With great sadness, the Officers and members of the World Methodist Council received the news about the passing away of Archbishop Emeritus Mpilo Desmond Tutu (7 October-26 December 2021).
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Mama Leah, the entire Tutu family, and the global Anglican communion.
We give thanks to God for the life and witness of Archbishop Tutu, a transformative leader, a priest, a prophet, and a pastor who listened to the voices of the marginalized and fearlessly spoke truth to power in apartheid South Africa and many other places around the globe where injustice prevailed.
We were privileged to have “the Arch” as the keynote speaker at the Fifteenth World Methodist Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1986.
We mourn the loss of this stalwart of justice, peace, and reconciliation, a global icon whose legacy lives on and leaves an indelible mark on the lives of many.
May he rest in peace and rise with all the saints in Glory.
Bishop Ivan M Abrahams
General Secretary
World Methodist Council
Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome 