Nowhere am I welcomed more warmly than in the very conservative, unregistered Baptist communities of Russia. This applies to both Siberia and Kaliningrad region. Shortly after arriving at a church, a brother usually approaches the guest and asks about their identity and origin. Since I am from a conservative Mennonite family, the doors open quickly. This immediate questioning is certainly also for security reasons and is not motivated solely by hospitality. However, the subsequent invitation to lunch reaches far beyond security concerns. For someone who has been socialised in a church environment, it is far more pleasant to be approached and questioned than to be ignored.

During the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, themed "Where now for visible unity", Rev. Dr. Susan Durber, a minister in the United Reformed Church in the United Kingdom and the current WCC president from Europe, shared with China Christian Daily her experiences in ecumenical work, insights from the conference, the challenges facing European churches, and her perspectives on unity.

The memorial service of Eileen Crossman, daughter of the "Apostle to Lisu People" James Outram Fraser and author of Mountain Rain, who passed away at the age of 92 on September 21, was held on October 10 at Lansdowne Church in southern England, where family members and church congregants gathered to honor her life.

In September, the WEA Geneva Office had the pleasure to welcome Ms. Ngozi Edmond, Head of Advocacy and Humanitarian Affairs for the Nigeria Evangelical Fellowship (NEF), and Rev. Samuel Munyiri, Anglican Priest from Kenya, collaborating with the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) in the context of the Global Children’s Forum.

Ukrainian evangelicals have officially joined the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) following a three-year process that culminated in a unanimous vote at the alliance’s annual members meeting on Sept. 17, 2025, according to reporting by Evangelical Focus.

Rev. Fr. Dr Lawrence Iwuamadi, the new academic dean of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, reflects on strengthening Bossey’s role as a hub for ecumenical theological education in the context of today’s global challenges.

The European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) is pleased to announce a significant leadership transition as Rev. Dr. Frank Hinkelmann steps down after serving three full terms and 12 years as President. Andreas Wenzel, a dedicated member of the EEA Board since 2017, has been elected as the new President.

Felm, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, an official mission organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland that undertakes development cooperation, peacebuilding, and missionary work with partners in numerous countries worldwide, held its annual meeting on 30 August in Helsinki.

"When people talk about diakonia, they sometimes only think of charity or philanthropic work," Faria said. "But that is not all—diakonia is prophetic, it is political. We need to strive for a fair world that includes everyone, not one defined solely by economics."

How can churches maintain their prophetic and critical voice, at the same time speaking peace and hope to people? Why is unity among Christians still relevant today, and can we still trust international law and international organizations? Bishop Jonas Jonson speaks on the relevance of the 1925 Life and Work conference in Stockholm, which resulted in establishing both the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), recently gathered for its 60th meeting in Athens, Greece.