At ten o’clock on the morning of May 24, 2024, Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and Prof. Dr. Vasile-Octavian Mihoc, WCC Programme Executive for ecumenical relations and the Faith and Order Commission, visited CCC&TSPM. Rev. Xu Xiaohong, Chairperson of National TSPM, Rev. Wu Wei, President of CCC, Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong, Vice President and General Secretary of CCC, and other colleagues received the guests. This was the first visit of Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay since he was elected as WCC General Secretary in 2022. The purpose of the visit is to continue the friendly relations and explore areas for further exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.

The meeting was chaired by Rev. Dr Lin Manhong. During the meeting, Rev. Xu Xiaohong warmly welcomed the guests and congratulated Rev. Prof. Dr Pillay on his appointment as the new WCC general secretary. Rev. Xu emphasized the significant global influence of WCC as an international organization.

Since CCC joined WCC in 1991 as the representative of the Church in China, all previous WCC general secretaries have visited the Church in China. The Church in China has always maintained good relations and highly valued its partnership with WCC. Rev. Xu also expressed gratitude to WCC for respecting the One China policy and the Three-Self Principles, believing that Rev. Prof. Dr Pillay’s visit would promote the friendly ties between the Church in China and WCC.

Rev. Wu Wei highlighted that WCC is the only international Christian organization that the Church in China has officially joined, and that the Church in China has representatives in WCC’s central committee, executive committee and a number of commissions. The reason why the Church in China actively participates in WCC activities is that WCC respects the One China policy and the Three-Self Principles. Rev. Wu Wei gave an overview of the basic situation of the Christianity in China, the background of the Three Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China, the ongoing ministry of Chinanization of Christianity, and the challenges facing the Church in China, especially those caused by the Covid-19.

Rev. Prof. Dr Pillay expressed gratitude towards the invitation and warm reception, and felt honored to visit CCC&TSPM to better know the Church in China. He briefed on the main situation of WCC and shared several major ministries since the 11th Assembly of WCC in September 2022. Those include gospel and mission, climate justice and sustainable development, health and healing, peace and reconciliation, gender justice, and so forth. He hoped that the two sides could reach more consensuses through this exchange.

Rev. Prof. Dr Pillay reiterated WCC’s respect for the One China policy, stressing that the experience of unity and union worship in China could be valuable lessons for ecumenical churches. He also accentuated the importance of WCC member churches with different backgrounds and identities to respect one another. The guests expressed hope for active involvement from the Church in China in the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 2025, thereby further enhancing the friendship between WCC and the Church in China.

Translator & editor: Bei Feng