WCC NEWS: Global Prayer for Peace in the Middle East: “we are one world and one human family”

During a Global Prayer for Peace in the Middle East on 26 March, prayers of lament, peace, comfort, and hope were lifted up and shared through Psalms, music, and the spoken word. Global Prayer for Peace in the Middle East 26 March 2026 As Prof. Dr Michel Abs, secretary general of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), noted, it is not new for the ecumenical movement to express solidarity through prayers for the Middle East.  “For more than a century, this movement has promoted unity, cooperation, and understanding among churches,” he said. “The World Council of Churches now calls on people of faith and good will to recognize what leads to peace.” Prepared by local churches in the region in collaboration with the WCC and the MECC, the prayers included people of all ages, genders and continents. “We are reminded that we are one world and one human family,” said Abs. “Let’s carry forward the spirit of this prayer. Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee, noted that the prayer was a powerful sign of hope. “As we struggle with the situation in the Middle East, we want to pray because we believe God, the creator of heaven and earth, will hear us,” he said. “We will always struggle for the dignity that every human being deserves.” Justice will come, Bedford-Strohm added. “Everyone will live in dignity,” he said. “Life will overcome death. That is what we trust in. That is what we pray for today.” His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem prayed for the protection of the Holy Land—protection from disasters and war, and for the mercy of God.  Youth from the region led prayers of intercession that opened out to prayers for peace, the victims, wisdom and righteous leadership, and the church.  Participating in the prayer were also Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley, vice moderator of the WCC central committee, as well as local church leaders and WCC presidents from the region and from around the globe.  WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed gratitude for those gathered, and for the prayers that expressed lament, peace, comfort, and hope from so many voices. As the benediction read, in part: “May the unconditional love of the Triune God envelope all people in justice and peace, prospering the work of our hands, so that God’s shalom may reign.” The Global Prayer for Peace in the Middle East Prayer Resource (pdf) WCC invites global ecumenical community to prayers for peace WCC hosts consultation with heads of churches in the Middle East Joint statement on widening conflict in the Middle East raises deep concerns for humanitarian and social impact Peacebuilding in the Middle East See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland