4th edition of the World Christian Forum:
The Challenge of Unity
Christians from more than 50 countries and all church families gathered in Ghana from April 16 to 19 for the Global Christian Forum (GCF). It is a moment of encounter between the different Christian churches, indispensable in the face of the temptation of division.
From Roman Catholics to Pentecostals, from Orthodox to Evangelicals, from traditional Protestants to independent churches: the GCF is one of the only places that brings together all these different Christians. This is the fourth meeting as the FCM celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The last meeting took place in 2018 in Bogota, Colombia.
For 4 days, hundreds of Christians from all walks of life gathered in Accra, Ghana to deepen their mutual knowledge. FCM General Secretary Casely Essamuah explains that this is an opportunity for Christians to know and receive the gifts that the Holy Spirit has placed in the various churches. "It is a space for a profound encounter of faith. In this way, we learn to discover the richness of Christ," he said, according to Réformés.ch.
During the session, participants prayed and listened to various interventions and exchanged on their experiences of Christ and their churches. Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, sees in this sharing of personal stories of faith "a very beautiful tapestry".
The journey of the young pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Zimbabwe, Lydia Neshangwe, testifies to the very fluctuating paths between the different Christian churches:
"I was born into an independent church that was divided. I am grateful to the Pentecostals who then gave me a good foundation for my faith, to the Catholic Church who educated me in its schools. Then I went to theological training with the Presbyterians. But my favorite church is the Methodist, which has given me a husband!"
The theme chosen by the Global Christian Forum for the fourth edition of this global gathering, "For the World to Know," invites, according to Pope Francis, "to incarnate the unity and love of the Triune God" in the personal and ecclesial life of every Christian, "in order to bear witness to a world marked by division and rivalry," Vatican News stresses.
The end of this 4th edition of the World Christian Forum will take place from the city of Cape Coast, west of Accra, from where about three million slaves were sent to America.
From Roman Catholics to Pentecostals, from Orthodox to Evangelicals, from traditional Protestants to independent churches: the GCF is one of the only places that brings together all these different Christians. This is the fourth meeting as the FCM celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The last meeting took place in 2018 in Bogota, Colombia.
For 4 days, hundreds of Christians from all walks of life gathered in Accra, Ghana to deepen their mutual knowledge. FCM General Secretary Casely Essamuah explains that this is an opportunity for Christians to know and receive the gifts that the Holy Spirit has placed in the various churches. "It is a space for a profound encounter of faith. In this way, we learn to discover the richness of Christ," he said, according to Réformés.ch.
During the session, participants prayed and listened to various interventions and exchanged on their experiences of Christ and their churches. Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, sees in this sharing of personal stories of faith "a very beautiful tapestry".
The journey of the young pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Zimbabwe, Lydia Neshangwe, testifies to the very fluctuating paths between the different Christian churches:
"I was born into an independent church that was divided. I am grateful to the Pentecostals who then gave me a good foundation for my faith, to the Catholic Church who educated me in its schools. Then I went to theological training with the Presbyterians. But my favorite church is the Methodist, which has given me a husband!"
The theme chosen by the Global Christian Forum for the fourth edition of this global gathering, "For the World to Know," invites, according to Pope Francis, "to incarnate the unity and love of the Triune God" in the personal and ecclesial life of every Christian, "in order to bear witness to a world marked by division and rivalry," Vatican News stresses.
The end of this 4th edition of the World Christian Forum will take place from the city of Cape Coast, west of Accra, from where about three million slaves were sent to America.
