Bishop Farrell at annual Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions

The annual Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions (CS/CWC) took place from 8–10 November 2022 in Vancouver, Canada. The gathering was hosted by the Pentecostal World Fellowship, represented by its Chair, Reverend William Wilson, and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, represented by Reverend David Wells, General Superintendent. The meeting was chaired by Reverend César García, General Secretary of the Mennonite World Conference, with the assistance of Reverend Ganoune Diop from the Seventh-day Adventist Church acting as secretary. The Catholic Church was represented by Bishop Brian Farrell, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.

Daily sessions opened and concluded with a prayer led by one of the participants. Time was allocated to the presentation of reports from various communions and ecumenical organisations. Some specific topics particularly relevant for the current life of the churches were discussed. The conference also offered the opportunity for encountering Christian leaders from the local context.

Christian World Communions is the term commonly used to describe the globally organized churches or families of churches with common theological and historical roots, confessions, or structure. The Conference of Secretaries (CS) began in 1957 and has met annually since then with very few exceptions. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the meetings were held online in 2020 and 2021. The main purpose of the CS consists in exchanging information about the life and ecumenical relations of each communion, fostering relationships among them and promoting their common engagement for the cause of Christian unity. The CS does not pass resolutions and or issue programmatic guidelines for churches, nor does it issue official communiqués at its conclusion. At present the CS gathers representatives of 22 Christian World Communions and multilateral ecumenical organizations worldwide.