“In this year, in which all churches have shared a common Easter and therefore have the joy of celebrating a common Pentecost, we, the presidents of the World Council of Churches, greet you in the spirit of Christian love and fellowship,” opens the message. “Our unity in Christ is driven, empowered and blessed by the Holy Spirit, and the experience of the living Spirit of God empowers us to go on seeking the unity that is God’s gift.”

In fact, this is the privilege and work of our fellowship in the World Council of Churches (WCC), the message acknowledges. 

“In this remarkable ecumenical year, the WCC central committee will meet in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the week following Pentecost,” reads the message. “Representatives from our diverse fellowship will gather, and will pray for the Holy Spirit to come with power and blessing upon their meeting, but also upon the world that God so loves.”

The message notes that the central committee’s gathering will also provide a timely opportunity to engage with the African Union’s 2025 theme: “2025 Year of Reparations—Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations” in partnership with CARICOM and the recent focus of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. It is a call not only for reflection but for clarity, courage, and a strategic reframing of the reparations discourse and reparatory justice vision.

“Wherever you are, and whatever the most pressing concerns of your churches, may the Holy Spirit bless you with comfort and challenge, with a voice to speak the good news and with the hope of unity,” concludes the message.