Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome

The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, hosted several Methodist leaders for an evening of fellowship on 8 February 2022. The Methodist leaders were visiting Rome for the Global Christian Forum expanded leadership meeting.

Pictured left to right: the Gobal Christian Forum secretary Rev. Casely B. Essamuah (Methodist Church Ghana), Dr. Angela Wakhweya Essamuah, World Methodist Council Geneva Secretary Bishop Rosemarie Wenner (The United Methodist Church in Germany), Rev. Laferty, Rev. Mirella Mannochio (Methodist Churches in Italy), Roman Catholic theologian Prof. Dr. Myriam Wiljens, Vatican offical for Methodist relations Fr. Anthony Currer, and World Methodist Council youth and young adult president Rev. Samuel Murillo (Methodist Church in Mexico).

The World Methodist Council (WMC) views with deep concern reports of mounting tension on the borders of Ukraine and Russia, including a threatened build-up of armed forces from the United States of America to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as an offensive to Russia. Many political commentators consider the recent events “a new Cold War” and “a threat to global peace.“.

The Council calls on ‘the people called Methodist,’ and those of faith who respect human life, rights, and dignity to pursue a “just peace” for all in the war threatened region.

We recognize the region’s long and complex history but are concerned only suffering and destruction would result from armed conflict.

The Council is committed to promoting peace, reconciliation, and justice. We believe that intentional diplomacy, dialogue, and negotiations are the only paths to peace. We encourage all parties to de-escalate this dangerous situation.

The Council asks for prayer for the people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. We especially remember Bishop Eduard Khegay of the Eurasia Central Conference of The United Methodist Church and all local and regional church leaders as they minister against a backdrop of an armed standoff.

The Council recognizes that Methodists and other Christians are on each side in this potential conflict and prays that they may be blessed as peace-makers.

The Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome and the Methodist Liaison Office Jerusalem hosted a webinar – “Voices from Bethlehem: Christian Unity in the Birthplace of Jesus” – on 21 January 2022 in observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In this webinar Christian leaders from Bethlehem and environs discussed the importance of Christian unity in contemporary times in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. Speakers for the events were: Daoud Nassar is the director of Tent of Nations, a receipent of the World Methodist Peace Award; Zoughbi Zoughbi is the founder and director of Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center; Fr. Issa Michael Thaljieh is the parish priest of the Greek Orthodox Nativity Church in Bethlehem; Dn. Ashot Ghazaryan is the secretary of the Armenian Theological Seminary of Jerusalem; and Revd Angleena Keizer is a mission partner assigned to the Methodist Liaison Office Jerusalem and a resident of Bethlehem. The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, moderated the webinar.

The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, along with World Methodist Council vice president Ms. Gillian Kingston met H.Em. Cardinal Mario Grech, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, on Thursday, 21 January 2022. During their hour-long meeting, Rev. Laferty and Ms. Kingston discussed Methodist understandings of synodality and Cardinal Grech explained the Catholic Church’s synodal process.