men to be more committed to enable them perform their God given role creditably.
Read more on IMD here and how to take part!
Jubilee 2025 – A Call to Action
Already in 1986, the World Methodist Council affirmed in its Social Affirmation: “We rejoice in every sign of God’s kingdom; in the upholding of human dignity and community; in every expression of love, justice, and reconciliation; in each act of self-giving on behalf of others; in the abundance of God’s gifts entrusted to us that all may have enough; in all responsible use of earth’s resources.”
(see: United Methodist Hymnal 886)
Today, we urgently must reclaim what we said and act accordingly. At the recent webinar of the World Council of Churches and the World Methodist Council, we learnt how our Wesleyan tradition calls us to work for Climate Justice. Here is a link to the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K_sCzcryNA
This month, there are new occasions to learn and act together:
We are actively involved in advocacy at COP 30 in Belem, represented by Dr Márcia Nogueira Amorim from the Methodist Church in Brazil, who works in the field of Ecology and Public Health. She will be working with representatives of the World Council of Churches, The United Methodist Church, and Latin American church leaders and advocates, calling on governments and the international community to deliver on climate finance promises, ensure the implementation of the Loss and Damage Fund, accelerate a just transition away from fossil fuel dependency, support communities to adapt to climate change, and prioritize the voices of those most impacted by climate change.
Shortly after COP 30, the leaders of the G 20 group are meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. As NIFEA initiative, we organize a Prayer Service November 21, 14:00 to 15:30 at the People’s Summit under the theme: Jubilee for People and Planet – An Ecumenical Prayer on the Occasion of COP30 and G20. We engage to make the calls of the Turn Debt Into Hope Campaign heard: to end the debt crises, reform the financial and economic systems and prioritize people and the planet over profit for the already rich nations and individuals. Look out for more information and join the prayer service, which will be hybrid.
Today, we cry out for people suffering because of natural disasters, intensified by global warming, and because of the exploitation of their lands, and lament with Mother Earth of which we exist. AND, we also rejoice in the abundance of God’s gifts entrusted to us that all may have enough; and in all responsible use of earth’s resources.” Because we know of God’s abundant gifts and God at work in creation – making all things new – we joyfully serve as advocates for transformation, trusting that Jubilee is not only an ancient biblical story, but a call for renewal and justice to overcome greed and joyfully express our faith in God’s abundance, providing enough for all.
Submitted
by Bishop
Rosemarie Wenner, Geneva Secretary
Silent Solidarity: Ecumenical Delegation Joins COP29 Climate March. Photo by: Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC
The Visible Unity as a Gift in Ecumenical Formation Experiences from GETI
I am pleased to share the recent formation programs for younger generations of theologians in the context of the 2025 ecumenical year. The Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI), hosted by the World Council of Churches, took place in parallel to the World Conference on Faith and Order in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, in the context of commemorating the 1700th anniversary of Nicaea (325), with the theme: Where Now For Visible Unity?
The GETI hosted almost 90 participants from all regions of the world, together with 14 facilitators from global contexts and diverse traditions, among whom I had the privilege to be one of them. The programme explored methodologically in depth the via negativa, via positiva, and via transformativa, considering our shared ecumenical journey and the intersectional global crisis we face. To emphasise some deep, challenging and difficult pilgrimage, it was possible to talk and listen deeply about historical and ongoing practices of persecution, genocides, migration, etc. Despite such challenges, affirming together the unity of the church in responding clearly with the message of peace and justice to imposing necro political narratives of increasing warfare, interfaith and intercultural prejudices, etc. The importance of recognising the harm caused in our churches by Christian Zionism as an instrument of colonial occupation and genocide today!
Revd. Miles Baker, from the United Methodist Church, shares from his experience:
The Global Ecumenical Theological Institute, held alongside the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, became a living testimony to ecumenism. Participating in a World Conference on Faith and Order was both a privilege and a rare opportunity to witness firsthand the breadth of the global ecumenical movement and to contribute to ongoing theological reflection. Equally significant were the relationships formed among participants, transcending geography, language, and confession. In these encounters, the hope of visible unity became tangible, indeed an ecumenism of friendship. The experiences at Wadi El Natrun reaffirmed that unity is not achieved through uniformity, but through the patient work of listening, understanding, and shared witness. As we return to our respective contexts, we carry forward not only the theological insights gained but also the relationships and commitments which continually shape our shared ecumenical journey in the years ahead. In the face of the world’s multi-crisis, the task be fore the Churches remains urgent: to embody the self-emptying love of Christ with humility, to speak hope into suffering with prophetic courage, and to walk together as fellow pilgrims toward the unity
GETI participants from the Wesleyan, Methodist, United and Uniting Churches affiliated to the World Methodist Council.
The WMC member churches’ representatives present at the Faith and Order Conference and the Salvation Army Commissioner.
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