Global Ministries

I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” ⁴⁰And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,^* you did it to me.”—Matthew 25:36-40

In the past few days, we have shared in the public and global outpouring of sympathy and support for the victims, their families, and the people of France, Lebanon, and Russia. We reiterate that expression of solidarity, and our condemnation of these acts of violence, all of which have been claimed by the “Islamic State.”

Commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23 was to have been the principal focus of the service of Sunday morning prayer on 15 November in the cathedral church of Saint-Pierre at the summit of Geneva’s old town. Following terror attacks in Beirut and Paris killing and wounding hundreds of civilians over the preceding days, the prayers of the Protestant Church of Geneva and the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) took on a new dimension.

In addition to the Global Ministries' Board of Directors statement on the violent attacks in Paris and Beirut, several ecumenical and interfaith partners and organizations have issued statements.  Below are some links to such statements.

Cleveland, Ohio
November 14, 2015

In recent days, the world has witnessed heinous acts of violence in Beirut and Paris. These horrible attacks have claimed the lives of more than 170 people, and traumatized so many others physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In the aftermath of this violence, we observe a time of silence and offer our fervent prayers for all who have suffered this week.

In the wake of recent crisis with the refugees in Europe, it is “absolutely and critically necessary that all European states take their proper responsibility in terms of reception and support for people seeking refuge, safety and a better future for themselves and their families. This cannot be left only to the states where they enter first,” says the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit in a statement issued on 4 September from the WCC headquarters in Geneva.

September 17, 2013

The following communion liturgy in French comes from our partners, the United Protestant Church of France. During feasts, some parishes share communion not during the worship, but at the beginning of the meal. Each person at the table shares a slice of bread and a glass of wine after the celebrant has read the liturgy and then the celebrant reads the thanksgiving.

Expressing shock at the killings in Kuwait, Tunisia and France that took place on 26 June, the World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Georges Lemopoulos said, “I grieve with those who have lost loved ones, and those who have been injured as a result of these appalling acts, which have marred the month of Ramadan, sacred to Muslims everywhere.”

When the Woman-to-Woman Worldwide delegation of 2014 met with the Federation of Evangelical Women in Italy, (FDEI) they explained that they, too, are struggling with the number of women who die of all forms of violence and that the numbers in Italy are growing. In 2013, 179 women were killed in Italy due to violence. This is the highest rate in the previous seven years. The number is 14 percent higher than the previous year and equal to one victim every other day. The Protestant women are participating in a campaign to call attention to this issue. These Italian women of faith explained to us how they stand in solidarity with victims of violence, specifically women who have died from violence of all kinds.

An open letter to our French partners

The Islamic Circle of North America strongly condemns the deadly attack in Paris committed in the name of Islam and in the name of defending Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The attack on the offices of the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, in Paris, which killed 12 people, is not only a cowardly and ghastly act, it also goes against everything taught by the person in whose name the heinous crime was done.